What is a Tranquilizer and Can You Get Addicted to Them?
A tranquilizer is a category of prescription drugs that are central nervous system depressants. Tranquilizers are used to treat a range of things such as anxiety, tension, sleep disorders, stress reactions and panic attacks. A tranquilizer can be either a Barbiturate or a Benzodiazepine. They work by increasing the activity of a neurotransmitter in your brain called GABA, giving you a sense of clam. It is extremely easy to get addicted to a Tranquilizer. None of these types of drugs are meant for long term use. Addiction has a way of gradually consuming one’s life, reducing its quality as well as its length. Other health issues may arise from overuse, including memory problems, weakening of the liver, and chronic intoxication.
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Common Street Names: Benzos, Downers, Tranks, Candy
Tranquilizer Abuse & Treatment
Do to the wide variety of ailments Tranquilizers can treat, they are highly abused category of prescription drugs. Taking a Tranquilizer puts you at risk for both physical and physiological dependency. Taking any of these medications continuously for over a month, even if you are taking it as prescribed, is long enough to create a dependency. Once you develop a chemical dependency your body will go into withdraws when you stop taking the substance. The most efficient way to get off of Tranquilizers without going through withdrawal is to check into an inpatient treatment facility where you will be medically detoxed off of what ever substance you are chemically dependent upon. Treatment is meant to detox your body and give you the skills to deal with stressful situations without feeling the need to take a Tranquilizer.
Are Rehabs Private and Confidential?
Rehabs are legally obligated to keep your information confidential, it’s no one business but yours and your doctor that you are getting treatment. It’s your choice to get into treatment and it is your choice if anyone knows you’re there. Keep in mind prescription drugs, such as Tranquilizers, have a high potential for addiction and are becoming more common for getting treatment.
Signs & Symptoms of Tranquilizer Abuse
While the signs for each Tranquilizer will be slightly different, one of the first signs of any type of addiction is building a tolerance to the drug. Someone who is addicted to a Tranquilizer might not even know that they have a problem.
Tranquilizers can be very dangerous if abused. Due to the fact that they slow your heart rate and breathing, an addict runs the chance of slowing these functions down so much that they stop altogether. Their risk of cardiac arrest increases when the user mixes Tranquilizers with Alcohol.
It you think you or someone you love has an addiction to Tranquilizers, its important to seek help. You are not alone and there are rehabs all over the country that can and will help you.
Short Term Effects of Tranquilizer Abuse
When someone ingests a Tranquilizer, their brain will begin to slow down within the first 30 minutes. They become fatigued or dizzy with a sluggish or confused demeanor. By the point they will be forced to sit down as they become disoriented. The user will have slurred speech with an intense of lack of coordination with no ambition to be social. The users eyes will close and their breathing will become very shallow.
Long Term Signs of Abuse
- Aggressive Behavior
- Coma
- Difficulty Breathing
- Decreased Motivation
- Possible Death
- Impaired Sexual Functioning
- Vivid or Disturbing Dreams
Tranquilizer Interventions
There is often a common misconception that prescription medications, such as Tranquilizers, are safer than illegal substances, convincing a loved one that you’re concerned can be intimidating but it is necessary. In many cases this is their only chance to see that they have a problem. Denial is common and without an intervention, those who are addicted to Tranquilizers may not see that they have an addiction or be in any danger. If you know someone or you yourself is struggling with an addiction to Tranquilizers getting help could save your life as those who overdose on Tranquilizers often die from cardiac arrest.
The Best Tranquilizer Treatment Option
The best treatment programs are customized to your individual needs considering every Tranquilizer is different the program will vary as well. They generally last 28 to 30 days, 60 days and 90 days. There is hope, it isn’t easy to do, but you can get though it. Your life is worth it.[
Detoxing from Tranquilizers
When an addict is admitted into a drug treatment center the first step is usually the detoxing period. This can be one of the most difficult steps as a series of withdrawals plagues the body as the poisons are flushed from the body. The physical dependency the body has on the drug is what makes this period as unbearable as the body learns to cope without the drug. The detox process varies from drug to drug. It is highly recommended that the detox process occur within an inpatient treatment as there are medical professionals that can ease the suffering and make sure there is no permanent damage. Someone who is detoxing from a Tranquilizer has an added worry since Tranquilizers for the most part are depressants, which can lead to severe complications during detox. Unsupervised detox can lead to death so medically supervised detox is normally required to insure patient safety.
Tranquilizer Withdrawal
When an addict abuses Tranquilizers enough to become addicted, going cold turkey can cause serious health problems. Withdrawing from Tranquilizers without medical supervision can cause epileptic seizures, anxiety, and severe depression. It is medically necessary for someone who is addicted to Tranquilizers to enter into an inpatient detox center. Here the potentially deadly consequences associated with Tranquilizer withdrawal will be monitored. Suicidal thoughts, restlessness, and delirium insomnia can be difficult to deal with on their own. The best way to avoid withdrawal symptoms is to taper yourself off the substance. This is done be taking smaller and smaller doses so you body can learn to adapt to having less of the drug in the body. Once the dose is low enough you can safely stop taking the Tranquilizer with less fear of deadly consequences.
Travel for Treatment
Traveling out of state is the best option for treatment. This can seem like a scary proposition, going to a new place where you are not familiar, where you know nobody and where you don’t have people around you isn’t always a comfortable position to be in. With that in mind, it is the most effective route to take because you are then removed from the surroundings that enabled you continued Tranquilizer abuse. Here you are able to start brand new, building a foundation of people around you who are working on their own recovery which is key to long term recovery.
Inpatient Tranquilizer Rehab Program
An inpatient facility is a place where a person who is addicted to a substance, like Tranquilizers, goes when they need help to overcome their addiction. This type of program usually consists of a medically monitored detoxification program, which is key to Tranquilizer abuse since so many Tranquilizers have withdrawal symptoms that can be deadly. What they do during a medically monitored detox is they administer the substance in an ever decreasing dose to help manage the withdrawal symptoms until the dose is low enough that the body won’t go into severe withdrawals when stopped. These programs can run from 30, 60 to 90 days depending on the severity of the addiction and any underlying problems. Inpatient rehab is the most effective form of treatment for Tranquilizer addicts because it gives the patient enough time to get their head clear from all the drugs they were abusing and gives the them tools to cope without their Tranquilizers.
Outpatient Tranquilizer Rehab Program
Outpatient treatment programs vary from program to program. They usually consist of the person traveling into the facility multiple times a week for group therapy or individual therapy. This form of treatment should only be considered after some who is addicted to Tranquilizers first undergoes a medically monitored detox because the dangers that withdrawal presents. When someone is entered into an outpatient program they remain in the same area where they were abusing drugs which can be difficult for some. The benefits of outpatient treatment is that you are able to continue to work, go to school or take care of obligations, this can be a good thing but it also can be a bad thing. Not focusing on recovery as a top priority can lead to relapse sense the addict is still in the same surroundings as before seeking treatment. It is important to weigh all your options before you commit to entering treatment, choosing the right program is vital in achieving long term recovery.
