Xanax Addiction

How Does It Work?

All benzodiazepine medications work in much the same way. This drug type is acts as a sedative, an anticonvulsant, and muscle relaxant. Xanax enhances the performance of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurotransmitters in the brain, which slows overall brain activity and creates a temporary feeling of calmness.⁴

With repeated use, however, the brain can adjust to these initial effects. Over time, a person who uses Xanax will need more of the drug to produce the same effects.

People who become dependent on Xanax often take more of this drug than they originally intended, and they may begin compounding the damage by:

• Crushing pills and snorting the powder
• Mixing pills with water and injecting the fluid
• Chewing the pills, rather than letting them break down in the stomach
• Mixing Xanax pills with other drugs of abuse

Mixing Xanax with alcohol or other drugs can result in hospitalization and even death. It is important to seek supportive treatment as soon as possible if you have mixed Xanax with other substances.⁵

Consequences of Xanax Abuse

While people who have become dependent on Xanax might think that there’s no other way to live, continuing to harbor the addiction could actually cause the person to lose his or her life.

Addictions to this medication have been linked to many terrible consequences, including:

• Respiratory distress
• Infections
• Suicide attempts
• Overdose

Since using any benzodiazepine without a valid prescription is illegal, people who continue to do so may befaced with heavy fines or jail time. They may also lose the trust and admiration of the people they hold dear, if they continue to abuse drugs instead of attending to their responsibilities. These are very serious consequences, and unfortunately, they’re all too common for people who live with a Xanax addiction.

Finding Relief From Xanax Addiction

While people who do have an addiction may feel as though they can hide their abuse forever, their habits and behaviors may alarm their loved ones to such a degree that a family intervention is needed.

There are good reasons for families to consider holding these difficult conversations now, rather than waiting for the addiction to reach a crisis point. While Xanax misuse can lead to overdose and death, Xanax withdrawal can be very difficult (and even dangerous) without any assistance.

Thankfully, there are treatment programs that can and do provide real help. These programs can provide medical monitoring during the beginning of treatment, ensuring that no major medical complications take place as the brain adjusts to life without benzodiazepines. The counseling and therapy that follow can help people to build up the skills they’ll need in order to maintain and sustain that sobriety for the rest of life. A quality treatment program can treat both Xanax addiction and any accompanying mental health concerns, such as anxiety or depression.

“What I have learned over the past seven years, eight months in recovery is invaluable,” Brittany continues. “I learned about me, about who I am. I had never really done that before. I feel alive and free to be exactly, unashamedly me. I learned how to live by choosing contentment. I learned how to take the trauma and pain from my childhood and understand it, appreciate its importance and let it go. I have learned how to forgive and how to be forgiven. Recovery gave me everything that I had always yearned for.”

If someone you love is living with an addiction to Xanax, we hope you’ll consider Black Bear Lodge. We’re located in northern Georgia, tucked away amid the intense beauty of the mountain foothills. Our residential program utilizes evidence-based therapies that can really put an end to the trauma an addiction can cause, and we also provide a number of innovative therapies that can heal the soul, including yoga, experiential therapy, and art therapy. Our licensed recovery professionals can help you and your family heal.

Call us at 706-909-9811 to learn about our program, and we can even set up an intake appointment, so the person you love can start getting better right now.

Alternatives to Xanax for Anxiety Disorder

Xanax addiction begins when people begin to use this powerful prescription medication on a purely recreational basis because they like the way it makes them feel. But for people who develop addictions to Xanax after being diagnosed with anxiety disorder, it’s a more complicated situation. These people still require interventions and therapies for anxiety, despite not being able to take benzodiazepines, like Xanax, anymore.

Using the Mind

Xanax can be an effective medication for anxiety as it can slow down overactive cells and provide a chemically induced sense of calm. The brain also has the capacity to induce a sense of peace, however, and some therapies are designed to train the brain to use its own power for this purpose.

