Drug Rehab for Xanax Addiction

Drug Rehab for Xanax Addiction

After decades of research and study, we have realized that addiction is a chronic relapsing brain disease that resembles something like diabetes or Alzheimer’s disease in numerous ways. But what’s made addiction so hard to treat is that fact that it’s such a variable disease; in other words, an individual suffering from addiction can exhibit a wide variety of different physical, psychological, and behavioral traits, depending on whether he or she is addicted to alcohol or Xanax, or another drug.

Xanax is a trademark for alprazolam, a fast-acting benzodiazepine sedative used for treating anxiety disorders and panic attacks. Xanax works by changing the way GABA, a chemical in the brain, acts. That change also produces a pleasant feeling of escape, known as euphoria or a “high” when the drug is abused. Also commonly called “benzos” for short, benzodiazepines are psychoactive depressants that work by changing the brain’s neurochemical levels.

If Xanax is taken in large quantities or over a long period of time, it will become addictive. Individuals who develop an addiction to Xanax (along with other substances like cocaine, alcohol, or Heroin) face troubles in nearly every facet of their lives and abuse of Xanax leads to several negative effects. These struggles may also involve occupational or scholastic problems, marriage problems, or family conflict. Xanax addiction can additionally impact the user’s financial situation as he or she may have to pay higher amounts to obtain the drug illegally. This drug may also lead to incarceration or other legal problems. Those who become addicted to Xanax may find that their entire lives are wrapped up in obtaining and taking the drug, and recovering from Xanax binges. When this happens, it is imperative to find rehab for Xanax addiction at a treatment center.

Trapped By Addiction

It’s not uncommon for a Xanax addict to feel hopeless and trapped by their addiction. They cannot function properly on the drug but cannot properly function when they do not take it, either. In fact, being in a state of elevated GABA becomes the new “normal” for someone who has become dependent on Xanax, resulting in unpleasant effects when the individual doesn’t have Xanax in his or her system and, consequently, GABA levels drop. These are called withdrawal symptoms and they can range from merely unpleasant to intense and potentially life-threatening when addicted to the substance.

With the success of addiction treatment being dependent on the extent to which the treatment is able to target a specific type of addiction, it’s important for individuals to be knowledgeable about Xanax rehab and the treatment of Xanax addiction. In particular:

• How does Xanax rehab work?
• Are there medications used as part of Xanax rehab?
• Will health insurance cover the cost of Xanax rehab?
• Does Xanax rehab really work?

How Xanax Rehab Works

The ultimate goal of Xanax rehab is to help an individual who’s become physiologically dependent on Xanax to regain his or her sobriety and learn how to maintain that sobriety for the long-term. Xanax rehab is able to help individuals achieve this by providing a combination of psychotherapy, group and individual counseling, and numerous complementary therapies. Each component of a program offered at a Xanax rehab is meant to counteract some facet of Xanax addiction. This occurs by helping an individual overcome Xanax addiction by addressing the circumstances through which he or she became addicted and teaching the individual ways of avoiding potential relapse triggers in the future.

Overcoming an addiction to Xanax doesn’t happen overnight, and there are many paths to get there. In fact, Xanax rehab is a process that can be broken into a series of distinct yet complementary steps. The majority of individuals who receive treatment at Xanax rehab will complete some combination of the following:

Detox

The first step in Xanax rehab is detoxification. Detox is all about addressing the physical components of the addiction. Of course, Xanax addiction affects virtually all aspects of self, from a person’s physical health and psychology to his or her relationships and sense of spiritual fulfillment. However, before an individual can begin participating in psychotherapy and other forms of treatment, it’s essential to address the physiological aspects of Xanax dependency so that he or she isn’t dealing with withdrawal symptoms and counseling at the same time.

For Xanax addiction, detoxification typically takes place for a period of three to five days although it’s not uncommon for individuals to need as much as a week, and at time’s withdrawal symptoms can be felt for over a month. During this time, the individual is encouraged to relax while a team of detox technicians monitor him or her to ensure comfort and safety throughout the detoxification process. Further, the length of detoxification treatment is decided on a case-by-case basis and depends on such factors as how long an individual has been suffering from Xanax addiction, the severity of his or her daily habit, and whether there have been prior attempts at treatment and sobriety.

Withdrawing off of Xanax on one’s own can be extremely dangerous and life threatening. Do not detox on your own!

Inpatient Treatment

Once detoxification is complete, many patients will proceed to inpatient treatment as the next phase of Xanax rehab. With inpatient care, the patient will reside on-site within the facility for the duration of treatment, which typically lasts for a minimum of four weeks (28 days) or up to three months (90 days); however, longer-term residential style programs are also a possibility, lasting for six months or more and dependent on the needs of the patient. Throughout inpatient care, the individual will participate in a combination of individual and group counseling sessions and possibly some other forms of treatment, including holistic and alternative therapies. During rehabilitation, peer support plays an integral role in recovery. After relationships that have been often nonexistent, drug-fueled or dysfunctional at best, patients can experience positive and accountable relationships in the moderated atmosphere of rehabilitation programs. The ultimate goal is to uncover the root causes of a patient’s Xanax addiction so as to alleviate those causes. Additionally clinicians will help the patient achieve recovery, and teach the patient how to maintain that newfound sobriety for the long-term.

Outpatient Treatment

Outpatient treatment can be used in lieu of inpatient care or as a follow-up to an inpatient program. In an outpatient program, the patient continues to live at home or in some type of transitional living facility while commuting to a treatment facility on designated days. There’s some variation in terms of the curriculum intensity for outpatient programs with intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization programs being types of outpatient treatment that offer a more inpatient-like level of treatment.

