Seeking help for an addiction to benzos may seem scary at first. Yet, it’s the key to turning your life around.
Not only will professional treatment show you how to control your cravings. But it’ll also get you closer to long-lasting abstinence, which saves you from all the strained relationships, financial hardships, potentially fatal ODs, and adverse effects that come along with addiction.
Read on to learn more about benzo addiction treatment and how the team at Long Island Interventions can help.
Identifying the “Perfect” Candidate for Benzo Addiction Treatment
There’s no one ideal candidate. Anyone struggling with their benzo use can seek help.
Usually, we work with people with severe physical dependence and high-dose misuse patterns. For one, people who use short-acting, high-potency agents (alprazolam/Xanax is a prime example) are more likely to develop dependencies and require professional help.
But we also understand that every patient is different and that it’s better to reach out sooner rather than later.
How do you define an early, mild addiction vs. a more severe one?
Well, if you’re looking for an official diagnosis, only licensed healthcare professionals can determine whether a person suffers from a benzodiazepine use disorder (BUD).
While there are popular signs of an addiction, professionals still need to refer to guidelines before making a diagnosis. The DSM–5, for instance, has strict criteria for substance use disorders.
In the DSM–5, addiction to benzos falls under a broader category of sedative/anxiolytic use disorders. To say that someone has a mild BUD, they need to meet at least two criteria (out of 11). The criteria should relate to impaired control, hazardous use, or side effects.
That said, if you’re looking for a self-administered test, you might want to check out the Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS). It’s a quick, five-item questionnaire that measures psychological dependence.
Overview of the Treatment Process
BUD treatment isn’t all that different from other substance use disorder treatment approaches. One notable aspect here is that abrupt cessation during a detoxification program isn’t safe with benzos. Instead, doses are tapered gradually.
Then, patients enter a rehab program and walk out with a thorough aftercare and relapse prevention plan.
Let’s take a quick look at the typical treatment setting, duration, and costs.
Treatment Setting
Different levels of care are offered at rehab centers, with residential treatment being the most intense.
And yes, some BUD patients will need the highest level of care possible, especially when they’re fresh out of the tapering phase. In other cases, the risk is lower, which opens up the door to outpatient treatment options.
Care teams consider the person’s physical, mental, social, and economic situations before choosing one of the following treatment settings for the plan:
- Inpatient/residential programs
- Partial hospitalization programs (PHPs)
- Standard outpatient programs
- Intensive outpatient programs (IOPs)
Treatment Duration
BUD treatment programs vary in length depending on a number of factors. The type of benzo used (short- vs. long-acting), dosage details, length of misuse, prior substance abuse history, and support networks are all important factors.
That being said, the average program lasts 1–3 months of inpatient rehab, followed by a longer period of outpatient care. People who need extended treatment may receive continuing care for a year if needed.
It’s also worth noting that co-occurring mental health disorders and polydrug use can affect the length of treatment. We’ll discuss both situations later in the article.
Treatment Costs
The overall cost of BUD treatment depends on the level of care, duration, services offered, and insurance coverage level.
However, addiction treatment may be more affordable and accessible than you think. Insurance aside, there are payment plans and Employer Assistance Programs (EAP) to consider.
Addiction treatment services, in general, are reasonably priced in New York. In fact, the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics (NCDAS) ranks the state in the 22nd spot in terms of treatment affordability.
Get in touch with our team to discuss payment options.
Benzo-Specific Detox and Treatment Strategies
Withdrawing from benzos isn’t typically considered life-threatening. But it’s definitely unpleasant and can get dangerous with complications. That’s why detoxing under medical supervision is often a safer option.
Here’s what to expect during the initial treatment steps:
Tapering Protocols
Quitting benzos cold-turkey is not recommended. In a medical detox setting, clinicians will gradually reduce the dose until the patient is stable enough to quit and maintain this abstinence.
The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) has a tapering guide for BUDs. However, there’s no one universal tapering regimen. The rate should be tailored to each individual’s starting dose, their tolerance to the taper, and the type of benzo itself.
People detoxing from high-dose benzo abuse can generally taper quickly at first. But once they hit a critical point, their tapering rate should slow down significantly.
Side Note: Addiction treatment professionals may consider the critical point to be around 10 mg diazepam (or its equivalents in other benzo drugs).
Psychological Support During Detox
Simply tapering the dose isn’t enough, though. Detoxing takes its toll on the mind just as much as it does on the body. That’s why a core aspect of medical detox is psychological support.
The patient (and their family members) deserve to understand the disease and the next steps. They also need all the encouragement and psychological interventions they can get to control their anxiety level.
Studies actually show that combining psychotherapy (talk therapy) with a taper improves the treatment outcomes.
Symptomatic Treatment
While dose tapering can help clinicians control the withdrawal symptoms to an extent, it won’t eliminate them altogether.
People detoxing from benzos should expect symptoms like headache, sweating, muscle pain, nausea, IBS-like diarrhea, insomnia, anxiety, or tremors. Some also experience neurological and psychological symptoms, ranging from dizziness and irritability to hallucinations.
