When it seems like the world is too difficult to manage, you might reach for a drug that numbs you. Depressants suppress the central nervous system and cause pain relief, drowsiness, and clouded thinking. Whether this drug has been prescribed by a doctor, purchased in a restaurant, or unregulated by the FDA, depressants provide a cloud of relief that is difficult for many people to control. If using depressants is causing you to miss out on the parts of life that used to give you joy, our clinical staff at Crestview has the training, experience, and dedication to help people manage mental health concerns and move forward in their lives through dual diagnosis treatment.
What Is a Depressant?
Benzodiazepines, alcohol, barbiturates, and opioid painkillers are all depressants. Examples of depressants include Xanax, Klonopin, and OxyContin. The drugs act upon the central nervous system. They slow down neurotransmitter activity. As a result, you react sluggishly to stimuli. Your breathing and pulse will rate slow down. You may then drift in and out of consciousness. Your speech may sound slurred, and you may also have a difficult time keeping up with conversations.
People like taking depressants because they help them relax, escape pain, and avoid thinking problematic thoughts. Stressful situations suddenly don’t seem so bad any longer. You put a buffer between you and the things you don’t want to deal with.
Addiction Potential of Depressant Drugs
Depressants quickly lead to physical tolerance. Your body now needs more of the substance to maintain the comfortable numbness. If you experience pain or discomfort, the body will naturally want to alleviate it. Increasing the dose or mixing depressants with other psychoactive drugs can have devastating results. Depressants in high doses slow breathing and prevent people from seeking medical attention.
Overcoming an Addiction with Help in Rehab
What made you reach for the drugs in the first place? What is a depressant if not an escape from reality? In rehab, caring therapists help you face the facts you wanted to avoid. It’s a gradual process.
Examples of treatments include:
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive-behavioral therapy that allows for dysfunctional pattern recognition and change.
Individual Therapy
Individual therapy lets you discuss concerns with a therapist one-on-one.
Trauma Therapy
Trauma therapy encourages people to resolve issues from the past that are still affecting you today.
Dual Diagnosis Treatment
Dual diagnosis treatment accommodates clients who are struggling with a mental health concern along with addiction.
Mindfulness Meditation Therapy
Mindfulness meditation therapy teaches strategies to help people avoid anxiety and stressors by focusing on the here and now.
As you proceed with rehab, you gradually deal with the problems you tried to keep away. In the process, you find that you don’t need the depressant any longer. Cravings reduce dramatically. You notice energy you didn’t know you had.
Drug Treatment Changes Lives
If you or a loved one in the Portland area has symptoms of alcoholism or addiction to depressants, it is important to encourage the person to seek treatment. Alcoholics and addicts are often aware of the effects of their drinking and drug use but feel powerless to stop them. At Crestview, we offer the tools and community proven to help people get their lives back. Attending treatment for benzo, opioid, or alcohol addiction may seem inconvenient, but it provides an opportunity to be life-saving. We know it’s overwhelming, but it gets better.
You Are Worth Saving
Because you also undergo nutritional counseling, your health picks up. You learn new hobbies. You practice living without using drugs. The therapists at Crestview Recovery want to make this become a reality for you. They work with people just like you every day. You don’t have to keep going down the dangerous path of drug abuse. Call 866.262.0531 today to connect with an addiction counselor.
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.