Mindfulness therapies can be remarkably helpful for people who have anxiety disorders. In these therapies, people are encouraged to identify the physical manifestations of rising anxiety, such as the following:

• Rapid breathing
• Fast heart rate
• Sweating
• Jumping muscles

When these signs are present, people are encouraged to take note of them and then use meditation or another form of relaxation to help the response to subside.⁶ It takes practice, but a study in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology suggests that mindfulness therapies like this can reduce symptoms of anxiety, and the benefits can persist for the long term.⁷

Finding the Source

While mindfulness therapies can help people to deal with anxiety as it appears, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can help people to avoid the situations that tend to spark an increase in feelings of nervousness. Clients are asked to identify the people, places, and things that tend to make them feel unbalanced and/or upset and give voice to the thoughts that might come to their minds in these moments. Then, clients are asked to provide a list of techniques they can use to avoid these triggers. If they can’t, they begin to develop skills they can use in order to handle the situation without leaning on drugs or other dysfunctional techniques.

Small Steps

It’s true that therapy can be remarkably helpful for people who have addictions to Xanax, along with underlying symptoms of anxiety, but this kind of therapy isn’t typically provided until detox is in progress. When people are actively abusing drugs, they don’t have the skills or the strength needed in order to participate in therapy. They need the help of detox in order to allow their minds to heal as detox is the first step to overcoming addiction.

If you or your loved one is struggling with a Xanax addiction in addition to ongoing symptoms of anxiety, we’d like to help. At Black Bear Lodge, we specialize in helping people who have co-occurring addiction and mental health diagnoses, like anxiety. We offer specialized treatment programs that can provide you with both knowledge and power to better understand and overcome both struggles at one.

Please call us at our 24 hour, toll-free helpline at 706-909-9811 to find out more information on how to begin your journey today.

How to Help Family Members with Xanax Addiction

Xanax is a drug used to treat anxiety, depression and panic disorder.⁸ It is highly habit-forming, and addictions to the drug are on the rise in the United States. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, overdose deaths from benzodiazepines rose from approximately 6,000 in 2012 to nearly 9000 in 2015.⁹ It is clear from these numbers that addiction to benzodiazepines like Xanax is a serious problem that impacts not only the person struggling, but his or her family members as well. Persuading someone who is addicted to Xanax to admit she has a problem is the first and most important step on the road to recovery. Once a person reaches out for help, there are many things family members can do in to aid their addicted loved one in the recovery process.

Stress the Importance of Detox

When families discover that their loved one is struggling with an addiction, confronting the person through the services of a trained interventionist is a great place to begin. An interventionist can help family members plan the best time for the intervention, rehearse what each person is going to say, and help family members find a treatment program for their addicted loved one. Along with helping the addicted loved one understand what her addiction has done to the rest of the family, stressing the value of a formal detox program is important. Medically-supervised detox is the best place to begin treatment. Time spent in a detox program prior to starting a rehab program lets the body rid itself of the toxins of the drug. Starting with a clean slate helps those struggling begin treatment with a clear mind.

Look for Therapeutic Help

Once detox is completed, rehab professionals will then diagnose any underlying mental illness that is contributing to or causing the addiction. Facilities that specialize in treating co-occurring disorders address both problems simultaneously. Addictions to Xanax can sometimes stem from underlying mental health conditions.

These include some of the following:

• Generalized anxiety disorders
• Social phobia
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Agoraphobia

Programs that provide treatment for these co-occurring disorders have tailored therapies that allow residents to address their addiction and mental illness at the same time.

Through medication, psychotherapy, group therapy, family counseling and other holistic treatment options, the person struggling with addiction can begin a new life, free from the control of a substance.

Stay Involved

Addiction to any drug can be incredibly isolating. Jessica A.’s Heroes in Recovery story describes the feeling well:

“I just want to say that there were so many times in my addiction that I felt alone, that I felt like no one would understand what I was going through. But I was not alone, and I was not crazy. Reach out for help, even if it’s just asking for someone to talk to. Remember that no matter how long you’ve traveled in the wrong direction, it’s never too late to turn around.”

