If you’re struggling with benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms, you can call a withdrawal hotline for help with managing them. Withdrawal from this drug can be overwhelming in some situations, and a hotline can provide support to help users through the symptoms while helping them to plan their next steps.
What Are Benzodiazepines?
Benzodiazepines, one of the most commonly prescribed medications in the U.S., are central nervous system depressants. They slow brain activity and have a sedative effect. CNS depressants can be prescribed for anxiety and panic disorders, sleep disorders, acute stress reactions, and muscle spasms. Benzodiazepines are used to treat anxiety, insomnia, and seizures.
One of the main differences between brand names is how long the drug stays active in your body. However, they can cause the same withdrawal symptoms.
Brand names include:
- Xanax
- Valium
- Klonopin
- Prosom
- Halcion
An addiction to benzodiazepine is rare. As reported by the National Surveys on Drug Use and Health, only about 0.2% of adults in the U.S. who have misused benzodiazepines had an addiction to them; however, 17.1% of benzodiazepine users were misusing them, and 11.8% were intentionally using the drug to get high.
What Can You Expect From a Benzodiazepine Withdrawal Hotline?
A benzodiazepine withdrawal hotline can provide helpful information about the symptoms that you’re experiencing. They may help you calm down if you’re feeling stressed or frightened. However, in an emergency situation, you might need to go to a hospital for treatment.
Hotlines are free and confidential, so you don’t need to worry about money or other people finding out about your struggles. Financial assistance might be available if you’re worried about how you’re going to be able to afford rehab. Many insurance policies offer coverage for addiction treatment as well.
Common Symptoms of Benzo Withdrawal
When someone dependent on benzodiazepines stops taking them, they may experience a range of withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms can vary, depending on factors such as the dosage, duration of use and type of benzodiazepine. Some common symptoms of benzo withdrawal include:
- Anxiety and panic attacks. Increased feelings of anxiety and panic can be some of the first and most persistent withdrawal symptoms.
- Insomnia. Difficulty falling and staying asleep is common.
- Irritability and agitation. Mood swings and irritability can occur.
- Muscle pain and stiffness. Withdrawal can involve physical discomfort, such as muscle aches and stiffness.
- Headaches. Frequent or severe headaches are common signs of benzo withdrawal.
- Sweating. Increased sweating is common, especially at night.
- Nausea and vomiting. Withdrawal may involve gastrointestinal distress, including nausea and vomiting.
- Tremors. Shaking or trembling may occur, especially in the hands.
- Cognitive difficulties. Withdrawal can cause temporary problems with concentration and memory.
- Seizures. In severe cases, withdrawal can cause seizures.
Delirium, not to be confused with dementia, is a type of confusion that causes you to feel disoriented or confused. Some people become detached from reality and unaware of their surroundings.
There are three types of delirium: hypoactive, hyperactive, and mixed. Hypoactive delirium causes feelings of tiredness and depression. Your movements may become slower, and you may feel lethargy or sluggishness. Others might notice that you lack facial expression or are apathetic.
Hyperactive delirium makes people feel agitated or restless. You may say aggressive things that are out of character for you. Some people experience psychosis symptoms, such as hallucinations and delusions. Those who have mixed delirium alternate between the other two types.
Grand mal seizures, also called tonic-clonic seizures, typically begin with a sudden muscle contraction and loss of consciousness for 10–20 seconds; then, the muscles alternate between a contracted and relaxed state for up to two minutes. The seizure could last longer than two minutes, but this is rare.
You need emergency assistance in the following situations:
- The seizure lasts for longer than five minutes.
- A second seizure occurs immediately.
- You’re pregnant.
- You have diabetes.
- You have a high fever.
- Breathing or consciousness didn’t return after the seizure stopped.
Will You Experience Severe Withdrawal When You Stop Taking Benzodiazepines?
Most people don’t experience severe withdrawal symptoms. Around 60% of people who suddenly quit benzodiazepines after six months of use have mild symptoms. The remaining 40% have moderate to severe symptoms. If you seek professional help for quitting benzodiazepines, then your risk of moderate to severe symptoms will be even lower.
The severity of your withdrawal depends on multiple factors:
• What other drugs you’re taking
• Addictions to other substances
• Other sedative drugs you’re taking
• How long you’ve been taking the drug and other substances
• How much of each drug you’re taking
• The type of benzodiazepine you’re on
If you have an addiction to another drug, then your withdrawal symptoms may be more severe. The type of benzodiazepine you’re on affects your withdrawal timeline too. Short-acting benzodiazepines tend to cause withdrawal symptoms within eight to 12 hours. Long-acting benzodiazepines may take one to several days to trigger symptoms. Most people will have the symptoms of the condition that they were taking the drug for come back stronger during the withdrawal period. If you were taking them for insomnia, then you may have insomnia while you’re detoxing from the drug.
Withdrawal from short-acting benzodiazepines usually peaks on the second day and improves by the fourth or fifth day. Some people go through a worse withdrawal that lasts for weeks, however.
When you taper off of benzodiazepines, you might experience mild withdrawal symptoms after each dose reduction. If your symptoms are too much for you, then you can let your doctor know so that they can slow down the dose reduction.
How to Overcome Benzodiazepine Withdrawal
Don’t stop taking your medication as prescribed if you’re experiencing withdrawal symptoms. Suddenly stopping or reducing your dose can worsen your withdrawal. If you have been taking benzodiazepines for more than six months, you’re at a higher risk of having grand mal seizures and delirium.
Regardless of how long you’ve been taking the medication, you need to taper off with the guidance of a doctor. Some people may need to go through a drug detox program to safely overcome their body’s physical dependence on benzodiazepines.
