Xanax dependence among teenagers is a growing concern in the United States and around the world. It’s becoming easier than ever to obtain for young adults who want to experiment with the drug or have grown too reliant on its “benefits”. High schools and colleges are more rampant with cases of Xanax abuse from a normalized idea of using it. Abuse of this anti-anxiety drug is threatening not only teen and adult mental and physical health, but their careers and futures overall. In the worst cases of Xanax abuse, an addict can even face an overdose that leads to death.  According to the U.S. Surgeon General’s 2016 report on drugs and alcohol, nearly seventy percent of adolescents who try an illicit drug before the age of thirteen will develop an addiction within seven years. That’s a scary statistic to think about when you place it in the big picture of teen health in America.

Signs and symptoms of Xanax abuse or benzodiazepine addiction are hard to spot at times. For some people covering up habits of addiction becomes easy while others fall behind as the cope with withdrawal symptoms. Anyone who is abusing Xanax on a regular basis must learn how to taper off the medication instead of stopping cold-turkey. Since the drug is used to treat issues like anxiety or insomnia, an addict’s body needs to learn how to taper off the chemicals its grown accustomed to and take on therapy. Therapies that include natural and healthier non-drug alternatives include meditation, yoga, exercise, art therapy, etc. Let’s dive into the best ways to overcome Xanax abuse before it’s too late.

Signs Of Xanax Abuse

A person addicted to using Xanax will show different signs in their physical and mental health over time. As a fast-acting drug, the majority of the benefits are established within an hour after use, with the total duration of effect being at least 6 hours. A person will show physical signs of mood shifts, low energy levels, a worse off hygiene level, changes in weight, and even signs of low amounts of sleep. They may portray signs of high anxiety, depression, headaches, obsessive thinking about the drug, and frequent isolation from their normal behaviors. In addition to physical and mental symptoms, Xanax abuse also brings long-term psychological consequences, such absences and poor performance at work or school, loss of family relationships and close friend, an increased risk of injury or fatality due to accidents, and a higher rate of abusing more than one substance in general.

As for withdrawal symptoms, Xanax abuse brings worse off sleep, an increased heart rate and blood pressure, excessive sweating, muscle and hand tremors, occasional hallucinations, and even seizures in the worse cases. For someone who may be a student in school or working at one of their first jobs, a teenager can’t risk experiencing constant withdrawal effects because of the huge disturbance it brings. If anyone wants to improve their health, they must seek profession drug addiction treatment immediately for their Xanax abuse.

Seeking Treatment

The most important thing to remember when getting over Xanax abuse is to taper off the drug. Some people may preach about quitting the drug completely, but their pride may cost you your health. It is never recommended for someone who has developed a dependence on Xanax to suddenly stop taking the medication since it leads to even more severe and uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms. Since the worst symptoms include heart tremors and seizures, any rehab professional will put a client on a program that slowly wakes their amount of Xanax consumed. Over a period of a few weeks to a few months, their bodies can grow into being sober from the drug and jump back with the right nutrition plans to stay strong.

Treatment for Xanax abuse can come in many forms like trauma therapy, community support groups, group therapy, and individualized therapy. Choosing which therapy is right depends on what the social style and daily schedule a patient has. Someone who is introverted and busy during the week may want to do private counseling while someone extroverted and likes meeting new people will benefit from a in person rehab group. Any professional treatment center can point you to the right choices if you take the time to explore what you like and don’t like. Be patient with the process and trust in a professional’s recommendations since they have experience in helping people overcome Xanax abuse. Even if you don’t agree with what they’re saying, it’s better to follow their lead than try to independently solve the issue yourself.

Moving Forward

It takes time to overcome addiction when you feel like you’re alone and not sure what to do. Instead of going to a neighbor for advice or aimlessly looking for answers on Google, go to a local expert in drug rehab who can point you in the right direction for getting help. They will listen to your story and help give you support for therapy in a way that your parents, friends, and teachers may not be able to. As a result, it’s important to keep up with therapy and finish it to the end to ensure that your treatment will be effective and long lasting. Relapses can always happen, so it’s important to know from therapy what your triggers are and form a battle proof plan to combat them. A luxury drug rehab could provide a hands-on treatment for patients that need extra help when they overcome addiction. Finding customized support is key for an addict to not rely on a cookie-cutter solution, so make sure you observe what possibilities are out there!

