Some people have anxiety, panic disorders, and other conditions that make it challenging to live without complications that affect their lives across the board. If these mental and emotional disruptions are serious enough to receive medical help, a doctor may prescribe a benzodiazepine medication to help the person relax or sleep better.
These potent, short-term medications work by stimulating the brain’s gamma–Aminobutyric-acid (GABA) receptors. When this happens, a person can calm down and feel relaxed enough to take care of their obligations.
Benzodiazepines, widely called “benzos” for short, are prescription medications that some medical professionals issue to patients to treat:
- Anxiety disorders
- Nervousness
- Panic disorders
- Insomnia
- Severe alcohol withdrawal
- Muscle spasms
- Seizures
Widely prescribed benzodiazepines include:
- Xanax (alprazolam)
- Ativan (lorazepam)
- Klonopin (clonazepam)
- Valium (diazepam)
Benzo Abuse Prevalent Among Those With, Without Prescription
Despite benzodiazepines’ potency and design for short-term use, many people abuse them in various ways, even those with legitimate prescriptions. If you take this medication longer than directed, this is a form of abuse. It is also a way to develop a dependence on the medication that you likely will need professional help to overcome.
Other benzo abuse can include the following:
- Taking someone else’s benzo prescription
- Taking benzos in higher doses than prescribed or recommended
- Mixing benzos with alcohol and other drugs to enhance or reduce a high
- Smoking, inhaling or injecting the drug after crushing or dissolving it into a powder
Benzos are dangerous drugs that can cause permanent injury and/or death if they are misused. Overdosing on these drugs can suppress one’s breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure, and all of these can lead to unfavorable outcomes for the user.
Signs of benzo overdose are:
- Confusion
- Drowsiness
- Dizziness
- Vision issues
- Slurred speech
- Coma
- Death
Recreational Drug Users Are at Risk of Using Fake Benzo Pills
If you use benzos outside of a doctor’s prescription or a licensed pharmacy, you risk taking a drug that looks like a benzo but isn’t. It could be fentanyl or cut with fentanyl, a deadly opioid.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) warns about fake benzo pills that can emerge on the recreational drug scene. Benzo-related deaths have taken lives throughout Florida. In Miami-Dade County, which is home to Miami Beach, 374 deaths involved benzos between 2016 and 2019, according to Florida Medical Examiners Commission.
Other data the commission shares shows that alprazolam (Xanax), diazepam (Valium), lorazepam (Ativan), and temazepam (Restoril) all played a role in people’s deaths across Florida during the second quarter of 2021.
If you or someone you know is ready to end their benzo use, consider receiving professional treatment with Family Recovery Specialists. We are here to help you take action against your benzo use disorder and start your road to recovery today.
Family Recovery Specialists Drug Rehab in Miami Beach
Family Recovery Specialists, located a short drive from Miami Beach, offers outpatient rehab to help people recover from benzodiazepine abuse. People with moderate-to-severe disorders likely will start their treatment program in medical detox. This process prevents relapse while the patient goes through the process of withdrawal. If you have been chronically using benzos, do not stop taking the drug abruptly. This is a dangerous thing to do. Instead, call us so we can connect you with one of our facilities that administers professional medical detox.
After this phase ends, you will start treatment in a variety of settings. Here are some services you can expect:
Partial Hospitalization
Partial hospitalization (also called PHP, partial care, and a partial day program) is a form of outpatient care. It offers a moderately structured program of 20 hours or more a week that can last a month or longer, depending on the client’s needs.
Usually, PHP clients have completed medical detox and an inpatient residential program. However, they may not be quite ready to rejoin the outside world just yet. PHP is considered a bridge between higher levels of care and lower levels of care. It is less restrictive than an inpatient program but more restrictive than non-intensive outpatient programs, which offer fewer than nine hours.
During PHP, clients can:
- Learn to manage a substance use disorder (benzo use) and mental health disorder at the same time (e.g., anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD for short)
- Avoid returning to benzo abuse and receive support to remain sober.
- Take their medication as prescribed if they are receiving medical monitoring services.
People in PHP also learn about addiction, gain relapse prevention tools, and learn health and wellness techniques and life skills they can use every day. People who complete this level of care can enter an intensive patient program for continued support.
Intensive Outpatient
People with benzodiazepine dependence can receive intensive outpatient treatment at Family Recovery Specialists. This form of outpatient treatment is nine or more hours a week. Patients can commute to our facility to receive their required hours of treatment before heading back home. This flexibility allows them to receive the help they need while they keep up with personal obligations.
During this period, patients can come into our facility and receive any of the following based on their personalized program:
- Individual therapy sessions
- Group therapy sessions
- Family counseling
- 12-step therapy
- Relapse prevention plan
- Ongoing support
Aftercare
Benzodiazepine Rehab in Family Recovery Specialists FAQ
Deciding to get help for benzo addiction is a big and important step. We are sure you have questions and concerns. We encourage you to research your options and ask as many questions as you can. Some questions on your list may match several that we answer below, but if not, give us a call or email us with your inquiries. If you need clarifications about anything you see here, please let us know.
How Long Is Rehab?
Your time in benzo rehab at Family Recovery Specialists will depend on your situation and how far along you have to go before reaching recovery. Drug rehab can last a minimum of 30 days and up. Ninety days (three months) is standard for many people.
Per the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), a longer treatment program can increase someone’s chances for an effective recovery. A treatment program can also last longer if there is more than one issue to address. One example of this is if a person needs help for depression in addition to their benzo misuse. The right recovery program will help the individual address both together.
You should aim to get the most out of your program for you. Your needs will vary from the next person’s, which is a positive thing, as it ensures you get the right program for you. Our professionals will assess your situation and various factors to personalize your recovery plan. As part of the Delphi Difference, we aim to inspire wellness and help you get what you need during your time here at Family Recovery Specialists.
How Much Does Drug Rehab Cost?
Your drug rehab expenses will depend on what services you require as you receive treatment from us. No two people will have the same needs or the same program, so it is difficult to give you a general estimate. Drug rehab costs can run into the thousands, however. Costs are higher if you stay on-site at a facility to receive 24-hour care. Costs also tend to be higher at luxury rehab facilities versus standard ones.
Outpatient rehab clients could have lower costs as they can return home once they have received their treatment for the day. To get an idea of what your tab could look like, you should consider:
- Where you’ll go for treatment (high-end facility vs. standard one)
- Whether you’ll stay in town or leave for rehab in another city or state
- How long your program lasts (30 days or longer)
- If and how much therapy, counseling, medications you will need
- Other incidentals
Treatment comes with its costs, which we can go over with you along with payment options you may have. We also believe, however, that it’s far more costly to go without treatment for harmful or life-threatening benzo dependence. We encourage you to get help as soon as possible. Our doors are open.
What Insurance Carriers Does Arete Recovery Take?
Family Recovery Specialists is in-network with several major insurance carriers, including:
- Aetna
- Anthem
- Blue Cross, Blue Shield
- CareFirst BlueChoice
- Cigna
We do not accept Medicare or Medicaid at this time. However, you can always call us to find out if your insurance covers the services we offer. We can call your provider, or you can. Either way, we will need to know what your plan covers and what arrangements you will make to cover the services that your plan doesn’t. While the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires insurers to cover substance use disorders and mental health disorders, these policies vary according to the provider.
We are ready to help you figure out the best way forward for you so that you can get the help you need. Give us a call today to start your recovery from benzo misuse.
