This can prevent life-threatening complications, including dangerous seizures. If you or someone you know has a Xanax addiction, you may turn to other drugs, like alcohol or opioids, to boost Xanax’s effects or manage withdrawal. This can lead to a dangerous and potentially fatal combination of substances and further compounds the health risks. Those who become addicted to Xanax will not be able to stop taking the drug on their own, even if they want to. This is because addiction takes away a person’s power to control their actions.
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And while the drug can be identified in the body, there are no blood or lab tests that can diagnose Xanax addiction. The diagnosis of Xanax addiction is based on whether a person meets certain diagnostic criteria outlined in the DSM-5. The potential for addiction is higher with Xanax than with lower-potency benzodiazepines like Librium (chlordiazepoxide).
What Is Xanax Addiction?
If you’re uninsured or under-insured, SAMSA can refer you to state-funded treatment programs, programs that accept Medicare or Medicaid, and those that charge on a sliding scale. If you have health insurance, your insurer can give you a list of providers and facilities covered by your plan. Along with flunitrazepam (Rohypnol), alprazolam (Xanax) and clonazepam (Klonapin) may xanax addiction be used to incapacitate sexual assault victims. Not only do they affect your judgment, but these drugs can keep you from remembering what happened.
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In general, potent benzodiazepines with shorter elimination half-lives may be more prone to causing problems with tolerance, dependence and addiction. For example, for triazolam (Halcion), alprazolam (Xanax) or lorazepam (Ativan) all have relatively shorter half-lives. It also can also cause withdrawal symptoms upon abrupt discontinuation, which may lead to a pattern of continued drug use and higher doses to help alleviate symptoms. As many as 44 percent of chronic benzodiazepine users ultimately become dependent on their drug of choice, the Journal of Addictive Behaviors notes. Addiction is often due to psychological factors that influence individuals to keep using.
Your healthcare provider cannot know the answers to these questions unless you are willing to participate in your diagnostic process—this means that you have to be interested in being diagnosed and treated. Sometimes family and friends can help in encouraging you to seek help and in pointing out these issues to you. However, even after the symptoms of a Xanax overdose wear off, the consequences to the body may persist, potentially with lasting effects.
One of its pharmacological actions includes the modulation of neurotransmitters such as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), thereby eliciting an anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) and sedative effect. Xanax was discovered by the American pharmaceutical company Upjohn (now a part of Pfizer) in the late 1960s. To learn more about treatment options, contact our Admissions Navigators. At BOLD Health, we provide medically-assisted detox to help minimize the risks and discomfort of Xanax withdrawal.
- Your nonjudgmental expression of concern can help to allay hostility and help them to break through their denial.
- Over time, the drug can cause structural changes in your brain, leading to a diminished ability to form new memories and recall past events.
- You may start by calling your provider to inquire about covered programs or reaching out to individual programs to ask whether they accept your coverage.
- It also can also cause withdrawal symptoms upon abrupt discontinuation, which may lead to a pattern of continued drug use and higher doses to help alleviate symptoms.
- In this second, more difficult stage, you may need help finding housing and employment.
If someone you love is addicted to Xanax, you should encourage them to get help by having a calm, serious discussion about specific behaviors and consequences of their drug use. If a one on one conversation isn’t effective, you may want to plan a formal intervention. You can prepare and run an intervention on your own, or work with a counselor or professional interventionist. Many treatment facilities offer intervention services to potential patients. Investigate the treatment options that are available to your loved one, so that you can connect them to a rehab facility as soon as they are ready to accept help. A number of different types of therapy are used in the treatment of substance abuse alcoholism treatment disorders.
When a person takes a hefty dose of the drug, they are also putting themselves in grave danger. A Xanax overdose can create respiratory depression, which can lead to coma and death. As a result, the drug is often misused by those who have originally prescribed it and by those who never had a prescription in the first place.
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It can cause problems with concentration, problem-solving, and decision-making. Over time, the drug can cause structural changes in your brain, leading to a diminished ability to form new memories and recall past events. This cognitive decline can significantly impact your personal and professional life, making it challenging to maintain employment, relationships, and overall quality of life. Prolonged Xanax use can have severe long-term consequences on your physical and mental health.
What are the Treatment Options for Xanax addiction?
Keep in mind that emergency responders and doctors are there to help you. If you have the pill containers, give them to the EMTs or doctors to help them determine the number and type of pills taken. One type of benzodiazepine that’s legally manufactured in other countries but illegal in the U.S. is flunitrazepam (Rohypnol). It is important to seek medical attention immediately if any of the above symptoms are present. If you — or your loved one — are ready to get treatment, it may be helpful to reach out to a supportive friend or family member for support.
