Xanax is a powerful sedative that doctors prescribe to treat anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and insomnia.
It is one of the most well-known and commonly abused prescription drugs available in the United States. Xanax is the brand name of the drug Alprazolam. It has several street names, including Xannies, Xans, Bars, and Blue Footballs.
Alprazolam is part of a family of drugs known as benzodiazepines. Other benzodiazepines include Ativan, Valium, and Klonopin. Benzodiazepines work by depressing the central nervous system and slowing down the brain, making you feel relaxed and calm. A National Institute of Drugs Report found that 12.5% of people in the United States had used benzodiazepine medicines.
Xanax is one of the most highly addictive prescription drugs you can buy.
Repeated use of the drug can result in tolerance and dependence, even if you are taking it exactly as prescribed.
Taking Xanax without a prescription or with a higher dose than your doctor prescribes to experience its pleasurable effects is a kind of substance abuse. Taking Xanax in this way increases your chances of becoming addicted.
Xanax abuse is very dangerous for your mental and physical health. High-dose addiction can lead to seizures, depression, and suicidal tendencies. Once an addiction develops, specialist and intensive treatments are necessary to guide you to life-long recovery safely.
Situated in the tranquil beauty of the Rocky Mountains, Cirque Lodge offers a combination of cognitive-behavioral and experiential therapies that help you cope with the transition to sobriety and rediscover your love of life. Recovery is difficult, but success is possible with your commitment and our support.
Doctors prescribe Xanax to treat diseases caused by increased levels of brain activity.
These diseases include anxiety disorders, sleep disorders, panic disorders, and neuroses.
Doctors may also prescribe Xanax if you are experiencing constant feelings of anxiety and fear or if you have tremors or convulsions accompanying emotional stress.
Dopamine is a chemical that is responsible for feelings of reward in the brain.
When you eat a treat or win a race, your brain releases a small amount of dopamine. This gives you a desire to do the same thing again. Xanax addiction comes from the same process, as it changes signals in the brain to increase the amount of dopamine released.
Xanax also increases the GABA activity in your brain, which makes users feel relaxed, lightheaded, and disinhibited.
Xanax is a fast-acting benzodiazepine, so it only takes a short time to cause a significant change in the brain. It is a highly addictive substance, and you are most likely to develop a Xanax addiction if you take it for several months.
If you take Xanax at high doses over a long period of time, you will likely develop a tolerance to the drug, though this can develop in just days. As your tolerance increases, you have to take higher and higher quantities to experience the same positive feelings. This intensifies the withdrawal symptoms you experience when you try to stop taking Xanax.
If you are concerned that you or your loved one may have a Xanax addiction, please read the following list of signs and symptoms.
If you recognize any one of these, please call us at Cirque Lodge to speak with a professional for advice on what you should do. We treat all clients non-judgmentally and with compassion.
Physical symptoms of a Xanax addiction:
The symptoms are more serious if you take higher doses of Xanax and take it more often.
If you have a high level of addiction, you may experience more severe symptoms, including:
There are also signs of a Xanax addiction other than physical symptoms. These include:
You usually notice the short-term effects of Xanax within minutes of taking the drug.
These effects and side effects include:
Taking Xanax with other drugs such as alcohol, opiates, or other benzodiazepines is very dangerous. The effects of the drugs can reinforce each other, increasing the chance of an overdose, hospitalization, and even death.
The long-term effects of Xanax include:
A Journal of Clinical Neurology report links long-term Xanax use to increased chances of developing dementia.
Using Xanax can cause or worsen other disorders and medical conditions and can lead to depression.
The severity of the depression depends on the dosage and frequency that you take Xanax, and in extreme circumstances, can lead to suicidal thoughts and actions.
Paranoia is another common result of Xanax addiction. If you are addicted to Xanax, you may feel paranoid and anxious when you take the drug and in the time after you take it.
Taking Xanax can also lead to aggressive disorder. You may experience this in different ways, such as getting angry quickly or having spells of violent behavior. Xanax addiction may also make it difficult for you to function in everyday life and organize your day effectively.
When you take Xanax for some time, your body becomes used to the drug.
When you stop taking Xanax, you will experience a range of symptoms as your body readjusts to functioning without Xanax.
Many of these can feel uncomfortable. Taking drugs such as Klonopin during the detoxification period can improve some of these symptoms.
Some withdrawal symptoms can be severe and, in some cases, dangerous. It is very important to detox from Xanax in a caring environment with the support of medical professionals. At Cirque Lodge, there is 24-hour medical care to help you safely through the process.
Withdrawal symptoms may include:
The first step to recovering from Xanax addiction is detoxification and must take place in a safe, comfortable environment with professional, compassionate medical care.
Cirque Lodge is recognized as one of the leading treatment centers for drug and alcohol addiction. Our detox program is licensed by medical professionals and follows the most effective methods for treating withdrawal symptoms. During this period, you will have medical staff, nurses, and physicians by your side to ensure you are as comfortable as possible.
We also support you with any necessary medication to make detoxification as easy as it can be for you.
At Cirque Lodge, we know that each client is different, and so we adapt each treatment program to your individual needs.
We combine Cognitive-behavioral Therapy and experiential therapy to lift you out of addiction and guide you to life-long recovery.
Cirque Lodge offers you something unique; the opportunity to recover from Xanax Addiction surrounded by the vast beauty of the Rocky Mountains. We have an outstanding experiential therapy program that includes mountain hikes, horse riding and fly fishing. Here you will rediscover hobbies, skills, and emotions that help you realize your strengths and inspire you to continue your life free from addiction.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a kind of individual counseling that helps you identify and work through the thought patterns and behaviors that lead to your Xanax addiction. Your counselor will help you to devise healthy thought patterns and habits to deal with the causes of your addiction.
Your path to life-long recovery continues after you have left our center. Our continuing care program offers you support in the years that follow your rehabilitation.
Before you leave, we design an individualized aftercare plan to help you maintain abstinence from Xanax. We connect you with support groups local to you or online and offer you the opportunity to mentor another Cirque Lodge client and return to our center for weekly meetings.
Continuing care ensures you have the motivation and support you need to abstain from using Xanax and enjoy a life free from addiction.
