Every year, benzos play a significant role in overdose deaths. Learn how to beat the statistics and find benzo addiction treatment in South Florida.
Benzo addiction gets a lot of attention in the media, and for good reason: in 2024 alone, benzodiazepines accounted for 47% of all drug-related deaths in Florida’s annual Medical Examiners Commission Drug Report. The use of these drugs is almost socially acceptable in some circles, yet benzo abuse can cause serious side effects. But what are benzos, and why are they so dangerous? In this article, we explore benzodiazepines and talk about the side effects of benzo misuse as well as how to cope with benzodiazepine withdrawal.
What Are Benzos?
Benzodiazepines, or benzos, are a class of psychoactive drugs used to treat anxiety, seizures, panic disorders, agitation and insomnia. Well-known examples of benzo medications include Valium and Xanax. Benzodiazepines are viewed as safe if prescribed for short-term use, with treatment lasting 2-4 weeks to prevent addiction. However, misuse of benzos is quite commonplace, with people sharing the drug with friends, taking it for longer than intended or mixing it with alcohol.
Common Signs of Benzo Addiction
When taken per a doctor’s instructions, benzodiazepines can be beneficial, but misusing them can lead to addiction. Signs to look out for include:
- Anxiety
- Drowsiness
- Confusion
- Strong cravings/desire for the next dose
- Withdrawing from social activities
- Secretive behavior
- Increased risk-taking
- Drug-seeking behavior
Benzodiazepines often appear in the South Florida social scene, leading some people to believe that they’re harmless party drugs. In fact, consuming benzos with alcohol or other drugs could lead to an overdose or sudden death.
Why Addiction to Benzodiazepines Requires Treatment
Benzodiazepines are tranquilizers containing soothing components that slow the central nervous system. This helps reduce tension and results in muscle relaxation. People struggling with benzo addiction tend to chase this calming feeling, often craving another hit after getting off the high. Benzodiazepine abusers exhibit symptoms similar to those of heavy alcohol consumption.
When taken in large doses, benzos can cause:
- Amnesia
- Slurred speech
- Blurred vision
- Extreme fatigue and drowsiness
- Lack of coordination and physical weakness
- Mood swings
- Confusion and anxiety
- Difficulty breathing
- Hallucinations
- Death
Benzo addiction can have severe implications. The aftermath can be fatal when coupled with opioids or alcohol since all these substances are depressants. When taken together, they cause excessive sedation, potentially resulting in a slowed heart rate that could lead to coma or death. In fact, around 14% of deaths caused by opioid overdose also involved the use of benzodiazepines.
While treating benzo addiction can be difficult, it’s not impossible. However, attempting to quit without proper medical supervision can prove deadly. Benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms, including tremors, psychosis, seizures and hallucinations, are potentially severe and challenging to manage without medical assistance. Abruptly ceasing the use of benzos could trigger these symptoms. For this reason, it’s best to undergo a medically supervised detox.
How Is Benzo Addiction Treated?
Simply getting benzos out of your system isn’t enough to beat addiction. It’s common for people who’ve been taking high doses of benzodiazepines to relapse, even after a detox. Long-term treatment, including therapy, counseling and peer support, helps decrease the risk of a relapse.
Benzodiazepine Addiction Treatment Options
Florida residents have a wide range of treatment options available. While some individuals need occasional visits to an outpatient facility, others benefit from a full program that includes a medically supervised detox and 24-hour residential care. The length of each program varies according to the individual’s needs and living situation.
Detox and Withdrawal Management
While some people attempt to get off benzos by themselves, this isn’t advisable. Doing so could lead to severe symptoms, such as panic attacks and seizures. These symptoms are unpleasant and can be unsafe. To achieve the best detox results, 24-hour medical supervision is recommended. In addition, doctors in Boca Raton may prescribe medications that ease the symptoms and help the patient cope with the side effects, increasing the likelihood of them seeing their detox through to the end.
Residential Care
Residential care, or inpatient treatment, makes the detox process and medical supervision more manageable. In addition, it provides patients with a drug-free environment where they can focus on recovery. Access to programs such as behavioral therapy and support groups allows professionals to address more than the physical effects of benzo addiction. These advantages work toward making the recovery process more wholesome for the patient.
Outpatient Care
Depending on the severity of the addiction, some South Florida patients may find an outpatient arrangement more beneficial. However, in most cases, this treatment is recommended after inpatient care. Outpatient programs give patients struggling with benzo addiction access to counseling and therapy.
