Steps Recovery Centers

Benzo Addiction Treatment Program

About Our Services

Steps Recovery Center recognizes how vital the mind, body, and spirit are in their connection to the whole person. We take a holistic approach to treating benzo addiction that includes treating the whole person, and find that it tends to be more successful, especially since benzo addiction can affect every aspect of a person’s life. With a customized and individualized program, a holistic approach just makes sense. It affords an opportunity to meet the patient’s physical and psychological needs and allows them to engage physically, emotionally, and mentally.

Benzodiazepines, called benzos for short, are artificially made medications that cause mild to severe depression of the nerves within the brain (central nervous system). Anxiety, seizures, and other conditions that require this medication may be caused by excessive brain activity. These drugs can work by enhancing the effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain. GABA is a neurotransmitter, a chemical that nerves inside the brain use to send messages to each other.

Benzos can treat the following conditions:

Nervousness
Anxiety
Muscle spasms
Panic disorder
Insomnia
Seizures

Alcohol withdrawal
Premenstrual syndrome
Social anxiety disorder, but only when antidepressants aren’t effective
Panic disorder, but only when antidepressants aren’t effective

What is Benzo Addiction?

Since these drugs are habit-forming, they can lead to addiction. Moreover, long-term use can also build tolerance, meaning lower doses become ineffective, and users will seek higher ones. Some people abuse this medication to experience euphoria. People who have a history of drug or alcohol addiction are more susceptible to becoming addicted to them.

Benzos are most commonly abused by young adults who crush them up and snort them, or excessively take them to get high.

Side effects of benzo use include:

Amnesia
Hostility
Disturbing or vivid dreams
Irritability

Side effects of benzo use include:

Vomiting
Diarrhea
Problems sleeping
Goosebumps
Nausea
Uncontrollable leg movements
Muscle and bone pain

Signs of benzo overdose include:

Dilated pupils
Clammy skin
Weak and rapid pulse
Shallow breathing
Coma
Death

Benzo Addiction Treatment

It can be a challenge to recover from benzo addiction because these drugs can change the chemistry of one’s brain. No one should cut out these drugs cold turkey because it’s dangerous and can result in severe withdrawal symptoms. Health care professionals can help people fight their addiction by formulating a taper schedule to wean them off medication, reducing the severity of withdrawal symptoms. The intensity of a person’s withdrawal symptoms depends on the amount and duration of benzo use.

A person struggling with benzo addiction should stay at an inpatient treatment center where they can be monitored during medical detox. A group of professionals can spot and address withdrawal symptoms before they escalate. Around-the-clock care can be difficult for families to provide, but this type of care is standard at a treatment center.

A common misconception about inpatient treatment centers is that they’re impersonal. However, they provide home-like amenities and a soothing environment. For some people, these centers are the only place in which they can get better.

Best of all, inpatient treatment programs are equipped with counselors. A licensed professional can help patients work through their triggers for benzo abuse. Once a person completes the program, they can return to their community with the skills necessary to remain sober and achieve their goals.