A psychiatrist, however, is often asked to interview anyone seen in the emergency department before sending the person home. This is done if there is any concern that the overdose was swallowed intentionally and that the person may be at risk of harming himself or herself or others. To our knowledge, this is the first analysis of benzodiazepine use in the U.S. to find that adults ≥65 no longer have the highest prevalence. While use among those ≥65 has not been declining (1, 3), the decades of evidence regarding safety concerns (4, 7, 27) and professional guidelines (6, 28) recommending limited use in older adults may have helped slow growth. In contrast, the aging Baby Boomers—who comprise nearly the entire 50–64 group in this analysis—have higher rates of alcohol and other substance use compared to aging adults before them (19, 20, 29).
Study design
These criteria are measured by the negative impact the substance has on a person’s life, including physical, psychological, and behavioral measures, and are classified as mild, moderate, and severe. The criteria are measured against the previous 12 months of substance use, and a score of 2-3 is considered mild, 3-5 moderate, and six or more severe. There are no standard tapering regimens and the rate of tapering depends on the starting dose, duration of therapy, risk of relapse and how well tapering is tolerated by the patient. In general, at higher doses (e.g. greater than 10 mg diazepam equivalents per day) the dose may be tapered more rapidly.
What Is Benzodiazepine Addiction?
These are a normal part of the body’s stress response, said Merrill, not something that is dangerous or harmful. The drug works by slowing the activity in the brain, which promotes relaxation in the body and a reduction in anxious thoughts. This season begins similarly to others, with plenty of intrigue, leaving behind a drug addiction treatment string of mysteries about who died and how.
- Once that’s completed, your team begins working on your individualized treatment plan.
- Local benzodiazepine treatment centers in Colorado include The Recovery Village at Palmer Lake.
- Some benzos can treat multiple conditions, but the most popular use of this drug is to treat heightened anxiety.
How Does Fentanyl Medical Detox Work?
If patients are consuming prescribed medication faster than expected, why is this the case? For additional indications (e.g., prescribed for anxiety but also used for sleep)? Some misuse may be for symptoms appropriately treated by a benzodiazepine, but benzodiazepine withdrawal clinicians should be mindful of other potential reasons for misuse.
- When someone takes benzos, it triggers the brain’s reward center and activates gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors.
- Abuse increases not only the risk of negative physical health consequences but also negative social and career consequences.
- These drugs impact the mind and body alike, so the signs of benzodiazepine abuse and addiction can manifest both physiologically and emotionally.
- Regardless of where you seek treatment, the two categories regarding choosing a benzo rehab center are inpatient or outpatient treatment.
The material is not a substitute for qualified medical diagnoses, treatment, or advice. It should not be used to replace the suggestions of your personal physician or other health care professionals. If you or a loved one struggle with an addiction to benzodiazepines,call our representativesfor more information on our facilities and programs. Identifying the signs of someone struggling with benzodiazepine addiction can be confusing. However, there are a variety of signs that can reveal that someone is misusing benzos.
Common drugs such as Xanax, Ativan, and Valium are in the benzodiazepine family. Benzodiazepines are also used to help alleviate symptoms when someone is in detox from alcohol. An addiction to benzodiazepines is unique because it often begins as a way to treat a genuine anxiety or panic disorder. Dual diagnosis means that we address your addiction to Xanax or benzos and underlying mental health issues that may have played a role in that addiction. Most commonly, benzodiazepine toxicity symptoms occur when the drugs are taken with another class of substances, such as alcohol or opioids, or are taken with other sedative narcotics. Benzos are also frequently abused recreationally, and people may pair them with other substances like alcohol to amplify the effects.
English speaking adults were eligible to participate if they currently—or in the last six months—co-used prescribed and/or illicit opioids (e.g. heroin, OAT) and benzodiazepines (e.g. diazepam) or z-drugs (e.g. zopiclone). Guided by the principle of information power we anticipated a sample size of at least 45 interviews would be sufficient 29. Taken together, these misuse findings raise questions about the underlying contributors to misuse as defined and identified in NSDUH. Younger adults are more likely to lack health insurance (30), while the most common reasons for misuse (e.g., to relax/relieve tension) were all reasons for which a clinician might prescribe a benzodiazepine or refer for behavioral treatment. A significant proportion of the NSDUH-defined “misuse”, therefore, could reflect use for untreated symptoms among those with poor access to care—specifically behavioral treatments for insomnia (31, 32) or anxiety disorders (33, 34). The development of interventions such as web-based cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia may help increase access to benzodiazepine alternatives for those who lack access to providers or insurance or both (35).
Sunshine Behavioral Health Facilities
The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Medical Research Council. We identified six patterns of co-use in our data which future population level studies could quantitatively validate. Other factors can also contribute to anxiety, such as sleep deprivation, being overstressed or over-caffeinated, suffering from micronutrient deficiencies, or lacking connection to other people and community. When viewed through the lens of the nervous system, anxiety symptoms are a survival response, one that makes sense in the context of the human body and a person’s current and past experiences. However, “the first-line treatment for anxiety is typically antidepressants like SSRIs antidepressants, plus psychotherapy,” Merrill told Healthline.
- Some mix benzos with alcohol and other prescription or recreational drugs.
- A noteworthy statistic about benzodiazepine abuse is that women are more likely than men to be prescribed and therefore exposed to a benzodiazepine compared to men.
- This drug can also cause life threatening breathing problems, sedation, or coma when used alongside opioid pain relievers, alcohol, or certain illegal drugs.
- Prescribed OAT was taken in the morning, with variable amounts of illicit opioids throughout the day.
- Some of the more common environmental influences for benzodiazepine abuse are low socioeconomic status, unemployment, and peer pressure.
- On other days, people relied on prescribed OAT, and often, due to lack of finances following a binge, much smaller amounts of benzodiazepines and illicit opioids were co-used.
Benzodiazepine Abuse Treatment
Benzodiazepines are sedative drugs commonly prescribed for anxiety and sleep disorders. But they can be habit-forming, especially if you take them regularly or for a long time. If you think you or a loved one may have a problem with benzodiazepine misuse, contact a doctor or a drug hotline. If you become dependent on the drugs, you can have withdrawal symptoms and even seizures when you suddenly stop taking them. Only a very small percentage of people who take normal doses for short periods will become dependent on benzodiazepines.