San Diego Addiction Treatment Center
At Healthy Life Recovery, we don’t just get people sober, we teach them how to live a happy, healthy life free from addiction. Prescription medication addiction can be hard to overcome. Unlike people who become addicted to street drugs, people who become dependent on prescription medications often feel like they’ve done nothing wrong. They often hide behind a doctor’s authority to justify drug abuse. The fact that a doctor diagnosed them with a disorder or ailment and suggested a course of treatment allows them to live in denial about the extent of their prescription drug addiction.
At our San Diego Addiction Treatment Center, we know that addiction is a disease that convinces a person that they don’t have an issue. By breaking down the walls of denial that a person has built up around themselves, we are able to talk honestly about addiction and show our clients that they have another option.
Xanax and other Benzodiazepine drugs are very easy to get addicted to. The relief they produce helps people to go about their day without anxiety. But when a person’s tolerance begins to increase and they take more and more of the drug to heighten its effects, it can become a very dangerous crutch.
No two people are exactly alike, and all addicted individuals have a unique story to tell. In our Xanax Rehab Program, we get to the root causes of why a person began excessively using Xanax. By examining the issues and feelings that the person sought to overcome we can help them work through them together and begin to introduce healthy alternatives. We teach our clients new coping skills and introduce them to supportive communities that they can take with them as they begin to lead a Healthy Life.
Xanax is a commonly prescribed sedative that is classified as a Benzodiazepine. Xanax is the most well-known brand of this drug category. Other brands of Benzodiazepines are Ativan, Valium, Librium, and Klonopin. All of these drugs have the same active ingredients, but they have various differences including how long they last and how quickly they take effect. Xanax is popular due to its mix of being high-potency and fast-acting.
Xanax and other Benzodiazepines, or Benzos, are prescribed to treat Insomnia, Panic attacks and Anxiety. Benzos are not only the most commonly prescribed drugs in America, but they are also the most addictive. These drugs are also commonly taken in conjunction with other drugs and alcohol to heighten their effects. This makes Xanax and other Benzos some of the most dangerous drugs on the market.
There are many options to choose from once a person decides to reach out for help in dealing with prescription drug addiction. Most people start with a medical detox for alcohol and then move on to an inpatient or outpatient treatment program. This is typically followed up with an aftercare program that will include support groups and a continuing care program.
To effectively treat benzodiazepine addiction, a variety of treatments should be utilized. The most successful treatments for addiction incorporate psychotherapy, support groups, and medication.
Xanax withdrawal causes serious physical and psychological symptoms for users who are attempting to stop using the drug. When a person takes Xanax, the drug relaxes them and alleviates symptoms of anxiety and panic. When a person who has become dependent on Xanax attempts to stop taking it, the positive effects of the drug reverse and leave a person more susceptible to anxiety and panic. This causes devastating emotional withdrawal symptoms. Not only does the person not have the drug to fall back on to help them overcome these symptoms, the absence of the drug actually works against them. In this circumstance, a person may experience severe depression and have thoughts of suicide.
A person will also experience a host of physical symptoms of withdrawal from Xanax as well. Many users report suffering from flu-like symptoms of fever, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. At the same time, they are often at risk of having a seizure. During this period the person detoxing from Xanax may become irritable and have dramatic mood swings. They may be unable to sleep or have nightmares. Delusions and hallucinations are also common. A detox from Xanax should always be supervised by a medical professional. With support from mental health professionals, a person can overcome the physical and psychological symptoms of Benzodiazepine withdrawal.
Therapy plays an important part in helping a person who has become addicted to Xanax to recover. By teaching a person who has become dependent upon prescription medication to interact with their environment in a healthier way, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can reduce the amount of “triggers” that lead a person to abuse drugs. A lot of people relapse after a thirty-day treatment program because they were able to become physically sober when taking pills wasn’t an option. But as soon as they were released back into their old environment they found the urge to use was just as strong as ever.
These relapse-prone addicts need to learn to moderate their expectations on life in order not to become frustrated and stressed out when things don’t go their way. By delving into the deep dissatisfaction with life that typically accompanies drug addiction, a person can take steps to be more at ease with their environment and those around them.
Support Groups are key to lasting recovery from Alcohol Addiction. The benefits of Therapeutic Communities in treating Substance Abuse Disorders has been recognized by the medical community. These support groups have been historically useful in fostering accountability and moral support for addicts in recovery dating back almost a hundred years.
Many people are aware of organizations like Pills Anonymous, but other groups have cropped up to offer new options for people looking for other ways to surround themselves with a support system. Groups like SMART Recovery and Secular Organizations for Sobriety (SOS) offer support groups that aren’t as focused on spirituality.
Many treatment programs also offer medication to help ease withdrawal symptoms and reduce cravings in recovering addicts. Because Xanax and other Benzodiazepines are often prescribed to treat the symptoms of anxiety and insomnia a non-benzodiazepine substitute will typically be prescribed to reduce these symptoms during the recovery process.
Because Benzodiazepines are so addictive and the withdrawal symptoms are so dangerous a person will often be eased off of Benzodiazepines with smaller doses. Physicians will often prescribe a lower potency and longer-lasting form of Benzodiazepine that are administered directly by medical professionals to ensure that they are not abused.
Outpatient rehab for Benzodiazepine addiction is a good choice for people who cannot completely walk away from their professional and familial obligations. While participating in an outpatient rehab program, prescription drug addicts typically live in a sober living facility, or back at home with their family. They spend 5 to 8 hours a day participating in group counseling, individual therapy, and other supportive activities.
Intensive Outpatient Programs provide structure and support for people stepping down from an inpatient rehab. During the outpatient process, our clients will be able to work through their experience with Post-Acute Withdrawal Symptoms (PAWS) and get support from psychological professions for any issues that they may encounter in early sobriety.
Healthy Life Recovery’s Xanax addiction treatment program offers an inpatient alternative. The treatment facility provides all the support and resources the patient suffering from addiction might need for an efficient recovery. The inpatient treatment offers individual therapy, group therapy, and medication management when needed.
Residential treatment consists of 24/7 care while staying in the facility. The duration of this program usually lasts about 30 days and further assistance can be provided at an outpatient rehab center.
Sean Leonard is a board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner. He received his master’s degree in adult geriatric primary care nurse practitioner from Walden University and a second postmaster specialty in psychiatry mental health nurse practitioner from Rocky Mountain University. Sean has experience working in various diverse settings, including an outpatient clinic, inpatient detox and rehab, psychiatric emergency, and dual diagnosis programs. His specialty areas include substance abuse, depression, anxiety, mood disorders, PTSD, ADHD, and OCD.
Dr. John Allen, MD is a psychiatrist in El Cajon, CA and has over 45 years of experience in the medical field. Dr. Allen has extensive experience in Addiction & Substance Abuse and Psychotic Disorders. He graduated from Baylor University in 1976.
