Addiction to benzodiazepines can happen to anyone. These frequently prescribed short-term medications can help treat anxiety disorders, insomnia, or seizures. When taken as directed briefly, these medications can be helpful to your mental health.
Restored Path Detox is a place where you can recover quickly and safely.
If you use benzodiazepines longer than intended, your risk of physical dependence or even addiction can develop in a few short weeks. Many people have experienced trouble stopping benzodiazepines on their own as the withdrawal effects can be debilitating.
Restored Path Detox can help. We use a medically monitored approach to helping you quickly and comfortably stop your benzodiazepine misuse so you can get back to living.
Our Approach
We match you with a combination of effective detoxification techniques to provide comfortable, caring, and integrated care. We'll prescribe targeted medications to alleviate your symptoms of benzodiazepine withdrawal while simultaneously preventing dangerous complications.
At Restored Path Detox, we combine an inviting atmosphere, round-the-clock medical supervision, and a range of specialized addiction services. If you feel up to doing so, you'll be encouraged to participate in individual and group therapy sessions.
Medical, mental health, and whole-person assessment
Case management and treatment planning
Individual supportive counseling
Supportive counseling groups
24/7 medical supervision
Nutritious meals
Medication management
Continuing care planning
Recovery support
Our Environment
At Restored Path Detox, we walk with you through every stage of early recovery -- from medically monitored detox to thorough and personalized continuing care planning. We can complete swiftly complete your entire admissions process, starting with a brief pre-assessment over the phone. Our clinical and medical teams will use this information to determine the severity of your benzodiazepine use disorder and identify which detox methods will be the most effective. We'll explore your potential coverage options and set a date and time for intake.
Our amenities include:
Comfortable, private, and semi-private rooms
TVs in all rooms
Executive wing with private rooms
Cell phone access is available for executive-level patients, as clinically appropriate
Gourmet meals created by licensed nutritionist
Kitchenette area stocked with snacks
24/7 nursing on all units
ADA-accessible bathrooms with toiletries
Outdoor courtyard and garden area
Inviting, well-lit common spaces
Premium linens
Massage
Acupuncture
Benzodiazepines (“benzos”) are prescription medications that have been in use for more than 50 years. Researchers have been increasingly concerned about the link between these drugs and addiction during that time.
Examples of legally prescribed oral benzodiazepines that are commonly misused are:
Alprazolam (Xanax, Xanax XR)
Clobazam (Onfi)
Clonazepam (Klonopin)
Clorazepate (Tranxene)
Chlordiazepoxide (Librium)
Diazepam (Valium, Diastat Acudial, Diastat)
Estazolam (Prosom is a discontinued brand in the U.S.)
Lorazepam (Ativan)
Oxazepam (Serax is a discontinued brand in the U.S.)
Temazepam (Restoril)
Triazolam (Halcion)
Like many other people, you likely had no idea how dangerous long-term use could be when you began taking your prescription. But the chemical changes benzos can cause don’t simply disappear. Symptoms can grow if they’re not addressed comprehensively.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse says that benzodiazepines cause a minor shift in the brain’s chemical signals to communicate a pleasurable event. When that shift takes hold, you may feel a boost of sensation associated with reward, joy, and security. You will likely not notice the change, but your brain marks that chemical change.
In time, your altered brain cells may not function at an optimal level without access to these drugs. Your brain cells will call out for the drug, and that call will be hard to ignore.
While benzodiazepines were developed initially to help people with genuine mental health or physical health concerns, individuals who abuse these drugs aren’t doing so to make their lives better; they’re driven to use these drugs because of chemical changes.
And while addiction is rarely a consequence of proper use of these drugs, if you take doses too close together, too large, when they’re no longer needed, or hoard pills for a bad day, you may need help.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services reports:
Recreational users are between ages 18-25, and their numbers are rising
Overall, 12.6% of U.S. adults report using benzodiazepines in the past year
Misuse accounts for 17.2% of overall use
Your family may notice your misuse of these drugs before you since, over time, you will need more of these drugs to function normally.
Regular use of benzodiazepines may cause:
Physical symptoms include:
Headache
Drowsiness, sleepiness, and fatigue
Dry mouth
Dizziness
Tremors
Nausea
Loss of appetite
Diarrhea
Constipation
Slurred speech or stuttering
Double or blurred vision
Impaired coordination
Cognitive symptoms include:
Impaired thinking
Memory loss
Confusion
Psychosocial symptoms include:
Irritability
Paranoia
Aggression
Anxiety
Depression
Euphoria
Feelings of isolation
Injecting benzodiazepines may also cause:
Vein damage and scarring
Infections, including hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV, and AIDS
Deep vein thrombosis and clots resulting in loss of limbs, damage to organs, stroke, and possibly death
When stopped abruptly, benzodiazepines can cause withdrawal symptoms and even seizures, even after a short period of use, because your brain is rebounding as it searches for the drug. The medically monitored detox we offer at Restored Path will help you safely and comfortably manage your potentially life-altering symptoms.
Withdrawal symptoms can include:
Seizures
Panic attacks
Hand tremors
Dry heaving and vomiting
Palpitations
Headache
Muscle pain and stiffness
Problems concentrating
Sleep problems
Irritability
Increased anxiety and tension
A host of perceptual changes
Medical detoxification from benzodiazepines often involves tapering down by reducing the dose or prescribing less. Benzodiazepines used for detox may include Diazepam (Valium) or Clonazepam (Klonopin) because they are long-acting and less potent. These drugs keep withdrawal symptoms at bay while our medical team tapers off your usage.
You may experience withdrawal differently than others based on your length of time using the drugs, dosage amount, type of drug, and method used to take it. Underlying medical or mental health issues are a factor, as is your simultaneous use or abuse of other drugs. We can help.
Call to begin your journey to wellness today.
If you or someone you love has been suffering at the hands of a benzodiazepine use disorder, Restored Path Detox can help. We will work alongside you to provide the most comprehensive and individualized medically-monitored detox program available.