Benzodiazepine Addiction in Costa Mesa, CA

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What are Benzodiazepines and Are They Common in Costa Mesa, CA?

Benzodiazepine addiction in Costa Mesa CA has become more common as prescription rates have increased.

Benzo is the term that is often used in reference to the drug benzodiazepine, which is a depressant of the central nervous system.

Benzos are commonly prescribed for their sedative qualities and are typically given to patients who have anxiety, epilepsy, insomnia, or who are prone to panic. In the United States, these mental health disorders are increasingly common.

Patients who suffer from cerebral palsy have also been prescribed benzos to decrease the convulsions that accompany the disorder, which often leaves them feeling drowsy instead.

Immediate Placement in Rehab for Benzodiazepine Addiction in Costa Mesa, CA

Benzos have shown success in releasing anxiety before surgeries, allowing insomniac patients to get some sleep, as well as decreasing stress levels in anxious or depressed individuals.

The reason that they work so well is that they slow brain activity down and decrease nerve impulses. Unfortunately, these same characteristics make them an ideal candidate for abuse.

While a drug that effectively inhibits the central nervous system may have significant medical uses, it can also be addictive. Because benzodiazepines are psychoactive drugs, they interact with the brain to alter the consciousness, attitude, and thoughts of the user.

Like many other illicit drugs, benzos are readily available in Costa Mesa, CA. They often come in tablet or pill form and are swallowed. However, some of them, like Valium, can also be injected.

Some users may also crush up and snort the pills, which leads to more intense side effects and shortens the wait time between ingestion and reaction but also significantly increases the likelihood of an overdose.

Why Does Benzodiazepine Addiction in Costa Mesa, CA Occur?

Because so many individuals suffer from anxiety and depression, and benzos are known to reduce the symptoms related to these issues, they have a high potential for abuse. The calming effect they have on the body can be addicting. However, when they are not used properly, an addiction can form relatively quickly. They are habit-forming sedatives, so whether an individual is buying them from another user or following a prescription, they have limited medical uses and a high potential for addiction and abuse.

The level of relaxation they produce can become unsafe, and a significant tolerance is built as individuals need more of the drug to recreate the high that they initially felt.

Individuals whose family members have substance abuse issues are significantly more likely to develop an addiction themselves. Being genetically predisposed to addiction can make it incredibly difficult to avoid.

Careful consideration, diligence, and cautious, short-term use of prescribed drugs can help eliminate some of the risks, but the only thing that will eliminate it completely would be avoiding the substances altogether.

Prescriptions Leading to Benzodiazepine Addiction

The FDA classifies benzodiazepines as a Schedule IV controlled substance, and it is recommended that (when a medical need is present) they be used for less than four weeks at a time in order to prevent abuse or addiction. When used properly, the potential for developing dependence is decreased, but users should know that it is always present.

There are many different kinds of benzodiazepines, and each serves its own purpose, whether legal or illicit. There are short-acting benzos and longer-acting ones. The most common of the different types of benzodiazepines include Valium, Librium, Ativan, and Xanax. Klonopin and Rohypnol are also relatively common. Diazepam (Valium) and Librium are considered to be long-acting benzos, meaning that they’ll stay in the body for much longer than their short-acting alternatives.

These may stay in your system from 24 hours up to several days. Ativan and Xanax are examples of short-acting benzos, and they’ll flush out of your system much sooner, often within just a few hours.

Understanding Benzodiazepine Addiction in Costa Mesa, CA

One of the biggest problems with benzodiazepines is they’re typically taken in conjunction with other dangerous or harmful drugs.

However, they are also dangerous on their own. Some of the physical signs and symptoms of a benzodiazepine addiction are similar to the ones you’d see in alcohol addiction, including extreme fatigue, slurred speech, impaired coordination, and shallow breathing coupled with a slowed heart rate. Other symptoms may include impaired coordination and reflexes, cold skin, dilated pupils, blurry vision, vomiting and diarrhea, fainting, and tremors, among others. Each individual has the potential to react differently to any given substance, and some users have also reported a ringing in the ears.

The symptoms can be both physical and psychological, with some of the more psychological ones being depression and suicidal thoughts, and mood swings and irritability.

Call Today for Benzodiazepine Addiction & Xanax Addiction Treatment

While it’s not as common for individuals to overdose on benzos alone, combining them with other substances can be particularly deadly.

Combinations like alcohol and benzodiazepines and heroin and benzodiazepines significantly increase the risk of a benzodiazepine overdose, especially in high doses. Over 30% of recent overdoses can be attributed to the combination of benzodiazepines with opiates.

Meanwhile, benzodiazepine prescriptions continue to increase, despite the clear potential for addiction and abuse. With the use of these drugs so widely accepted and prescriptions so readily available, it’s important to be diligent and responsible in our own lives and the lives of others.

The capacity for quickly building a tolerance to benzos also makes it easier to overdose. Seizures and comas are common symptoms of a benzodiazepine-related overdose.

If you or someone you know has combined benzos and alcohol or combined benzos with another substance and you are now noticing troubling side effects, call 911.

Abusing these drugs can cause irreparable long-term damage and death, so it’s important to pay attention to the signs and react quickly.

Treating Benzodiazepine Addiction in Costa Mesa, CA

Benzo addiction is a difficult one to beat, but it can be done.

Often, individuals just need a little bit of assistance from an accredited, safe, and comfortable facility — like the one at Resurgence.

Because it is so easy to build an unhealthy tolerance when using benzodiazepines, drug detox is often needed.

Benzo withdrawal is particularly unpleasant, and can even be dangerous if not monitored and done correctly.

Some individuals may experience seizures as a symptom of withdrawal.

Helping you through withdrawal is always the first step in your substance abuse treatment, and our medically-assisted detox is designed to decrease pain and discomfort.

Our highly trained staff will provide you with the tools, resources, and support that you need to start on the road to recovery.