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Treating Benzodiazepine Addiction
Understanding Treatment for Benzodiazepine Addiction
If you are struggling with an addiction to benzodiazepines, you are not alone. Many people have come to rely on these prescription anti-anxiety agents to help get them through the day, only to soon realize that they have become addicted to them. If you are one of these people, you probably know that you are increasingly unable to meet your obligations at home, work, or at school as the addiction has slowly begun to run your life. If you have been cut off by your physician from these potent drugs, it is likely that you are experiencing incredibly unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. You may know that you need help, but you may not know how to get it. You may feel ashamed of your addiction and afraid that others will judge you harshly. But you do not have to feel that way. We can help.
At Ohio Hospital for Psychiatry, our leading hospital for benzo addiction treatment in Columbus, we understand that addiction is a disease of the brain, not a moral failing or something to be ashamed of. We believe that our center for healing will allow those addicted to benzodiazepines the opportunity to address their addiction and begin down the pathway toward recovery. We treat each person we meet with the dignity and respect they deserve and work hard to arm them with the skills necessary to make lasting changes to their life.
Benzo abuse and addiction is only treated in our dual diagnosis program.
Helping a Loved One
Helping a Loved One or Family Member Get Treatment for Benzodiazepine Addiction
If your loved one is addicted to benzodiazepines, you may feel a whole host of emotions. You may be overwhelmed by taking over his or her responsibilities at home, tired of making excuses for his or her behaviors, and afraid for his or her safety. You know that your loved one needs help and compassion during this time, but you may not know how to help. Here are some do’s and do not’s for how to help get your loved one the treatment he or she needs to overcome his or her addiction to benzodiazepines:
Do not:
- Make excuses for your loved one’s behaviors at work, school, or home
- Assume his or her home responsibilities – this can leave your loved one feeling as though he or she has no worth or importance
- Threaten or bribe your loved one into treatment
- Do not talk down to your loved one – he or she is sick and needs help, not to be treated like a child
- Do not minimize what your loved one is going through – addiction is a tremendously powerful disease
Do:
- Support your loved one
- Assure your loved one that you will stand beside them during the whole treatment process
- Research addiction so that you have a better understanding of how this disease can affect a person
- Attend Nar-anon meetings to see the ways in which other families cope with a loved one who has troubles with addiction
- Research treatment centers that can help your loved one learn the skills he or she needs to recover
- Take care of yourself because the stress of living with an addict can be overwhelming
- Attend a Narcotics Anonymous meeting to best understand what living with addiction looks like
- Seek support from trusted loved ones and/or a therapist
- Understand that while the initial use of benzodiazepines was a choice, addiction is not a choice
Why Consider Treatment for Addiction
Why Consider Treatment for Benzodiazepine Addiction at Our Hospital in Columbus
If you’ve been living with an addiction to benzodiazepines, you may feel helpless, powerless over your addiction. You may find yourself going to greater lengths to score more drugs, especially if you have been cut off from your doctor. As many people use benzos as a means to augment an existing high from other drugs, you may find that you are now addicted to multiple drugs; terrified someone will discover your addiction. You may have tried unsuccessfully to quit using benzos as the withdrawal symptoms drew you back into using. You know that something has to give before something dangerous happens to you. It is time to take back control and learn the skills you need to overcome your addiction and begin the road to recovery.
An inpatient center that specializes in the treatment of addiction and mental health diagnoses like ours in Columbus is one of the most helpful ways you can begin down your path to sober living. You will be able to begin treatment to manage the psychological aspects of addiction. A treatment center will also allow you the chance to escape from the stress of your daily life and the triggers for using, which allows you to focus entirely on getting better.
Treatment Philosophy
Our Philosophy and Benefits of Benzodiazepine Addiction Treatment
Ohio Hospital for Psychiatry, a benzo abuse treatment center in Columbus, works tirelessly to get to know each of our clients on a personal level – their wants, needs, desires, and experiences. We firmly believe that each of our patients comes to us with a rich history that has become a part of who they are. We know that current addictions, stressors, and psychiatric problems are only a small part of our patients, and we work hard to inspire our patients, fill them with hope, and allow them to take a central role in their recovery. Through a number of individualized therapeutic interventions, we treat the whole person – mind, body, and soul.
Types of Treatment
Types of Treatment Offered at Our Benzodiazepine Addiction Hospital in Columbus
When you first come to us for treatment for your addiction, we will work hard to get to know you through a number of assessments designed to help us best formulate a plan of care that meets all of your needs. The medical examination will determine the drugs currently in your system and any medical complications that may have come about as a result of your drug use. Our psychiatric assessments will determine the severity of the symptoms and the presence of any co-occurring, dual-diagnosis mental health disorders, like bipolar disorder. Our treatment team will take the results of these assessments and work with you and your loved ones to create a treatment plan that will meet all of your needs.
Medication is used on a case-by-case basis at our hospital and is often used to control the unpleasant symptoms of benzodiazepine withdrawal. We may slowly taper down these medications as you learn more adaptive ways of coping. Other people may require more long-term medication management in an effort to control symptoms of mental health disorders, such as depression.
Individual therapy is provided at our treatment center so that you can spend time working one-on-one with a therapist. You may discuss the problems benzo abuse has caused in your life and decide upon proper ways to handle these challenges. You may also discuss your triggers for using, which can help immensely to reduce your risk for relapse.
Group therapy is offered at our hospital in Columbus. Often seen as the best way to manage addictions in the long term, we offer a number of group therapy sessions that can help you bond and work alongside others who are struggling with similar addictions. Group topics vary but often include the need for medication compliance, ways to manage unpleasant side effects of medications, and ways in which you can prevent relapse.
Family therapy at our treatment center allows you to work with your family and include them in your recovery process. During family sessions, you will work with your loved ones to mend any broken relationships and we will provide education about addiction and recovery and teach your loved ones ways in which they can assist you during your recovery. Family involvement is often one of the most important aspects of successful addiction recovery.
Continuing Care
Continuing Care and Levels of Treatment
As discharge from our Columbus treatment center approaches, you will work closely with your treatment team and case manager to determine the most appropriate aftercare options for you. Many of our clients choose to step down from our inpatient treatment into one of our structured outpatient programs. We offer an intensive outpatient program (IOP) which provides therapy during the day as you spend your evenings and weekends reintegrating back into your life. Depending upon care needs, others may be ready to discharge home with referrals to our traditional outpatient treatment, local support groups, and applicable community resources.