If you have received a prescription for benzos, you may wonder if they are addictive. If so, what is the benzo withdrawal timeline when you want to quit taking them? These are important questions to consider if you are currently taking medications to help control your anxiety. But, first of all, it’s vital to know what benzos are, how they work, and what the signs of addiction are. Then you can deal with the withdrawal timeline and seek treatment from Renaissance Recovery.
If you need treatment for a benzo addiction or another substance abuse disorder, contact our California treatment center.
What Are Benzos?
Benzos are the shortened name for benzodiazepines. These drugs are a tranquilizing type of medication that calms the body and system when under duress. The most common types of benzos that doctors prescribe are Xanax, Ativan, Valium, and Librium. These can be either short-acting or long-acting. For those that are short-acting, the medication will normally take effect in about 15 minutes.
What Are Benzos Used For?
As mentioned above, benzos help calm down the body and mind. So, what do physicians prescribe them for? Here are the most common reasons your doctor may write you a prescription:
- Anxiety
- Panic attacks
- Pre-surgery nerves
- Muscle spasms
- Chronic insomnia
- Alcohol withdrawal
For the short term, benzos work well. They can relax those jittery nerves or help you sleep better. However, over time, they can become addictive because of how they work on the central nervous system and brain.
Benzodiazepines trigger more GABA production in the brain, which is what provides the sedating effect. It doesn’t take long before people can become tolerant of the medication. They realize that they need more medicine to feel the same effects. This leads them to take higher doses of the drug.
Signs of Benzo Addiction
If you’ve been taking benzos for a long time, you may wonder if you are addicted and, if so, what the benzo withdrawal timeline is. Some signs that you may be addicted include:
- You take the medication every day
- You notice some withdrawal symptoms after several hours of not having the medication
- You have “borrowed” or bought the medication from others
- The drug has affected your mood or interfered with your life
- You want to hide your use of the medication
These are signs that benzos might be a problem for you. If you are in this predicament, there is hope to detox safely with the help of an addiction treatment center.
Benzo Withdrawal Timeline
The benzo withdrawal timeline may vary slightly for different people, but this is a close representation of what you can expect:
- 6 – 12 hours after the last dose, you’ll feel anxiety and may have insomnia for the first few days.
- 1 – 4 days after the last dose, you’ll feel under the weather with flu-like symptoms.
- 5 – 14 days after the last dose, you’ll be back to feeling anxious again.
Finally, as you hit the two-week mark, you may experience some residual symptoms of moodiness or restlessness. You could feel a psychological pull toward the drug, but the physical symptoms should be gone.
Help For Benzo Addiction At Renaissance Recovery
Going through withdrawal is best with the aid of a substance abuse treatment center. At Renaissance Recovery, our evidence-based programs will help bring about healing. Some of our therapies include:
- Partial hospitalization program
- Intensive outpatient treatment program
- Outpatient treatment program
- Medication-assisted treatment program
- Men’s rehab treatment program
- Women’s rehab treatment program
- Sober living at The District
Don’t let benzos steal your joy in life. Now that you know the benzo withdrawal timeline, you can reach out to a quality rehab center. Contact Renaissance Recovery us today, and we’ll get your loved one on the road to recovery.866.330.9449