Why do many people end up overdosing when they relapse? Why is relapse still happening and how can we prevent it? These are only a few of the questions that are running through people’s minds as they go through drug treatment. Addiction education is in place to help people find the right answers and create a battle proof strategy to navigate life’s toughest temptations. Having a relapse prevention strategy in place is necessary for those trying to stay sober after detox.

For anyone to stay sober after an intense addiction understanding all of their “triggers” is a must. A “trigger” could be a sight, sound, location, person, or even an old memory that can ease someone’s mind back to their previous highs. It may tempt them to go back to using the drug of their choice and undo the hard work they put into staying sober. Every addict faces this and must learn how to deal with them as soon as possible. Let’s walk through how to successfully plan relapse prevention and common mistakes addicts can make throughout the process.  Treatment forces people to take things one day at a time, but the outcome of sobriety isn’t impossible!

What Is Relapse?

Everyone experiences relapse differently and may be more prone to having one in different stages of their sobriety. In order to understand relapse prevention you have to understand the different stages of relapse at first. Experts say that there’s three stages of relapse include emotional, mental, and physical relapse in addicts who are learning how to stay sober. Signs of addiction relapse may be subtle or profound so keep a close eye on what you know is normal for your body. You know yourself best and are ultimately the one who can control your actions.

Emotional relapse can start a few weeks or even a few months before the event of physical relapse. Emotional relapse signs can include being angry, irritable, discontent, feeling isolated, experiencing stress and anxiety, depression, and overall intense mood swings. Relapse prevention at this stage means recognizing that you’re in trouble and need to start changing your behavior. Remind yourself that it’s okay to ask for help and practice relaxation techniques to soothe your mind. Recognize that you’re anxious and practice relaxation techniques. Also look into changing your sleep habits and improve your nutrition if you haven’t been eating the best. Most of times, our diet and exercise plays a huge role into how we feel from day to day. If you don’t change your behavior at this stage and you wait until the point where you become exhausted, your body may shift into mental relapse which comes with larger risks to deal with.

Mental relapse is the second stage of addiction relapse overall. At this time you’re just idly thinking about using drugs, but in the later phase you’re more convinced than ever to start again. . A common mental urge is you’re getting away with using drugs because no one will know if you relapse. Maybe your boyfriend or girlfriend is away or you have a long break off work to do so. This is the time when your addiction is trying its best to convince you the drug is okay to take again and that you’re doing no harm. Key signs of mental relapse are thinking about the people, different places, and variety of things you used with drugs. You could be thinking romantically about your addiction in the past, lying about your behavior, and hanging out with old connections who once praised your highs. Any friends who judge your new behavior are probably the people who got you involved with drugs in the first place. They may be encouraging you to use drugs again and you could easily find yourself back to your previous habits in no time. To combat mental relapse, remind yourself of any negative consequences that you suffered and tell someone what you’re struggling with. Most studies show that telling someone about what your goals are and what you struggle with keeps you more accountable. You’ll be less likely to fall off the bandwagon and encouraged to find healthy distractions like going for a walk, playing music, working out, or anything that keeps you away from drugs.

The last stage of relapse is physical relapse. This means that the addict goes one step further and drivers to their weed dealer, the liquor store, or connects with old friends to consume their vice. It’s hard to stop the process of relapse at that point. That’s not where you should focus your efforts in recovery. If you do catch yourself at this point, tell someone and check into your treatment counselor as soon as possible if you’re truly serious about help. It’s up to you to control your mind and body in the end.

Lifelong Healing

With the right addiction education you can prevent any addiction relapses and learn how to deal with them if you do find yourself falling short during drug treatment. Take time to learn about how you think during times of temptation and what prevents your mind from falling off the bandwagon. If you have to cut off certain friends or stop going to certain places, take the leap. You’ll thank yourself for bettering your social circle and spending your time more wisely in the long term. Remember that experiencing a relapse is also extremely common and that it isn’t the end of the world. Relapses remind you that you aren’t perfect and have room to improve mentally and physically. Brush yourself off and think about tomorrow. Vow to make better choices for your mind and body the next time around so you aren’t making the same mistake twice!