People eager to overcome benzodiazepine addiction are always curious about the benzo withdrawal timeline. Knowing what to expect gives you the courage to commit to the recovery process. Crestview Recovery is an addiction treatment center committed to helping men and women battling benzo addiction in Portland Oregon. The doctors and therapists will provide the care you need to defeat benzo in a safe, structured, and compassionate environment.
What is Benzo?
Benzodiazepines, or benzos, are a group of depressant drugs that target the central nervous system. Doctors commonly prescribe the drug to treat mental problems such as anxiety, insomnia, seizures, and muscle spasms. The drug slows down brain functions by interacting with a neurotransmitter in the brain called gamma-aminobutyric acid-A (GABA-A). The main tranquilizing effects include sedation, calm, and reduced stress.
What Causes Benzodiazepines Addiction?
The medication is meant for short-term use because of how easy it is for someone to grow dependent on it. Long-term use, abuse, or illicitly using the drug often leads to addiction. For example, a person may destroy the tablets or capsules to enhance the sedative effects.
Snorting, smoking or injecting the drug causes it to enter the bloodstream and brain very quickly and makes benzo addiction more likely. The changes benzo causes to brain chemistry results in ongoing cravings for the medication in larger doses.
What is Benzo Withdrawal?
Benzo withdrawal happens when you stop taking the drug. For example, if you miss a dose, try to quit, or are going through supervised withdrawal at a detox clinic. A group of symptoms develops at various stages of the benzo withdrawal timeline as the body and brain grapple with the loss of the drug.
To avoid health complications, overdose, or fatality, withdrawal should be done in a medically-supervised detox center. A doctor and therapist can help you manage intense cravings and the unpleasant side effects of coming off Benzodiazepine. Not only does this help make the process easier, but it also helps prevent a relapse.
Benzo Withdrawal Timeline
Is benzo addiction a problem in your life, and you’re eager to get past the withdrawal timeline? Below is a breakdown of the mild to severe symptoms a person may experience. Once you push through the 1 to 4-week timeline, you should be well on your way to recovery:
Day 1 – 3:Nausea, vomiting, headache, and insomnia are initial symptoms that set in around 6 to 8 hours after the last dose of short-acting benzo. They are normal as the body struggles to adjust to being without the drug. These symptoms usually begin about 1 to 3 days later in clients who abused long-acting benzo.
Day 4 – 7: Symptoms usually intensify by now as new symptoms such as intense cravings and increased heart rate develop. It is normal to feel exhausted at this time.
Day 8 – 14: Physical symptoms are subsiding and you start to feel like your old self again. However, mental and emotional symptoms tend to show up during this stage. They include agitation, anxiety, depression, and chronic insomnia.
Day 15 – 28: All traces of benzo should be out of the body by now, although the psychological symptoms may persist. Some people may experience them beyond the 4-week timeline.
The benzo withdrawal timeline is not the same for everyone. It depends on the level of addiction and whether short-acting or long-acting benzos are involved. Those who snort, inject, or smoke the drug, used it with other addictive substances, or have an underlying mental disorder may take longer to withdraw.
Treatment After Benzo Withdrawal
Treatment after getting past the benzo withdrawal timeline is crucial to lasting sobriety. Working with a therapist helps you to find ways to cope with temptations to abuse prescription medication or other addictive substances. Crestview Recovery has comprehensive treatment programs and aftercare services designed for men and women to get over this new challenge. They include:
Clients have the option of receiving care in an outpatient, intensive outpatient (IOP), or partial hospitalization setting. Whether you live in Seattle, Portland, Oregon, Idaho, or Montana, we can help you to recover and heal from benzo abuse. Call 866.262.0531 to speak with an admissions counselor about a program that is suitable for you or your loved one.
Since 2016, Dr. Merle Williamson, a graduate of Oregon Health Sciences University, has been the Medical Director at Crestview Recovery, bringing a rich background in addiction medicine from his time at Hazelden Treatment Center. He oversees outpatient drug and alcohol treatments, providing medical care, setting policies, detox protocols, and quality assurance measures. Before specializing in addiction medicine, he spent 25 years in anesthesiology, serving as Chair of Hospital Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee and Chief of Anesthesia at Kaiser Permanente. This experience gives him a unique perspective on treating prescription drug addiction.
