They can experience anxiety, trouble sleeping and unhappy thoughts. If you are concerned about the risks involved in Xanax tapering for any reason, discuss these concerns with a doctor. While inpatient treatment is typically more expensive, it is covered by many insurance plans. Xanax is a short-acting drug, https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/alcohol-poisoning-signs-and-symptoms/ which means your body metabolizes it very quickly. Tapering Xanax is challenging because the amount of the drug in your system quickly goes up and down with each dose. To help you avoid these peaks and valleys, doctors often switch you from Xanax to a long-acting benzodiazepine such as Valium (diazepam).
You might wonder if it’s drugs or something different, such as a demanding job or a stressful life change. “I’d always masked my emotions, masked my feelings with substances or whatever it may be. And that was the first time that I actually was in tune with my own self and trying to figure out what to do from here on out,” he says. The former child star, known for Disney Channel projects like Lemonade Mouth, Zeke and Luther and Pair of Kings, struggled for years with substance abuse. He later had a string of headline-making arrests, one of which led to him being incarcerated for four years. Regardless of what combination of drugs you think someone has taken, if you suspect that someone is experiencing any type of overdose, be sure to call 911 immediately.
Xanax and Addiction to Benzodiazepines
A person living with a Xanax addiction will then undergo medically supervised detoxification. Detoxification includes the withdrawal process, which can be a temporarily unpleasant but necessary part of the process. Our medical staff closely monitors patients during this time to ensure a safe and secure withdrawal from Xanax. Xanax is the brand name for a prescription drug called alprazolam used to treat anxiety and panic disorders.
- In a clinical trial, participants received buprenorphine/naloxone or placebo over four weeks.
- Tapering means gradually reducing how much Xanax a person takes to let their body adjust.
- You may be resistant to counseling at the onset of your program, but you will later realize how important and helpful this part of the recovery process is.
- Most drugs involved in misuse or addiction consistently lead to dopamine release in the striatum (Di Chiara and Imperato, 1988; White and Kalivas, 1998; Willuhn et al., 2010; Vander Weele et al., 2014).
- It is common to feel nervous, jumpy, and on-edge during your taper.
Tapering allows your body to slowly get used to smaller doses and can prevent symptoms. A doctor can help supervise a taper and recommend additional supportive treatments. Xanax, even at recommended doses, has a risk of overdose and death, especially when combined with opiates like heroin or oxycodone, alcohol, street drugs or other central nervous system depressants. This can lead to severe drowsiness, breathing problems (respiratory depression), coma and death. Some people work with their healthcare provider to slowly taper off the medication over time, while others may require long-term treatment to avoid relapse. Exploring rehab therapy is a great starting point for people ready to recover from Xanax addiction.
What are Xanax Bars?
One of the most effective ways to relieve Xanax withdrawal symptoms is to slowly taper your Xanax dose. This can give your body time safely adjust to progressively lower doses. It can help lessen, and in some cases, might even prevent withdrawal symptoms.
Most drugs involved in misuse or addiction consistently lead to dopamine release in the striatum (Di Chiara and Imperato, 1988; White and Kalivas, 1998; Willuhn et al., 2010; Vander Weele et al., 2014). The National Alliance on Mental Illness notes that a person can become physically dependent on Xanax after 2 or more weeks of daily use. Research from 2015 suggests that 20–50% of people experience withdrawal symptoms when discontinuing high dosage benzodiazepines.
Xanax Addiction
If a person has an addiction to Xanax, they are unable to stop taking it, despite negative consequences. The main form of therapy that is used to help a person addicted to Xanax is cognitive behavioral therapy, which teaches the patient how to address their own psychology surrounding their drug abuse. It teaches clients how to cope with relapse temptations and life stress in a productive and abstinence-friendly manner.
People successfully recover from Xanax addictions using both inpatient and outpatient treatment programs. However, people with more severe addictions might need the stability of an inpatient treatment center to recover. The detox and withdrawal from Xanax can cause deadly seizures, so professional xanax addiction guidance is vital during this time of treatment. It’s important that you consider all of your options and choose the treatment program that’s right for you. Learn more about the risks and side effects of substance use disorders, including the signs of intoxication and overdose.