By Valium is a versatile sedative in the benzodiazepine family. Similar to Xanax, Valium is prescribed for anxiety disorders, hallucinations resulting from alcohol withdrawal, delirium, muscle spasms, and seizures. The drug has become so popular and widely known that people will often joke, “Take a Valium!” when friends get overly excited. However, Valium is an addictive drug that is very commonly abused. Drug rehabilitation treatment centers provide comprehensive Valium addiction treatment nationwide.
When is it considered Valium abuse?
Valium abuse often starts rather innocently. A friend may share a pill now and then when you’re stressed; a prescription may only be necessary for a season, but you continue to seek out refills, afraid to go without its desired effects. People are lured into dependency on the drug because the sedative effects help with sleep problems, it has muscle relaxant properties, and it causes a sense of euphoria.
What are the symptoms of Valium abuse?
Use can quickly escalate to abuse and dependency. There are several Valium addiction symptoms to watch for. The common symptoms include blurred vision, changes in appetite, mood swings, clumsiness, motor difficulties, dry mouth, difficulty in focus, irregular sleep patterns, and lethargy. There will be severe withdrawal symptoms when the person is not taking the drug anymore.
Valium inside the body
Valium works in the brain by influencing levels of the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), thus decreasing the activity of nerves. In fact, some researchers point to a correlation between lower levels of GABA and anxiety disorders or neurological conditions such as epilepsy.
Valium latches on and weighs down GABA receptors in the brain, like a runner with someone riding piggyback, creating a calming effect. This chemical “piggyback” is what makes Valium functional for medical treatment of seizures and anxiety disorders and for helping alcoholics through detox. However, the same rewiring is what can cause tolerance and dependency.
Like a piggyback ride that doesn’t end, eventually, the GABA neurotransmitters accustom to the extra weight, tolerance is built, and progressively more Valium is needed to achieve the same effects.
What are the withdrawal effects?
When a person stops abusing Valium, they will experience withdrawal symptoms. The common withdrawal symptoms include gastrointestinal problems, rebound anxiety, issues in memory, pain in muscles, seizures, and panic attacks.
Getting help for Valium abuse
Valium drug abuse often gets to overdose before valium addiction treatment is sought out because it’s such a popularly used prescription drug that’s regular consumption is widely accepted. With this in mind, drug treatment centers offer holistic treatment that’s nonjudgmental with emergency medical, inpatient residential, and outpatient levels of care.
Addiction is not an isolated accumulation of physical symptoms. In fact, it is a brain disease often fueled by underlying mental disorders. Sovereign Health is licensed for mental health while treating all underlying co-occurring disorders such as prescription addiction concurrently. The experts utilize evidenced-based treatment modalities such as CBT, DBT, Brain Wellness, and brain restoration technologies. They conduct a biopsychosocial assessment of each patient and stand behind customization of care to help ensure lasting recovery. Each patient is treated as a person first, not their addiction or disorder.