To help ease the symptoms, care teams in the facility may resort to medications like anticonvulsants for seizures and low-dose or sedative antidepressants for anxiety and insomnia.
Monitoring
Once the detox is over, the patient is ready to step down to inpatient treatment or outpatient care. Treatment has to continue in a safe, drug-free environment. So, if the patient’s home life can’t provide this safety and support, residential programs are the way to go.
With outpatient programs, care teams keep a close eye on the patient and their progress. They might even request urine drug screens to make sure they’re not “doctor shopping” to obtain benzo prescriptions again.
Continuing Psychotherapy
The need for psychological interventions doesn’t end with the end of the gradual dose tapering phase. After all, proper treatment plans have to help patients explore their triggers and control their urges. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a great tool for that.
CBT is a structured form of talk therapy based on the idea that thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are all connected. Learning to challenge recurring negative thought patterns will then empower you to develop healthier behaviors.
There’s another perk for incorporating CBT into the treatment plan, too.
CBT has been shown to help with insomnia, and insomnia often goes hand-in-hand with benzo abuse. Keep in mind that it’s not uncommon for people to resort to drugs to ease the insomnia, which gradually spirals into a full-blown addiction.
In cases like this, studies reveal that using CBT reduces relapse rates. Care teams in the rehab facility might also recommend CBT booster sessions after the program itself is over as a form of aftercare.
Peer Support
Besides clinicians and counselors, peers can also provide valuable support to a person in recovery. During group therapy sessions, peers open up about their struggles and share coping tips.
That’s why the treatment plan will likely include a support group or a 12-step program, like Narcotics Anonymous (NA).
To find NA meetings near you, use the regional service office’s search tool. Fortunately, there are a few locations on Long Island.
Special Considerations for BUD Treatment
Addiction to benzos can sometimes be complicated by other disorders. Of course, the treatment plan needs to be adjusted accordingly.
Benzo Addiction With a Mental Health Challenge
Substance use disorders and mental health issues often overlap, with one feeding into the other. This link is particularly strong with benzodiazepine abuse because this class of medication is already used for treating anxiety and related mental health conditions.
So, if you suspect your loved one may have a co-occurring disorder along with their BUD, make sure to find a facility that offers dual diagnosis treatment.
Dual diagnosis treatment, at its core, is focused on tackling both issues simultaneously since treating one element in the cycle and leaving the other is counterproductive. You have to address both the mental health condition and the addiction to successfully break the cycle.
Benzo Addiction With Other Forms of Substance Abuse
Reports show that about 15% of heroin users also use benzos daily. As many as 90% of methadone users also abuse benzos regularly. Anywhere from 3% to 41% of alcoholics report abusing benzos.
All this is to say that there’s a chance that your loved one isn’t just abusing benzos.
It’s still possible to recover from polysubstance abuse. However, the treatment plan can get complicated. Your loved one might have to stay in treatment longer as well.
Your Role During the Recovery Journey
For your loved one, there’s a long road ahead. They’ll have to push through the withdrawals, stick to the dose tapering plan, attend individual counseling, open up in group therapy, and work on their coping skills.
Naturally, you’ll want to support them any way you can. So, here’s what you can do in the meantime:
- Be open to learning about addiction and accepting that it’s a chronic disease of the mind.
- Attend family therapy sessions when possible.
- Offer to help with the treatment logistics (like commutes for outpatient care).
- Show readiness for participating in relapse prevention planning. Making the home environment safe and trigger-free is one step.
- Make it clear that you support them but won’t be an enabler anymore.
How Long Island Interventions Can Help
Here at Long Island Interventions, we take pride in providing guidance and making resources readily available to those who need them.
Our expert team works closely with patients and their families in Suffolk, Nassau County, and the greater New York metro area.
Here’s how we can help you out:
Staging a Safe, Strategic Intervention
Holding the sort of intervention that convinces your loved one to seek treatment rather than push them away is tricky. Your preparation has to be thorough, showing concrete examples of how the addiction has affected the family and offering realistic routes to recovery.
The environment itself is hard to balance. You want to communicate in a direct, level-headed, and non-judgmental way. But you also have to be ready for defensive walls and maybe even outright hostility.
Having a professional interventionist on your side can make it all easier.
If you need help finding a treatment facility that offers the exact level of care you need, we’ll be happy to put you on the right track.
Our sister facilities within the Recreate Behavioral Health Network (RBHN) offer a full continuum of evidence-based care. In fact, our facilities are listed as some of the best benzodiazepine rehabs out there.
Talk to our team today to see if placement in one of RBHN’s programs is a good fit for your needs.
Insurance Verification
To make sure our clients can access the care they need and deserve, we handle the benefits checks on your behalf.
Call our hotline or send us a message for more details. We can help you figure out what your policy covers and what your out-of-pocket costs may be.
Get the Assistance You Need
Whether you’re looking to start treatment yourself or just researching options for a loved one, know that recovery is possible and help is available.
Our team of experts is ready to take your calls and assist you any way they can. So, don’t hesitate to pick up the phone to talk to us.
