Drugs and Alcohol Addiction is a universal problem. There are several ways to overcome it.
Xanax Addiction
Xanax, also known as alprazolam, is a minor tranquilizer from the benzodiazepine family of drugs. This is one of the most commonly prescribed and yet dangerous drugs in the United States. Xanax was approved by FDA as the one and only treatment for panic disorder. Xanax was introduced in the United States more than a decade ago as a safer alternative to Valium. But the tragedy is that it has become a drug instrumental to overdose deaths, addiction and street-drug sales.
Effects of Xanax
Since Xanax is short-acting and more tightly bound to its receptors, it is more likely to cause severe withdrawal symptoms and addiction. According to John Steinberg, medical director of the Chemical Dependency Program at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center, one in ten patients receiving Xanax will become addicted. Cases of confusion, paranoia, depression, hostility and forgetfulness have been reported in patients taking it. Sudden withdrawal from anti-anxiety agents like Xenox can make the patient's life horrendous. nerves "jumping," muscle twitching, feelings of disorientation, fear, insomnia, anxiety, agitation and even seizure are the main withdrawal symptoms. Sedation and "drunken" symptoms were reported by the patients. Physical dependence is a condition which does occur with those taking benzodiazepines for long and regularly. After using it regularly for a few months, a person's body will have the tendency to adapt to the drug. When the medication is stopped abruptly, the person will experience symptoms of withdrawal.
Symptoms of Addiction
Increasing dose of the medicine to achieve the same psychoactive effect is the basic physical mechanism of addiction. This is called "tolerance". Within a month tolerance can develop to the sedative effect of minor tranquilizers taken at night for sleep. People will be unable to stop taking a once-a-day standard dose of Xanax. The attempt to stop the medication will lead to a disturbing degree of anxiety or insomnia within a few hours. Patients taking one Xanax tablet each day for several weeks can become addicted.
Treatment
People who are overcoming Xanax
addiction can be helped with close supervision, and counseling
in an in-patient or out-patient atmosphere. Cognitive-behavioral therapy
has been found effective in helping individuals in treatment for abuse
of Xanax. This therapy influences a patient's thinking, expectations,
and behaviors while increasing their skills for coping with various
life situations. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is also helpful for
individuals to adapt to the removal from benzodiazepines. Often the
abuse of CNS depressants happens when used with another drug, such
as alcohol or cocaine. This is called poly drug abuse. Here the treatment
approach should be focused on the multiple addictions.
Call us any time toll free at 1-800-559-9503 for addiction intervention and
one of our trained counselors will ensure attention to you or your loved one.
