Safe Benzodiazepine Detox at the Providence Projects
At the Providence Projects, we focus on making you feel better and safe. Within our specialised detox facilities, you will experience all the benefits of our tailored processes including:
- 24-7 staff presence
- Licensed medical personnel
- Psychological assistance
- Medication to manage more severe symptoms
- Dedicated detox rooms
- Flexible programme to accommodate any new symptoms
We have been working in the addiction field for over 25 years, and our experience has shown that there is nothing better than full attention and complete mutual understanding when it comes to detoxification and rehab for benzodiazepine addictions. Hence, we will give you our complete attention, and ask for you to trust us.
Benzodiazepines are among the prescription drugs with the highest addictive potential. If you have been prescribed a benzodiazepine, you may have experienced a feel-good rush, an effect that turns you from a patient into a chronic user, abuser or a person who is dependent on the effects of the drugs.
Giving up benzodiazepines is never easy. In the case of prescription medications, drug detox is essential to clear off toxins that the body has accumulated from misusing.
What Is Benzodiazepine Withdrawal?
When you use benzodiazepines for a long or even relatively short period, your body can’t function as normal when you try to lower the dosage by yourself. Benzodiazepine withdrawal is all about trying to break free from dependence with the help of professional medical personnel who will take care of the chemically-based symptoms. The goal of benzodiazepine withdrawal is to achieve abstinence. Efforts to quit may lead to one experiencing difficult physical and mental side effects, what we call withdrawal symptoms. If left unmanaged, they can be extremely dangerous, bring about long-lasting trauma to the body or, however scary it may seem, even be fatal. The danger with benzodiazepines, as with most prescription medications, is that they can turn into a gateway substance. With them being legally available only by prescription, and more expensive than illegal drugs on the black market, you risk going into other substances instead. Taking care of your cravings and the sooner you withdraw, the better health you will be in.
Benzodiazepine Withdrawal Symptoms
Benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms vary from one person to another and depend on the type of benzodiazepine being abused. Even when they are taken in the recommended amount, one can experience withdrawal effects when use is discontinued. Generally, benzodiazepines withdrawal symptoms range from moderate to life-threatening.
They are a combination of both physical and psychological symptoms, and include:
- Severe headaches
- Seizures
- Aching muscles
- Nausea and vomiting
- Poor concentration
- Intense stomach pains
- Diarrhea
- Sleeping difficulties
- Delusional thoughts
- Paranoia
- High anxiety levels
- Persistent panic attacks
- Extreme irritability
- Memory issues
- Frequent chills
- Dizziness
- Profuse sweating
- Body tremors
Benzodiazepines fall under two major categories:
- Short-acting benzodiazepines – Provide relief within a few minutes after taking
- Long-acting benzodiazepines — provide relief 1-2 days after taking
Since short-acting medications of this group act faster in the body, their addictive potential is higher than long-acting benzodiazepines. The withdrawal symptoms of short-acting medications of this group will be much stronger because these types are often abused in high doses. Long-acting ones have less intense withdrawal symptoms.
We advise against abrupt cessation because you may experience severe symptoms, among them — psychosis, high blood pressure and seizures.
Timeline of Withdrawal Symptoms
The timeline of benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms highly depends on the type of benzodiazepines abused. Short-acting, such as Xanax, are quite potent, meaning they leave the bloodstream more quickly. On the other hand, long-acting, such as Valium, stay in the body much longer.
For these reasons, the withdrawal symptoms of short-acting benzodiazepines develop faster because your body will detect the absence of the drug almost immediately. Long-acting benzodiazepines slow down the onset of withdrawal symptoms.
- For short-acting, withdrawal symptoms manifest within 24 hours after last use.
- With long-acting, it takes about 2-7 days for the withdrawal symptoms to appear.
Once you begin your detoxification with us, you will face Withdrawal symptoms that may last between two weeks and a month. The duration is longer if you have been using for a while or if the doses you have reached are too large. The amount of time the withdrawal symptoms last depends on:
- The severity of benzodiazepine dependence
- The presence of underlying conditions
Safe Benzodiazepines Detoxification at the Providence Projects
We believe that when you undergo benzodiazepine detox in our facility, you should be accorded safe detox treatment. Before taking the detoxification step, we first evaluate your use and eventual withdrawal symptoms to determine the right detox treatment approach. Our programme for benzodiazepine dependences includes both medical and non-medical detox, and which one you will go through depends on the initial assessment and any spontaneously occurring symptoms.
We provide medical detox if you have high dependence or life-threatening withdrawal symptoms. The medications we provide for detox are legal and our professional medical experts have confirmed their benefits before prescribing them. We guarantee your safety during our treatments.
If you, however, experience mild withdrawal symptoms and have a short use and abuse history, our detox approach involves gradually weaning you off the substances until your body adjusts to the decreased amount. While at it, we keenly monitor your withdrawal symptoms until you are stable.
We Provide Safe Detox for the Following Benzodiazepines:
- Xanax
- Valium
- Librium
- Klonopin
- Tranxene
- Ativan
- Nordaz
- Lectopam
- Restoril
- Seresta
How Long Does Benzodiazepine Detox Last?
In most cases, benzodiazepines detox takes anywhere between seven days to a month.
This detox duration is mostly determined by these two factors
- The type of benzodiazepines — A person who has abused short-acting benzodiazepines will have a shorter detox period since the toxins do not stay in the bloodstream for long.
If long-acting benzodiazepines were abused, the detox period will be longer because the toxins stay in the bloodstream for a longer period.
- How long you have been using for — If benzodiazepines dependence was for a long period, the detox period will be long (a month and more). A shorter dependence period means a shorter detox period.
Why Choose Us?
We understand how physically and psychologically draining the benzodiazepine detox process can be. At Providence Projects, we do everything in our power to ensure that all our detox patients receive the highest level of clinical care so that they attain wholesome recovery after the detox treatment.
We view every patient as unique, so we pay a great deal of attention to every client’s detox journey. Our detoxification specialists prioritize the safety and comfort of every patient. We also provide family members with the much-needed support as they hope for a successful detox treatment for their loved ones.
Is a Detox Enough to Tackle Benzodiazepine Addiction?
Detox is often the first step to get you on the path to an addiction-free life. However, detox is not a treatment for benzodiazepine addiction. After a drug detox, you might experience cravings as your body tries to get used to your clean and sober state. This is why we recommend residential treatment for benzodiazepine addiction, which includes both detox & therapy to help tackle the root causes of addiction.
You need to create and live by healthy habits that will allow you to resist the temptation of giving into these cravings. This is where support groups and fellowship groups come in. With these, you know now how best to navigate through triggers and avoid pursuing self-destructive behaviours that may lead you back to the cycle of abuse.
Rehab and therapy are the ultimate solutions to tackling benzodiazepine addiction. With these two, you’ll completely change the negative thought patterns that can derail your full recovery from addiction.
