Here when you're ready for
Benzodiazepine Treatment.
- Written By: Marta Dias e Seixas
- January 24, 2024
- Medically-Reviewed: Audrey Grimm, PMHNP-BC
Table of Contents
Audrey Grimm, PMHNP-BC
Sequoia Recovery Centers
Audrey Grimm is one of Sequoia’s original founders and Chief Executive Officer. Audrey has spent her career working in behavioral health. She has over 10 years of nursing experience, half of that working in inpatient psychiatric and detox facilities. She graduated as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner in 2023.
Benzo addiction treatment
What is Benzodiazepine (Benzo) Addiction... and how can Sequoia help?
Long-term alcohol use and abuse can result in significant physical and psychological health challenges. The disease of addiction is without barriers. It does not see wealth, poverty, religion, or otherwise. Acknowledging a problematic relationship with alcohol and seeking help may be among the most challenging decisions you will ever make.
While detox and withdrawal can be complex, they are essential to a future free from alcohol. Because alcohol withdrawal can cause dangerous side effects, it is highly recommended that one goes through the withdrawal and detox process at a Spokane alcohol detox. Although comprehensive treatment is essential to maintaining lasting recovery, detox is the first step in recovering from alcohol addiction.
Benzodiazepines, also known as “benzos,” are depressants used in medical settings to reduce anxiety, relax muscles, and produce other sedative effects. When mixed with other sedatives, benzos can be incredibly dangerous, and they’re problematic on their own as well. Drugs in this class are prescription sedatives (tranquilizers) such as Klonopin, Valium, Ativan, and Xanax.
Providers have used benzodiazepines since the 1960s to manage symptoms of various medical and mental health conditions. Over time hundreds of different formulas have been produced; however, today, only fifteen are currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration. These highly addictive drugs require medical detoxification if patients are to find their sobriety. Drugs that influence the nervous system within the brain have some of the most challenging withdrawal symptoms.
Benzo use produces a range of physical and psychological symptoms. The challenge to recognizing benzodiazepine is that many symptoms of benzo addiction will also occur with proper use. For example, if someone uses a benzodiazepine as directed by their physician, they will likely experience drowsiness or dizziness. These are expected and anticipated effects of the drug itself. However, when someone is addicted to benzodiazepines, the “expected” effects of the drug will seem enhanced, and their need to use will be far beyond what is typical for normal or acceptable use.
Without treatment, ongoing benzodiazepine addiction can lead to lasting impacts on your physical and emotional health. You may experience memory problems, difficulties sleeping, headache, problems with concentration, tremors, and diet or weight changes. Benzo addiction can also cause some users new or worsening mental health problems. Depending on the severity of addiction, behaviors including drug-seeking behaviors, poor personal hygiene, mood swings, and “doctor shopping” may occur.
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What Can I Expect From a Benzo Treatment Program
Benzo treatment programs start with detox and when that is complete, move clients into an inpatient or outpatient level of care to address any remaining symptoms and help prevent relapse.
Professional medical detoxification service supports safe and effective benzo detox by mitigating any symptoms and addressing any dangers through round-the-clock medical support at our center for medical detoxification in Washington. The rest of our treatment provides several levels of care, including inpatient and outpatient programs, so you can find a level of care that best supports your needs.
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We Work With Most Major Insurance
We Work With Most Major PPO & HMO Insurance Providers.We Cannot Accept Medicaid Or Medicare.
We Are An In-Network Provider For Kaiser And Lifewise Insurance Carriers.
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How Long Does It Take to Detox from Benzos?
Benzo withdrawal can be dangerous, especially when attempted without support. Although using a benzodiazepine as part of a treatment plan is not inherently dangerous, the detox process can lead to complex symptoms that are best managed as part of a medically supervised detox program.
When you begin detoxing from benzos, you can expect to experience withdrawal symptoms within the first twenty-four hours. The duration of withdrawal will vary depending on the severity of your addiction. Other factors that impact how long detox lasts include whether you struggle with any co-occurring physical or mental health conditions that could increase your symptom severity.
Benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms include:
- Palpitations
- Tremors
- Seizures
- Nightmares
- Panic Attacks
- Poor Concentration
- Hallucinations
- Delirium
- Nausea
- Metallic Taste
- Depression
- Perceptual Distortions
Benzos work by weakening the influence of inhibitory interneurons in the brain. These neurons work to prevent too much dopamine from flooding the brain, but benzos stop these cells from doing their job, resulting in a rush of dopamine and a pleasurable feeling. This is what makes drugs like benzos so addictive but also makes them so dangerous.
The benefits
The Benefits of Going to a Benzo Detox Center
When used as directed, benzodiazepine drugs typically do not cause dangerous or life-threatening effects. However, detoxing and withdrawing from benzodiazepines can, especially if you attempt to detox alone or “cold turkey.” Detoxing from benzodiazepines is safest and most successful under medical supervision in a controlled treatment environment. In a medically supervised benzo detox program, addiction treatment professionals and medical providers can ensure you can detox safely from benzodiazepines.
At a Washington detox center for benzodiazepines, our team of experienced medical and mental health professionals will continuously monitor your physical, emotional, and spiritual health throughout the detox process. Depending on your needs, they may provide medications to help reduce the intensity and severity of certain withdrawal symptoms. Completing detox in a controlled setting is beneficial not only to your health and safety but also to your ongoing treatment process.
After completing the medical detoxification process, our clients take their next step of treatment.
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WHAT TO EXPECT
Ongoing Treatment for Benzos Center
If you use FDA approved medication to help treat an addiction to benzodiazepines, you are required to continue with your therapy. Detox services help you tackle the physical part of your addiction but therapy helps you tackle the psychological part and reduce your risk of relapse.
With our program we offer several levels of care for benzodiazepine addiction. You can start by deciding between inpatient or outpatient programs. If you are unsure which program is best, our team will offer a recommendation after your initial consultation.
Clients should consider starting with the more intense, inpatient program if:
- They experience constant cravings and urges to use benzos.
- Only inpatient programs are open around the clock with 24-hour support.
- They have a hard time showing up to group sessions independently.
- The success of programs depends on your ability to not only attend all of your sessions but actively participate. If you do not have stable transportation or you feel that you need more structure in your treatment without being responsible for getting to and from specific appointments, an inpatient program is much better because you are already at the facility and you don’t need to worry about transportation.
- They need treatment for multiple disorders.
Not all outpatient programs are designed to treat multifaceted addiction or administer more intensive medications for overlapping conditions so it is better to start with a residential program.
Clients should consider starting with a less intensive outpatient program if:
- They need to be at home especially in the evenings to care for family members or participate in work or academic obligations.
- Outpatient programs let clients live at home, returning to our treatment center during the day or evening for their sessions.
- They don’t have the schedule to accommodate a rigid and intense level of care.
- Inpatient programs have rigid schedules and are a full time form of treatment but not all clients are able to accommodate several months of care into their schedules which is why PHP and IOP options are available.
- They have a lesser addiction with mild symptoms that does not require constant supervision.
- For mild addictions, like those that are relatively new, with mild symptoms, outpatient programs with detox services might be adequate.
- They have already completed an inpatient program and detox.
The step down approach utilizes all levels of care in such a way that you can step up or down depending on your needs so if you have already completed an intensive residential program you can step down into an outpatient program.
By beginning treatment in a Spokane detox center like Sequoia Recovery Centers, you can feel comfortable and safe transitioning into therapeutic addiction treatment care with providers you know and trust.
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Get help for Benzo Addiction at Sequoia Recovery Centers
Addiction is a combination of chemical, behavioral, and even emotional processes. To safely treat addiction, a benzodiazepine detox and treatment program must address each aspect of an individual’s addiction. Our holistic recovery approach allows patients to find freedom from benzo addiction. We understand how to address all aspects of active addiction, including medical attention and therapeutic care. Contact a member of our admissions team today to learn more about how to get help for benzo addiction at Sequoia Recovery Centers.