You can cope with withdrawal by meditating, practicing mindfulness, exercising, and seeing a therapist. If you go through a drug detox program, then the medical staff may make additional recommendations and give you medication to ease uncomfortable symptoms. Common medications that are used for people who are having severe symptoms are flumazenil and buspirone. In a drug rehab program, you would receive psychotherapy as part of your treatment too.
If you have a mental health disorder, seizures, or a history of complicated withdrawal symptoms when you taper off of a medication, then you may need to enroll in an inpatient drug rehab. Medical staff will be available 24/7 during your stay to ensure that you’re safe and are sticking to your plan for quitting the drug.
The Withdrawal Timeline: What to Expect
The timeline for benzo withdrawal varies depending on the type of benzodiazepine used, but there are some general patterns.
- Short-acting benzos (e.g., Xanax). Symptoms may start relatively soon after the last dose, with the most intense symptoms typically occurring within a few days. These generally begin to ease after a week or two, though some may linger longer.
- Long-acting benzos (e.g., Valium). Symptoms might not appear until a day or two after the last dose. They usually peak within the first week but can persist for several weeks, with some effects potentially lasting even longer.
Why You Might Need Addiction Treatment After Withdrawal
If you were unable to control your use of benzodiazepines, then you may need addiction treatment to prevent a relapse. Other situations in which you probably need to enroll in a drug rehab program are using the drug without a prescription, using it to get high, and taking more than you were prescribed. These are all signs that your brain has developed a psychological addiction, not just a physical dependence on the substance.
Healing from psychological dependence is a longer process than detoxing. It may take months of therapy to fully recover. If you already have a mental health disorder, then you’ll need co-occurring treatment to address both conditions at the same time. An additional mental health disorder makes it more challenging to overcome an addiction if you only focus on treating one of the disorders at a time.
If your benzodiazepine prescription was for a mental health condition, then you most likely won’t need addiction treatment unless you struggled to control your use of the drug. Otherwise, your doctor can handle tapering you off, then have you try another medication for treating your mental health disorder.
Medical and Therapeutic Treatment Options
Given the potential severity of benzo withdrawal, seeking medically supported detox is advisable. The right combination of treatments depends on your personal preferences, your budget, your lifestyle and the severity of your benzo addiction. Options include:
- Medical supervision. Detoxing under the care of health care professionals can help manage and mitigate withdrawal symptoms.
- Gradual tapering. Slowly reducing the dosage of benzodiazepines under medical supervision can help minimize withdrawal effects.
- Medications. Doctors can prescribe certain medications to alleviate specific symptoms, such as anxiety, insomnia or seizures.
- Therapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy and other therapeutic approaches can help address the psychological aspects of addiction and withdrawal.
- Support groups. Engaging with support groups can provide emotional support and practical advice from those who’ve experienced similar struggles.
Types of Treatment for Benzodiazepine Addiction
When you enroll in drug rehab, you’ll have a treatment plan put together based on your situation and preferences. Common therapies that are used for benzodiazepine addictions are cognitive behavioral therapy, contingency management, and motivational enhancement theory.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Most addiction treatment programs incorporate CBT into a client’s recovery plan because it has been found to be effective for treating addiction as well as many other mental health conditions. Cognitive behavioral therapy involves changing your way of thinking to improve the actions that you take. You will learn actionable techniques on how to calm down without using substances. Many CBT programs also teach clients problem-solving skills to better equip them for confidently solving problems that life throws their way. When people don’t know how to cope with emotions or strategically solve life problems, they are more likely to turn to substances for coping.
Contingency Management
Contingency management uses positive reinforcement to help with behavior change. Some programs give you vouchers or prizes for maintaining sobriety and making other positive behavior changes. When people are given positive reinforcement soon after an action or occurrence, they become more likely to repeat that behavior. The reward starts off small and becomes bigger the longer you stick to your recovery plan.
Motivational Enhancement Theory
Motivational enhancement theory helps you build the internal motivation you might feel that you need to overcome your addiction. This program usually consists of structured feedback, discussion of future plans, and positive reinforcement.
It’s normal for resistance to occur during the process, and therapists who are trained in MET understand how to guide you in overcoming the resistance. You’ll work together to create a plan for your future based on what you want out of life. It gives you something to look forward to while you overcome your addiction. Having meaningful goals to work on helps you stay sober. If you don’t feel like it’s possible for you, there are strategies that your therapist can teach you to develop more confidence and belief in yourself.
Long-Term Recovery and Relapse Prevention
Recovery from benzodiazepine addiction is an ongoing process. Having some long-term strategies for maintaining sobriety and preventing relapse is crucial. A few tips that can help include:
- Continue to access therapy. Ongoing therapy can help you address underlying issues and develop coping strategies. Many people use benzos to treat anxiety, which can rebound when you stop using them. Alternative treatments for anxiety, such as CBT, are available.
- Make healthy lifestyle changes. Adopting a healthy lifestyle can help support mental and physical recovery from benzodiazepine addiction.
- Build strong support networks. Building a strong network of family, friends and support groups is crucial. Once this is in place, don’t hesitate to call on it when you’re struggling.
- Manage stress. Learning and practicing stress management techniques can help prevent relapse. For example, you can use meditation or breathing exercises to calm down in stressful situations rather than relying on benzos to manage stress.
Calling a benzodiazepine withdrawal hotline may be the first step on your road to recovery. It’s important to not ignore withdrawal symptoms that are worrying you or have become too much for you to handle on your own. Help is just a phone call away; call us at 866-210-1303, and we can help you take the first step toward a sober life.