Aftercare

Beyond inpatient and outpatient care, many patients who complete treatment will require some form of aftercare. In the simplest of terms, aftercare is equally as important to acclimating back into the real world from prior treatment modalities and a form of sustained support that extends beyond the completion of Xanax rehab. An aftercare program can be an important resource for individuals who may still be adjusting to sobriety while also seeking employment, stable living arrangements, and some type of peer support group in which to network with other individuals in recovery.

Throughout the aftercare process, patients may build a foundation for sober living through acquisition of life skills. Anger and stress management courses, conflict resolution training, communication workshops, time management and organization instruction, and problem-solving skills coaching allow recovering Xanax addicts to learn the survival skills they will need to create productive and rewarding lives after treatment.

What Medications Are Used to Treat Xanax Addiction?

There aren’t inherent dangers involved in the treatment of all forms of addiction; rather, only addictions to certain types of substances require the utmost caution and preparation. Xanax — which, as mentioned above, is a benzodiazepine — is one of the forms of addiction that can potentially be life-threatening. In fact, this is why most professionals discourage individuals addicted to Xanax and other benzodiazepines from attempting to get sober on their own. It’s highly recommended that individuals only attempt to overcome benzodiazepine addiction under the supervision and care provided by an actual Xanax rehab.

Although there are numerous reasons why attending a Xanax rehab is so highly recommended, one of the most significant is the fact that Xanax rehabs sometimes employ medication as part of the recovery process. Of course, we tend to associate recovery with the goal of becoming free from all substances, but with the more dangerous types of addiction, the use of medication may be necessary.

Dosages of Xanax and other benzodiazepines are tapered gradually during medically supervised detox, in order to avoid or lessen these complications. The person experiencing withdrawal will sometimes be given small doses of other benzodiazepines that are less addictive, in order to lessen symptoms of withdrawal. The Center for Substance Abuse treatment reports that chlordiazepoxide and clonazepam are often used for this purpose because they are longer-lasting medications.

Substitution with other medications can also be used during the withdrawal process, including phenobarbital. Hospitalization is commonly recommended in these instances. For less serious withdrawal symptoms, anticonvulsants like carbamazepine or valproate, or antidepressants like trazodone or imipramine, may be used to assist in detoxification. Even with proper medical treatment, medical complications can occur, so most people should avoid driving or operating machinery for several weeks after detoxification.

Another possibility is to utilize other, milder benzodiazepines to alleviate some of the severity of Xanax withdrawals. Even if the side effects of sudden Xanax cessation aren’t life-threatening, the use of milder benzodiazepines — i.e., diazepam (Valium) or clonazepam (Klonopin) — will make the patient more comfortable during detoxification. Similarly, muscle relaxants are sometimes used to alleviate withdrawal symptoms. For patients who have trouble getting to sleep or sleeping through the night, the use of sleep aids like sedatives or hypnotics are other types of medication that might see use at a Xanax rehab.

Does Insurance Cover Xanax Addiction Treatment?

It used to be that virtually the only way to pay for treatment was to pay out of one’s own pocket; fortunately, that’s no longer the case. With the passing of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in 2011, substance abuse was made an essential health benefit, meaning that most private and government health insurance plans began to offer some level of coverage for addiction treatment. However, even those individuals without health coverage have options to pay for treatment.

What If I Don’t Have Insurance?

Beyond paying out of one’s own pocket and receiving coverage via a health insurance plan, many addiction treatment centers have begun to offer more flexible payment options. Specifically, Xanax rehabs occasionally offer patients the ability to pay for treatment in monthly installments or at a lower rate by subsidizing the cost of treatment according to one’s financial need and ability to pay for treatment.

There are numerous scholarship and grant options available, which are often awarded based on financial need. But another resource of which many are unaware is the numerous financial institutions that offer loans specifically for addiction treatment. These financial institutions have designed these loans so that individuals can receive treatment and then have a grace period upon completing their treatment programs; this can mean having as much as six months to return home and get back on one’s feet before needing to make the first payment.

Does Xanax Rehab Actually Work?

Since there are many different ways to treat addiction, it goes without saying that not every method of treatment is effective for every individual; however, with addiction treatment programs, there’s a large degree of individualization and customization, which allows treatment programs to be customized to each patient’s specific recovery needs. In other words, rather than forcing patients to adhere to a specific treatment regimen, treatment programs can consist of various types of therapy and treatment that are mixed and matched according to a given patient’s particular circumstances and symptoms.

When it comes to Xanax rehab, the reason that it’s effective is because of the aforementioned personalization combined with a foundation of psychotherapy and counseling. Through individual or one-on-one psychotherapy, an individual is able to learn why he or she came to become addicted to Xanax; typically, these are circumstantial or environmental factors such as exposure to substance abuse during childhood or having access to Xanax and other addictive substances. Once an individual better understands what led to his or her addiction, psychotherapy helps him or her to learn ways to compensate for those factors, which serves to minimize the individual’s potential for relapse in the future.

The other forms of treatment offered as part of Xanax rehab play important roles in recovery, too. Group therapies are designed to give patients opportunities to learn important skills for recovery, including relapse-prevention skills, socialization and relationship-building skills, practical knowledge of the Twelve Steps, and so on. Additionally, there are often some alternative and complementary treatments incorporated into a Xanax rehab, ensuring that even the most unique and specific recovery needs are addressed over the course of rehabilitation.

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