Benzo Detox

Benzodiazepines are prescription medications that depress an individual’s central nervous system by slowing brain activity. Benzos can often have a calming effect that many find relaxing. Because of the pleasant side effects, patients may be tempted to increase or abuse their prescription which can very quickly lead to an unhealthy benzo dependence. When these patients attempt to cut the drugs, they will often quickly go into benzo withdrawal and experience benzo detox symptoms. Benzo detox is unlike other drug detoxifications as it is much more dangerous to detoxify from and can cause serious health issues if not handled correctly. Benzo detox facilities offer individuals the best chance at beating benzodiazepine dependence and addiction.

Benzos have three main properties; muscle relaxing, sleep-inducing, and seizure reduction. Benzodiazepines have become very popular over the past decades as they provide immediate relief for insomnia, anxiety, and seizures. It should be noted that many patients prescribed benzos for these and other health issues are at higher risk of dangerous side effects. Because of benzos interaction with brain functions, sudden withdrawal can cause psychological symptoms as well as physical ones. Benzo addiction must be treated by medical health professionals as the drug must be slowly withdrawn over a period of weeks or months. Stopping benzo abuse can be fatal unless managed appropriately.

Before any benzo detox can begin, each patient must undergo a medical examination. This will give professionals overseeing the detox program insight into specific conditions that may need to be watched carefully. This is done by drawing blood to create a baseline health history. The levels of different detox medications will vary depending on the levels of benzodiazepines in the body and other accompanying health factors. A verbal health history is also taken and many screening questions regarding past and current mental and physical health conditions will further aid in recovery. It is during this screening that every patient is given a long-term drug treatment plan that will help them as they make strides towards sobriety.

During the benzo detox process, each patient is given access to counseling and continued medical help. The goal of any quality detox program is to provide a clean slate health-wise, so patients can continue to either residential drug rehab or outpatient drug treatment. Because of the way that the human body processes the withdrawal of benzodiazepines, the detox process is handled very slowly. A sudden, cold-turkey withdrawal of this type of medication can be fatal, so medications for benzo detox are offered as well as gradual reduction of the medicine itself. The amount of time spent in any benzo detox program can vary.