Xanax Withdrawal: Symptoms, Timeline, & Treatment

what is xanax addiction

Long-acting benzos, such as Klonopin or Librium (chlordiazepoxide), may be substituted for Xanax during tapering. Urine screenings, which are sometimes used during treatment to encourage abstinence, can detect Xanax for up to a week after last use. This is not all the information you need to know about Xanax (alprazolam) for safe and effective use and does not take the place of your doctor’s directions. Review the full product information and discuss this information and any questions you have with your doctor or other health care provider. Ask your doctor more about the differences between physical dependence and drug addiction, and your risk factors when taking Xanax.

what is xanax addiction

Related treatment guides

  • Xanax should never be combined with other benzodiazepines like Valium, Klonopin or Ativan.
  • Oxford Treatment Center, American Addiction Centers’ residential rehab center in Mississippi, is ready to help you get the treatment you need today.
  • It’s common to have anxiety about the stresses of everyday life.
  • Even if you only take Xanax for a period of several days, you may develop a physical dependence on the drug.
  • The generic is considered to be as safe and effective as the original drug.
  • Benzodiazepines, sometimes called benzos, are a type of medication known as tranquilizers.

Clinical research data has not fully shed light on its “abuse liability,” yet it is one of the most frequently prescribed benzodiazepines. “Abuse liability” is the degree to which a psychoactive drug has properties that facilitate people misusing it, or becoming addicted to it, and is commonly used in the literature. We have replaced it in our manuscript with “misuse liability” as it reflects a more updated terminology consistent with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).

what is xanax addiction

What to know about Xanax addiction treatment

  • If you use them for a long time, you can build up a tolerance.
  • While we are unable to respond to your feedback directly, we’ll use this information to improve our online help.
  • Take our free, 5-minute substance abuse self-assessment below if you think you or someone you love might be struggling with drug addiction.
  • With panic disorder, you become afraid of having more panic attacks.

Dopamine is responsible for reinforcing thefeelings of reward in the brain. For example, when we eat a sugary snack, a small amount of dopamine is released and we may get the urge to have another. Xanax and other substances encourage addiction through this mechanism.

Xanax Dosage Amounts

what is xanax addiction

According to the 2015–2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, about12.5% of adults in the U.S have used benzodiazepines, whether legally or not. About 2.1% of adults abused benzodiazepines during Natural Xanax Alternatives For Anxiety that same period. Xanax addiction affects the lives of millions of people each year. Find out how it impacts your body and brain to develop a better… BetterHelp can connect you to an addiction and mental health counselor. Less than one out of every 200,000 adults died from a benzodiazepine overdose in 1996.

Benzodiazepine abuse alone rarely causes serious illness or death. But people often take them with alcohol or other drugs, either of which can be dangerous or even deadly. About 3/4 of deaths that involve benzodiazepines also involve an opioid drug.

Treatment

what is xanax addiction

Off-label drug use is when a drug is prescribed for a purpose other than what the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved it for. Misusing alprazolam can lead to serious side effects like coma or death. Misuse means taking a medicine in a way other than how it was prescribed. Tell your healthcare provider if you feel that alprazolam is not working. Xanax and other benzodiazepines have sedative effects, which means they can make you feel drowsy and sleepy.