People who struggle with addictions may feel personally responsible for the pain felt by family members and friends. The guilt and sorrow might cause them to withdraw from social contact as well as reduce their motivation to get well. Expressing love, support and acceptance can help your loved one see the value in appropriate treatment. Your support can provide the person struggling the hope they need to truly recover.

Finding Help for Xanax Addiction

If you’d like to find out more about how you can help someone you love who is addicted to Xanax, call us at 706-909-9811. Our admissions coordinators are available 24 hours a day to answer your questions about appropriate treatment options.

How Long Does It Take to Become Addicted to Xanax (Alprazolam)?

You or a loved one has been taking Xanax for a while now. You’ve noticed a few unwanted mental or physical side effects. You’ve noticed a few changes in how you think and act around the drug. You wonder if you may be addicted, but you haven’t been taking the drug for that long. How long does it take to become addicted? Is your Xanax use a problem? What can you do about it?

You don’t have to live a party lifestyle to develop a substance abuse problem. In fact, you may be using Xanax exactly as prescribed by a medical professional. You may have an underlying mental or physical health issue that does require treatment and medication. You can still become addicted. In fact, a treated or untreated mental health concern may put you at greater risk for addiction.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration explains, “People with mental health disorders are more likely than people without mental health disorders to experience an alcohol or substance use disorder.”¹⁰

The same medication that seems to help your symptoms can also contribute to addiction. If you take Xanax for anxiety, depression or other mental health concerns, only use it as prescribed. Make sure you supplement medication with proven forms of therapy such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Make sure you stay in frequent and honest communication with your health care providers. Talk about side effects, concerns, and options for supplemental or alternative treatment.

With or Without a Prescription

You can become addicted to Xanax even if you have a prescription. This means your addiction risk only increases if you misuse the drug, take it without a prescription, or take it for recreational purposes. If you take the drug in larger quantities or more often than prescribed, you are more likely to become addicted and to do so faster.

If you self-medicate mental health symptoms, your risk increases further. If you use the drug to relax, to party, or in combination with other drugs, your risk is greatest. Consider how and why you use Xanax. This will directly relate to if and how quickly addiction-related problems arise.

Addiction Is About Relationship

Addiction is also related to your relationship with the drug. Do you rely on the drug to get through the day? How does thinking about quitting make you feel? How has your attitude toward Xanax changed over the course of using it? Addiction develops faster when Xanax feels like an important or necessary part of your life.

If you rely on it to feel good or simply not feel bad, you are dependent on the drug.

Dependence is an early sign of addiction. It is a chemical response to the drug and isn’t an indicator of personal failure or weakness. In fact, recognizing that you are losing control to Xanax displays awareness and concern. It indicates that you are ready to make a positive change in your life. With the right tools and resources, you can turn addiction into an opportunity for healing, growth, and forward movement.

Immediate Attention Required

Your addiction didn’t develop overnight. It won’t disappear overnight either. Addiction requires immediate medical intervention for detox and physical stability. It requires follow-up treatment from addiction recovery professionals to build health and develop recovery skills. It requires long-term aftercare and support to continue the healing that early treatment begins. The Journal of Addiction Medicine explains, “Substance dependence is a chronic disease requiring longitudinal care, although most patients with addictions receive no treatment (eg, detoxification only) or short-term interventions.”¹²

Strategies used for managing other chronic conditions work for addiction as well, but they are rarely offered or accessed. Reach out to Black Bear Lodge for support now and long into the future.

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• What Can Happen When You Mix Xanax (Alprazolam) with Other Drugs or Alcohol?

How Much Is Too Much? Xanax (Alprazolam) Overdose

Xanax is a benzodiazepine medication. Doctors prescribe this drug to relieve anxiety, reduce seizure activity, decrease muscle spasticity, and induce sleep. Because it has many important medical roles, many people believe the drug is harmless. This is not the case. Many people take too much Xanax and find themselves facing overdose and other serious health complications.

