Xanax is a popular prescription medication. Nowadays, many physicians will offer it to patients to help them deal with a plethora of anxiety and depressions issues. It is used to help someone deal with panic attacks or if they are dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. Xanax works to suppress and depress these anxious feelings that you may have in different situations throughout your life.
Because of the general nature of the drug and how it can make you feel, Xanax also has the potential to be highly addictive as people seek stronger and stronger doses to help achieve the euphoric feelings the drug provides. This leads to varying health and psychological problems that can worsen dramatically over time. If something like this occurs, the best course of action is to seek some Xanax addiction treatment.
How Xanax Addiction Begins
Xanax is one of many drugs that are classified as benzodiazepines. This means it is a drug that is relatively short-acting and works to help ease anxiety by slowing down the chemicals in your brain that can cause anxiety, panic and agitation. Some people report feeling the effects of the drug in under two hours. The drug works so quickly on some people that it is open to a great deal of abuse.
People can come to rely on the euphoric feelings that the drug gives them, so they need the medication even more. This causes them to take more than is medically necessary in order to keep that feeling lasting longer. When this happens, your body will build up a steady tolerance to the medication. This may be just one of the warning signs that indicate you may need professional help.
Symptoms, Effects and Treatment
There are particular signs that you can look for in yourself or a family member to see if a dependency may be developing in the use of Xanax. There are a number of symptoms to look out for such as:
- Warning Signs – The warning signs you need to be aware of include you or your family member running out of the medication long before a refill is due. You may feel agitated or irritable if you do not get the effect from the medication when you need it. Perhaps family, friends or co-workers may have noticed the way you are using the medicine and are concerned about your behavior and safety.
- Side Effects – There are also hazardous physical and psychological side effects that can occur from Xanax abuse. You may experience regular memory loss or have slurred speech. You may go through episodes of confusion and dizziness, experience drastic bouts of depression and/or severe mood swings. Abusing Xanax can also result in damage to your central nervous system, causing your heart rate and breathing to slow down dramatically. These symptoms can be even worse if the medication is combined with alcohol or other drugs.
- Typical Treatment – If you find that a loved one has been abusing Xanax or exhibits symptoms of abuse, it may be time to seek out the best Xanax rehabilitation center you can find to get some help. As an inpatient at a facility, you will be able to safely go through detoxification and have withdrawal symptoms dealt with by an experienced medical staff. You will also undergo some social detox and training through the use of counseling and group therapy so that you can learn to handle patterns and situations that may trigger abusive behavior and learn strategies and methods to help correct these patterns.
