Benzodiazepines are prescription medications for anxiety disorders and insomnia. You probably know them under brand names such as Valium or Klonopin. In simplest terms, benzos are nervous system depressants that may have addictive qualities. When you want to stop using them, you might encounter benzo withdrawal symptoms.

Why You Experience Benzo Withdrawal Symptoms

Your body becomes accustomed to the presence of the drugs. It also learns how to navigate through daily life without many of the nervous system’s impulses. When you stop using benzo medications, the nervous system comes back online. Because of its prolonged suppression, it’s sudden presence seems to overwhelm the brain.

You experience these sensations as benzo withdrawal symptoms. They include insomnia, agitation, panic attacks, tremors, shaking, sudden flare-ups of anger, and headaches. In some cases, you may experience muscle pains and gastrointestinal upset. A few people also deal with psychosis, which affects their ability to relate to others.

Overcoming Benzo Withdrawal Safely

Benzo detox isn’t something you want to do at home by yourself. Because of the potentially severe benzo withdrawal symptoms, it makes more sense to undergo detox at a facility. There, experts in addiction care work with you to undo the body’s dependence on the drug. They keep you safe, monitor your vitals, and administer medications if necessary.

Typical benzo withdrawal care at the detox level includes:

• Residential drug rehab care that allows you to live at the detox facility for safety
• Active monitoring of withdrawal symptoms to keep you pain-free and comfortable
• Extended care stays that may take three days to 28 days, depending on your needs
• Pharmacological support of withdrawal and symptom relief
• Transition to rehab for psychotherapy

It’s Possible to Experience Benzo Withdrawal Symptoms in Rehab

As opposed to detox, which breaks the physiological dependence, rehab is the place where you work on the psychological portion. Addiction help in this setting takes the form of:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy that encourages you to recognize and alter dysfunctional patterns in daily interactions
• Group therapy sessions that include opportunities for addiction education and relapse prevention
• Experiential therapies such as equine-assisted therapy and ropes courses
• 12 Step recovery program group attendance that encourages peer support and accountability
• Trauma therapy, which benefits individuals who are dealing with significant unresolved issues from their pasts

In particular, a dual diagnosis assessment and treatment can be of vital importance. If you started taking benzos because of an anxiety disorder, this condition might return. You’ll require assistance to handle the disease while undergoing rehab. The addiction specialist you work with will ensure that you receive the right care for any co-occurring disorder.

Even though you’ve already completed detox, it’s still possible for occasional benzo withdrawal symptoms to crop up. This possibility relates, in part, to the presence of an anxiety or panic disorder. In this way, withdrawing from benzos differs from other drug withdrawals. You learn more about this possibility in addiction education groups that you join during rehab.

What Comes after Rehab?

With your benzo abuse in the rearview mirror, the goal is now to live sober in everyday situations. For some, this process is as simple as transitioning back home with a reliable support system. Others benefit from a stop at a sober living facility. It makes the transition from rehab to independent living a little more comfortable.

The facility features a structured environment that lets you test-drive your newly developed coping mechanisms. Peers in recovery and consistent access to counselors protect you from falling into old habits. At this point, you also receive assistance with finding a job or enrolling in school. When you feel confident that you can handle life without drug abuse, you move out and continue recovery on your own.

Starting a Drug-Free Life Begins with a Phone Call

You don’t have to live in fear of benzo withdrawal symptoms. Don’t continue using because you’re afraid of what happens when you quit. Instead, reach out for help to the caring therapists at Beaches Recovery. Dial 866.605.0532 now.