Helping a Loved One into Xanax Rehab
With the advent of online pharmacies and backstreet sales, prescription drugs have become easily accessible to both young and old alike. Xanax, an anti-anxiety medication, has a high addiction potential that many people don’t realize until it’s too late. In fact, the addiction potential is so high that even people who follow a doctor’s prescription to the letter can gradually become dependent on the drug’s effects.
Xanax’s classification as a sedative drug makes the need for Xanax rehab treatment all the more necessary. The effects of sedative medications on the brain and body require a targeted and specialized treatment approach that only Xanax rehab facilities can offer. Understanding how rehab works becomes a necessary first step towards helping a loved one enter Xanax rehab treatment.
Xanax Addiction
Xanax, one of over 15 benzodiazepine medications, works as a central nervous system depressant that slows down chemical processes in the brain. Commonly prescribed to treat anxiety disorders and ward off panic attacks, Xanax helps to relieve feelings of nervousness, tension as well as most other anxiety-driven symptoms, according to the University of Texas at Austin. In addition to these effects, Xanax also produces feelings of mild euphoria and calm that often drives users to take more than prescribed. These same effects also account for its use as a recreational drug.
Over time, the brain starts to crave the drug’s effects and eventually grows dependent to the point where normal brain functions start to deteriorate. At this point, a loved one starts to lose his or her grip on self-control as Xanax effects start to overpower a person’s reasoning and decision-making abilities.
Helping a loved one into Xanax rehab may mean taking the first step by offering to help him or her get the process started. Your loved one may very well know it’s time to get help but may be unable to make the decision on his or her own.
The Detoxing Process
Absolutely no progress towards recovery can be made until a person stops using. If your loved one has tried to quit using on his or her own and failed, entering a Xanax rehab detox facility greatly increase a person’s chances of stopping the drug.
Because of the way Xanax works on primary chemical process, most Xanax rehab facilities use medication therapies to help reduce drug cravings and alleviate distressing withdrawal effects. According to the University of Maryland, the use of medication therapies enables recovering addicts to fight addiction cravings and remain drug-free.
The Importance of Aftercare Treatment
Stopping drug use is only half the battle when it comes to breaking an addiction habit. Ensuring your loved one has ready access to aftercare Xanax rehab treatment becomes just as important as getting him or her into detox.
Aftercare treatment involves ongoing psychotherapy and support group work where recovering addicts work through the issues that drove them to escape in drugs. Many treatment facilities will welcome participation from family and friends throughout the aftercare process.
Twelve-step support groups are also an essential part of the aftercare treatment process. Helping a loved one join a local 12-step support group will provide him or her with a source of lifetime support and guidance for living a drug-free lifestyle. Overall, Xanax rehab aftercare services should become an integral part of your loved one’s recovery process.