Prescription drugs improve countless lives, but they’re also vulnerable to substance abuse. Throughout the U.S. and in 2021 alone, roughly 14.3 million people ages 12 or older reported misusing prescription psychotherapeutic drugs. These include common medications for anxiety.
One drug that can produce a long-lasting addiction is Valium. Even when taken properly following a doctor’s orders, Valium poses a serious addiction risk. When it gets abused, the chances of drug addiction and its devastating consequences increase significantly.
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What Type of Drug Is Valium?
Valium is a brand name for diazepam, a drug that falls into the category of benzodiazepines and shares many properties with other benzos such as Xanax, Ativan, and Klonopin. These act as a depressant and an FDA-approved for short-term treatment for anxiety. They reduce brain activity and produce a sedative effect by influencing gamma-aminobutyric acid, an inhibitory neurotransmitter.
People typically get prescribed Valium for anxiety or insomnia. It’s also sometimes given to people as a sedative before certain medical procedures or as a treatment for severe symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.
What Are the Effects of Valium Abuse and Addiction?
Taking Valium will always expose you to some degree of risk, even if you carefully follow a doctor’s guidance. However, if you misuse the drug, you’ll increase the chances of suffering serious medical and psychological side effects, such as:
- Seizures.
- Breathing problems.
- Chronic drowsiness or fatigue.
- Memory loss or confusion.
- Depression or irritable moods.
- Anxiety, particularly when the drug is used for a longer time.
- Hallucinations.
- Nightmares and other difficulties sleeping.
- Tremors.
The Dangers of Combining Valium With Other Drugs
Any time you take drugs, they can interact with each other, and sometimes the results prove fatal. For example, mixing Valium or other benzos with opioids increases the chances of dangerously slow breathing, a coma, and death. Compared to taking opioids alone, mixing opioids and benzodiazepines leads to an overdose rate that’s 10 times higher.
Another dangerous interaction comes from mixing valium with alcohol. The sedative effects from both drug types combine to elevate the risk of a valium overdose. Plus, the potential long-term effects of taking these drugs together include damage to the brain, kidneys, and other organs. Valium is sometimes given to patients to help them manage alcohol withdrawal, but this medically supervised treatment is much different than people endangering themselves by misusing both drugs.
A Heightened Risk of Accidents
The sleepiness and slower reflexes induced by Valium make people more prone to serious accidents. For example, long-acting benzodiazepines, such as Valium, increase the risk of motor vehicle accidents, especially among elderly drivers.
When people become addicted to it or develop a drug abuse, their level of risk tends to go up even more. They may be more likely to engage in dangerous behaviors and have a neglectful or inconsistent attitude towards safety.
Valium Addiction: Withdrawal May Be Severe
The longer you take Valium, the more you’re at risk of developing a psychological and physical dependence on it. Doctors generally try not to prescribe it for more than a few weeks, and they try not to give you a high dose. Furthermore, when you’re ready to get off the drug, they can instruct you about tapering the dose gradually, decreasing the symptoms of withdrawal strength.
If you’re misusing the drug, the benzodiazepine withdrawal process poses an even greater risk to your health. You may have developed a powerful tolerance to Valium, and attempting to quit it without medical supervision can place you in grave danger.
Physical symptoms of Valium withdrawal typically include nausea, vomiting, headaches, muscle spasms, loss of appetite, numbness, and elevated heart rate and blood pressure. Seizures are also a possibility and may be life-threatening. Some patients are at an increased risk of lapsing into a coma and dying, particularly if their addiction has been severe.
The psychological withdrawal symptoms can be intense, including recurrent cravings, depression, panic attacks, and rebound anxiety. The anxiety kept at bay by Valium may resurge with a greater power than you experienced before using the drug.
How long does the withdrawal period last? The answer largely depends on the length of time you took the drug, the dose, your age, the overall state of your health, and any other drugs you have been ingesting.
Physical symptoms are typically strongest within the first couple of weeks after you stop taking Valium. Psychological symptoms may persist in some form for a longer time, including months or sometimes even years for people with post-acute withdrawal syndrome.