Therapies Useful During Benzo Treatment
Therapy can be a useful way of helping people in the later stages of recovery, especially when combined with other benzodiazepine treatments. Therapy helps patients cope with stressful situations and manage their emotions without relapsing. Therapy can also help patients identify triggers and find healthy coping mechanisms.
Therapies used for benzo addiction treatment include:
Massage Therapy
Massage therapy is restorative care that supports the body’s affected areas. The practitioner targets specific parts of the body, manipulating tendons, muscles and tissues. Massage therapy has several benefits, from encouraging healing and wellness to relieving stress and improving sleeping quality. It can also reduce physical pain and grant patients mental clarity, helping them deal with depression and anxiety.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Negative thoughts cause anxiety, self-doubt and low self-esteem, affecting, in turn, the person’s motivation, focus and efforts. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) combines talk therapy with behavioral therapy to reframe negative thought patterns as positive ones. Rather than an outlined step-by-step treatment, it combines a set of therapies that trigger the same kind of therapeutic change.
CBT follows a simple pattern. The first step involves identifying the situations making life uncomfortable and acting as triggers. This is followed by understanding the thoughts and emotions surrounding these triggers, along with the patient’s reaction to the problem.
Finally, the treatment aims to help the patient take the emotions brought on by their triggers and healthily “rebrand” them. In doing so, the patient can create a way to manage their responses, reacting to potential triggers in healthier ways.
Like any other treatment, CBT results don’t happen overnight. They’re highly influenced by an individual’s willingness to recover. Fortunately, certain recovery techniques, including journaling, exercises and mindfulness meditation, can help.
Family and Couples Therapy
Florida residents don’t have to go through recovery alone. Bringing a person’s support network in to help with recovery can be beneficial. Family and couples therapy isn’t always used, but therapists and addiction specialists consider each individual and may suggest it on a case-by-case basis if they believe it gives the patient the best chance of staying drug-free when they return home.
Benzo Treatment at Sunlight Recovery
At Sunlight Recovery, treatment starts with a full evaluation that helps the staff determine the individual’s needs. Most residents undergo a medically supervised detox in our clean, safe facility with access to 24/7 medical care. Afterward, they stay in our Boca Raton center, which offers plenty of access to warm weather and relaxing outdoor activities.
Our program emphasizes therapy, relationships and life skills, giving residents a well-rounded education that helps them succeed after they leave the clinic. Each resident has the chance to learn about the following:
- Exercising
- Budgeting
- Job hunting
- Exploring hobbies
- Grocery shopping
- Preparing healthy meals
- Building positive relationships
- Staying self-sufficient
Once they graduate, our residents stay in a sober living community where they’ll gradually transition to independent living. Throughout the process, our team offers referrals, medical care and emotional support, encouraging residents to become the best versions of themselves.
How Long Is Benzo Treatment?
Since benzodiazepine treatment varies for different people, the length of treatment isn’t set in stone. Relevant factors include the dosage taken, the period of addiction, general health and how an individual reacts to the medication. The treatment period could also be longer if the patient took benzos alongside opioids or alcohol. Trained medical professionals at our Boca Raton facility assess each situation, determining which treatment would work best.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are benzos?
Benzodiazepines are sedatives, such as Xanax, Klonopin and Valium, that calm your nervous system. When used as directed, benzos can treat anxiety, insomnia, seizures, muscle spasms and other conditions.
Are benzos addictive?
Misusing benzos can create a “high” that makes people crave more of the drug. This could quickly spiral into a full-blown addiction that interferes with every aspect of their lives. When people stop taking benzos, they may suffer from withdrawal symptoms and intense cravings that push them toward a relapse.
How do you treat benzo addiction in South Florida?
Treatment programs vary according to each individual’s needs. Generally, people start with a medically supervised detox before entering an inpatient program with 24/7 care. Once they’ve completed this program, they’ll transition to outpatient therapy, which allows them to live at home and return to the clinic for regular appointments.
Contact Us
If your loved one is dealing with benzo addiction, the friendly, caring team at Sunlight Recovery can develop a tailor-made treatment plan to get them started on a path to wholesome wellness. We offer services for patients throughout South Florida, including Boca Raton and the surrounding areas. Contact us today to get started on the road to recovery.
