If you or a loved need to safely detox from drugs or alcohol, contact Southern California Sunrise Recovery Center Today.
Xanax is a common brand name for the drug alprazolam. Alprazolam belongs to the commonly prescribed benzodiazepine class of drugs. Benzos are so common, in fact, that roughly 15 percent of Americans can find them in their household today. Among Xanax, other commonly prescribed benzos include Valium, Klonopin, Ativan, and Tranxene.
Xanax is a common brand name for the drug alprazolam. Alprazolam belongs to the commonly prescribed benzodiazepine class of drugs. Benzos are so common, in fact, that roughly 15 percent of Americans can find them in their household today. Among Xanax, other commonly prescribed benzos include Valium, Klonopin, Ativan, and Tranxene.
All benzos act on the peripheral nervous system and, to some extent, the central nervous system. They bind to GABA receptors in the brain producing anxiolytic and tranquilizing effects. Benzos can be used to treat a range of anxiety and panic disorders, and they’re sometimes used for insomnia, seizures, or alcohol withdrawal syndrome. There are short-acting and long-acting benzos that have various uses.
Xanax and Ativan are both short-acting benzos. Their accelerated onset can be useful for panic attacks and anxiety associated with depression. Chemotherapy patients may even use a dose of Xanax to combat chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.
Valium, Klonopin, and Tranxene are examples of long-acting benzos. They are more commonly used as muscle relaxants and to prevent seizures in those susceptible. But they’re used as a treatment for specific anxiety disorders as well.
Xanax is mostly used short-term, and it’s generally safe even in large doses by itself. It’s chemical structure also plays a role in its antidepressant properties, which serve useful in its prescription for mixed anxiety-depressive disorder. Because of this, it is among the most commonly prescribed benzo in the United States.
The effects of Xanax slow down thinking capabilities and other brain processes. When abused, it can cause delayed reactions, confusion, forgetfulness, irritability, blurred vision, and fatigue.
Despite the different ways this drug has proven to be helpful for certain conditions, Xanax is also a very addictive substance that can cause dangerous complications to an individual’s health when abused. Medical professionals are often responsible when prescribing the medication, but they might not be aware of drug abuser warning signs that occur outside their office.
People abusing Xanax for its pleasurable effects might do so casually, but consistently taking high doses can quickly make them chemically dependent. As someone becomes dependent on Xanax, they may begin to experience symptoms of withdrawal, such as:
This considered, it’s essential to understand that when a person decides to stop taking Xanax, they might not want to quit “cold turkey.” When a benzo addict halts all use at once, these symptoms can become extreme. In these cases, Xanax should be tapered for safety.
The duration of withdrawal from benzos depends on the varying length of the effects. Withdrawal from Xanax can start as early as 6 hours after administration. Other popular benzos like Valium or Klonopin might take 24 hours until their withdrawals begin.
The half-life of Xanax is about 11 hours, meaning that it can take up to 50 hours for the body to eliminate the drug from the body. Although this may seem like a long time, Xanax has one of the shortest half-lives in comparison to other benzodiazepines. Therefore, withdrawal symptoms can start to be visible and felt more quickly compared to other benzos.
Taking benzos long term, especially in high doses, leads to a lasting withdrawal process. Moderate physical dependencies might take as short as a week to overcome.
Addicts with severe cases may experience what is known as protracted withdrawal syndrome. Protracted withdrawal syndrome warrants continued but declining dosage to avoid life-threatening withdrawals and can take up to 90 days or more.
Due to the long grueling withdrawal timeline of benzo recovery, a medically supervised detox through an addiction treatment program is recommended. In treatment centers like our Orange County, detox can be monitored, and patients can receive medication-assisted treatment or slowly lower their dosage under supervision.
Enduring a drug detox at home can be dangerous, frightening, and is strongly discouraged by all medical professionals. The awful withdrawal symptoms that are associated with the detox process do not just affect a person’s body, but can also cause damage to their brain.
The severe side effects of Xanax withdrawal can be avoided under professional supervision. SoCal Sunrise’s certified Laguna Niguel drug and alcohol detox centers can help through the various phases of Xanax detox and withdrawal.
During the detox step of the rehab program here, we monitor the patient’s body as it metabolizes and removes the Xanax from their system. We’re well experienced in the range of medical complications occurring from Xanax withdrawal, as well as other drugs that may be present in coexisting use disorders.
We offer medically-assisted detox programs that can significantly lower the risk of relapse. Medications and drug tapering are carefully administered and monitored. Certain situations may merit using another benzo for this process.
In addition to medicinal supervision, our drug rehab programs offer a holistic to recovery as well. Patients undergo behavioral therapies in individual and group therapy settings. These settings work on social, physical, and physiological issues that may have caused addictive behaviors.
Because our goal is a long term recovery, we identify and target all issues involving an individual addicted to a substance. It’s this holistic approach we believe is responsible for our successes in helping individuals detox and recovery from their addictions.
If you or a loved need to safely detox from drugs or alcohol, contact Southern California Sunrise Recovery Center Today.