All About Xanax Overdose

Xanax is a fast-acting benzodiazepine. It can cause sedation and drowsiness within an hour. Xanax works by suppressing central nervous system activities. This creates feelings of drowsiness and reduces overactive brain and body functions. While a little of the drug can be helpful, too much creates problems.

Individuals may experience the following:

• Extreme sleepiness
• Unexplained weakness
• Slurred speech
• A stumbling gait
• Breathing problems

Severe central nervous system depression can lead to respiratory arrest, loss of consciousness and death. Xanax abuse increases overdose risk. Recreational users often take multiple doses of this drug to maintain their high.

This increases the risk of heavy sedation, overdose and death. Taking other sedatives, opioid drugs or alcohol with Xanax intensifies the drug’s effects on the brain and nerves.

Injury Epidemiology explains, “Drug overdose has become a leading cause of injury mortality and morbidity in the United States, resulting in more than 34,000 deaths and 1.2 million emergency department visits each year…Of the total mortality from drug overdose where a drug was specified, almost three-quarters involved one or more prescription drug…Collectively, opioid analgesics, benzodiazepines and antidepressants accounted for the overwhelming majority of the increase in mortality and morbidity from drug overdose.”¹³

Prescription drugs like Xanax are dangerous. They are even more dangerous when used in combination with other drugs or alcohol.

Xanax Overdose Risk Factors

Anyone who uses Xanax is at risk for overdose. Misuse or abuse increases risk. Using the drug without a prescription and in combination with other substances creates the highest risk.

Understand addiction and overdose. Know your risk factors, and take steps to reduce them. Take the drug only with a doctor’s prescription and only as prescribed. Don’t mix Xanax with alcohol, sleeping pills, pain relievers or other medications that may amplify its effects. If you start taking a new medication, ask your doctor about possible interactions with Xanax.

Getting Help for Xanax Addiction

If you or someone you know is overdosing, contact emergency medical services. If you take too much Xanax regularly, reach out for addiction recovery support. The Xanax rehab programs at Black Bear Lodge are tailored to your personal needs. Situated in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Black Bear Lodge is a resort addiction treatment center that offers comprehensive, holistic recovery services.

Call 706-909-9811 today to talk to our compassionate admissions coordinators today and begin the healing process.

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• Support Groups for Xanax Addiction
• 7 Drug-Free Ways to Manage Anxiety

The Prescribed Uses for Xanax (Alprazolam)

Clinical research shows that Xanax can be highly effective at treating certain psychiatric disorders. If you take Xanax in the prescribed doses under a doctor’s supervision, it’s unlikely that you’ll become addicted. But because the brain adjusts to the effects of Xanax within one or two weeks, users who take more than the recommended dose or who take the drug for longer than a few weeks are at risk of chemical dependence.

How Xanax Works

Xanax is the trade name for alprazolam, an anti-anxiety drug that is classified as a benzodiazepine. Fifteen different benzodiazepines are currently approved for use in the United States. This group of drugs includes other popular medications like Ativan (lorazepam), Valium (diazepam), and Klonopin (clonazepam). Xanax is the shortest-acting benzodiazepine, taking full effect within 90 minutes or less. This drug binds to receptor cells in the central nervous system that respond to GABA, a brain chemical that makes you feel calm, contented and drowsy.

Xanax acts quickly to soothe your nerves and suppress the symptoms of anxiety. This makes it an effective tool for treating anxiety-related disorders. But because alprazolam also leaves your system rapidly, users often find themselves taking more of it to sustain its effects.

Prescribed Uses

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, approximately 40 million American adults struggle with anxiety, making it the most common psychiatric disorder in the country. Anxiety encompasses a number of disorders, each of which has its own signs and symptoms.

Psychiatric medications, including antidepressants, tranquilizers and sedatives, are used to help relieve the symptoms of anxiety.

Panic disorder is a debilitating condition that causes episodes of intense, overwhelming fear. These episodes are rarely life-threatening, but because they’re so frightening, these panic attacks can lead to agoraphobia, or a fear being out in public. Xanax can help prevent panic attacks, enabling users to lead more productive, fulfilling lives.