Signs of Valium Abuse and Addiction
Maybe you aren’t sure if your own behavioral health, or the behavior of a loved one, points to a problem with Valium misuse. Although drug problems don’t look exactly the same for everybody, there are some common behavioral patterns to watch out for, especially the following:
- Needing to consume higher doses of the drug to achieve similar effects as when you first started taking it.
- Taking the drug without a proper prescription or disregarding a doctor’s guidance to ingest a larger or more frequent dose.
- Taking the drug improperly, such as by crushing and snorting it.
- Obtaining the drug through unethical or illegal means, such as lying to doctors, forging prescriptions, buying from drug dealers, or stealing from family and friends.
- Building a personal stash by hoarding the drug.
- Becoming consumed with thoughts about when you’ll next take the drug.
- Neglecting various areas of your life, such as your health, relationships, hobbies, and work or school obligations.
- Suffering serious consequences from the drug use, such as getting arrested, losing a job, or landing in the emergency room.
If any of these signs look familiar, don’t hesitate to seek help. Fortunately, there are high-quality programs staffed by remarkably skilled and compassionate professionals.
What to Expect From Excellent Addiction Treatment Services
The Option of Medically Supervised Detoxification
Valium withdrawal symptoms can sometimes pose a risk to your life or psychological well-being. Even when they don’t, they can become painful or uncomfortable to the point where you’re tempted to relapse.
Detox takes place within the first week or two after you first quit Valium. If you’re at a program with medical professionals, they monitor your symptoms and help you avoid dangerous complications. When necessary, they provide you with medications to manage more severe symptoms.
Even if you ultimately don’t need medical assistance, a supervised medical detox process reduces the chances that you’ll quickly relapse. You can receive essential psychological support and encouragement throughout the process.
Powerful Psychological Treatments
There’s much more to addiction treatment options than overcoming the initial withdrawal stage. You need high-quality therapy that can help you develop strategies to resist cravings and triggers, manage lingering psychological symptoms, and avoid self-destructive patterns of thought and behavior.
Through an addiction treatment program, you may wind up receiving both group therapy and one-on-one sessions. Maybe you’ll benefit from specific kinds of therapeutic approaches, such as cognitive behavioral therapy. You and your loved ones may also want to meet for family therapy and work on building healthier relationships.
If necessary, you should also be able to access treatment programs with a dual-diagnosis approach. For example, if you’re suffering from Valium addiction and another psychological problem, such as post-traumatic stress or generalized anxiety disorder, you need services that will address all aspects of your mental health problems.
A Holistic Approach Based on Individual Needs
At a good treatment center, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for the patients. You receive a treatment and long-term recovery plan that addresses your specific medical and psychological needs, along with your life circumstances, values, and goals.
Recovering from addiction is a lengthy process. In many cases, people start with highly structured inpatient rehabilitation, where they live round-the-clock at a residential facility. Afterwards, they progress to outpatient treatment for additional services and continued support.
Other times, they don’t necessarily need inpatient rehab. They may start with partial hospitalization and follow it up with an intensive outpatient program that meets for a few hours a day.
What would be best for you? If you’re struggling with an addiction to Valium, it’s important to work with treatment specialists. They’ll help you map out your recovery process and flexibly make adjustments whenever necessary.
Along with undergoing medical treatment and psychological therapy, you must address other aspects of your life, such as:
- Relationship skills.
- Job skills.
- Time management habits.
- Financial literacy and responsibility.
- Self-care routines, like preparing nutritious meals, exercising, and making timely medical appointments.
- The discovery of meaningful interests and the pursuit of fun hobbies.
Excellent treatment programs will work with you on building a strong, sober, and well-rounded life.
Consistently High Standards for All Services and Facilities
Your treatment facility or residence doesn’t need to have luxurious amenities or high-end decor. It does, however, need to be a clean, well-maintained, and safe space for everyone. All of the professionals on staff need to have the appropriate licensing and training for their roles.
Contact Live Free Recovery Services
People from all walks of life need treatment for substance use disorders and addiction to Valium or other drugs. We welcome you to reach out to us today. With our guidance, you can discover the best substance abuse treatment programs in New Hampshire and take the first important steps to long-term sobriety.
Published on: 2024-02-26
Updated on: 2024-03-18