In a study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, 481 patients with panic disorder took alprazolam for three weeks to manage phobic behaviors, social avoidance and general anxiety. Out of this group, 82 percent reported improvement in their symptoms, while 50 percent reported that they were no longer having panic attacks.

Because of its abuse potential, Xanax is not considered first-line treatment for generalized anxiety or panic disorder, notes the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. Antidepressants classified as SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) can often provide safer relief of anxiety symptoms, especially in individuals who are also depressed.

When Should Xanax Not Be Prescribed?

Because of its addictive potential, Xanax should not be prescribed to patients with a history of substance abuse or tolerance to benzodiazepines. People who abuse alcohol, in particular, are at risk of central nervous system depression and addiction if they take Xanax while drinking. Patients with a history of severe depression or suicidal behavior may experience a worsening of their symptoms and an increased risk of suicide if they take Xanax.

Getting Help for Xanax Abuse

If you’ve ever taken a tranquilizer like Xanax for nonmedical reasons, you’re not alone. According to Drug and Alcohol Dependence, approximately five million American adults took prescription sedatives for recreational reasons within the past year. Black Bear Lodge offers recovery programs for Xanax addiction in a safe, serene setting in the foothills of northern Georgia. Our evidence-based Xanax treatment plans draw from a full range of rehab services, including Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, art therapy, family counseling, and nutrition and wellness classes.

If you’re ready to reach out for help, we’re here to give you the tools you need to take this important step. Call our admissions coordinators at Black Bear Lodge at 706-909-9811 to start your path to healing today.

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• Dangers of Combining Marijuana and Xanax

The Issues of Recreational Use of Xanax (Alprazolam)

The search for relief from anxiety drives millions of Americans to take alprazolam, or Xanax, every year. According to Psychiatric Times, over 50 million prescriptions were written for Xanax in 2009, making it the most commonly prescribed psychiatric drug in the country.

This popular medication, which belongs to a class of drugs called benzodiazepines, acts within minutes to ease the symptoms of severe distress and prevent panic attacks. But the fast-acting sedative properties of Xanax also make this drug highly attractive to recreational drug users — many of whom find themselves addicted.

How Is Xanax Obtained?

As one of the most popular medications in the United States, Xanax is readily available to legitimate users and recreational users alike.

On the streets, Xanax is distributed under a number of slang names: “xanies,” “zany bars,” “footballs,” “X’s,” “Christmas trees,” “planks,” “bars,” “blues,” “pink ladies,” and “blue devils.” This drug has become so accessible that even high school students find it easy to obtain. According to the 2013 Monitoring the Future survey, a majority of 12^th graders said that Xanax was their favorite choice among tranquilizers.

Users sometimes visit multiple doctors in order to get more Xanax. They may also forge prescriptions, exaggerate their symptoms, steal money from loved ones, or sell drugs in order to finance a Xanax habit.

Methods of Abuse

What does it look like?

Xanax is manufactured as disintegrating oral tablets or extended-release caplets, which are typically taken on a short-term or as-needed basis for anxiety.

In order to augment the euphoric effects of Xanax, recreational users may grind up the pills into a powder, which can be snorted. Taking more than the recommended dose of Xanax or taking the drug in unsafe ways exposes you to a higher risk of abuse, overdose and addiction.

Risks of Recreational Use

Recreational users often are unaware of how much of the drug they’re taking. Because Xanax acts fast and clears the system quickly, users keep taking alprazolam to prolong their high. Taking higher doses only hastens the brain’s adjustment to the chemical changes caused by Xanax, meaning that you’ll need more of the drug to achieve the same state of sedation. This adaptation process, called tolerance, can lead to addiction if Xanax abuse continues.

A Two-Sided Coin

In therapeutic doses, Xanax can be used safely and effectively; however, abusing this drug can have severe consequences, including addiction.

In the state of Florida, alprazolam abuse has reached epidemic proportions. According to Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the number of deaths related to prescription-drug overdoses increased by 84 percent between 2005 and 2009. The number of deaths from alprazolam abuse rose by 234 percent within that same period — second only to oxycodone.

Signs of Xanax Abuse

Recognizing the signs of Xanax abuse will help you identify this pattern in your friends or family members. As a sedative, Xanax slows down the user’s vital functions, motor coordination, thoughts and reflexes.

Some of the most common side effects include:

• Extreme fatigue
• Weakness
• Confusion
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Hallucinations
• Impaired coordination
• Slurred speech

It’s not easy to break an addiction to Xanax, especially if you try to do it alone. Quitting this benzodiazepine all of a sudden can cause unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, such as anxiety, irritability, nausea, muscle cramps and intense cravings for the drug.

At Black Bear Lodge, we provide personalized treatment plans for Xanax abuse and addiction. Call our admissions coordinators at 706-909-9811, to learn how our peaceful recovery center in the foothills of northern Georgia can help you rediscover hope and find healing.

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• Dangers of Combining Marijuana and Xanax

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The Immediate, Short- and Long-term Health Risks of Abusing Xanax (Alprazolam)

Known for its short-acting potency, Xanax works quickly on your central nervous system to slow down abnormal activity and restore a sense of calm. But when you take more than the therapeutic dose of Xanax, you expose yourself to dangerous health risks, including the risks of addiction, overdose, and death.

Before you use this drug for nonmedical reasons, consider how abusing this medication could affect your brain and body, not just in the immediate future, but also in the months and years to come.

How Does Xanax Affect Me Right Away?

Alprazolam, marketed as Xanax, is a psychoactive drug that affects the way your brain processes gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GABA). Like other drugs in the benzodiazepine family, Xanax activates the cells that respond to GABA, making you feel more peaceful and tranquil.

When taken as prescribed, Xanax provides rapid relief of anxiety and can help stop a panic attack. Recreational users take Xanax in order to get a mellow, soothing high or to generate a sense of euphoria.

But Xanax, which takes full effect within 60 to 90 minutes, can have a serious impact on your health very soon after you take it, causing side effects such as:

• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Dizziness
• Breathing problems
• Loss of coordination
• Confusion
• Amnesia
• Impaired judgment

Because benzodiazepines can make you drowsy and less alert, abusing these drugs makes you more likely to have a serious or fatal accident. According to Canadian Family Physician, driving under the influence of benzodiazepines can increase your risk of a motor vehicle accident by 50 percent, especially if you take them with alcohol, another central nervous system depressant.

It doesn’t take long for your brain to get used to the chemical changes caused by Xanax. The more Xanax you take, the more rapidly you’ll get used to the drug’s effects, and the sooner you’ll need to escalate the dose.

What Happens If I Keep Abusing Xanax?

Xanax abuse can cause long-term damage to your memory, change your emotions, and encourage suicidal thoughts. But the most dangerous long-term risk of Xanax abuse is the risk of addiction, a dangerous condition characterized by a compulsive need for the drug.

Withdrawing from alprazolam is more difficult than withdrawing from other benzodiazepines, warns the Western Journal of Medicine. Because Xanax has such a powerful, rapid effect on the brain cells, withdrawal symptoms can be more severe. Heavy users may experience convulsions, seizures, or psychotic episodes if they try to quit too abruptly.

The less serious withdrawal symptoms include:

• Agitation
• Insomnia
• Blurred vision
• Muscle cramps
• Dizziness
• Rapid heart rate

Getting Help

To avoid the health risks of Xanax abuse and withdraw safely from this drug, it’s best to go through detox and rehab under clinical supervision. At Black Bear Lodge, we support you throughout the recovery process.

With our secluded setting, innovative Xanax treatment protocols, and compassionate staff, we are ready to help you start the healing process. Call our toll-free number, 706-909-9811, at any time to learn more about our exclusive Xanax recovery services in northern Georgia.

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• Support Groups for Xanax Addiction