There is!

The scourge of addiction and substance abuse in the past decades, most notably opioids, and society’s shifting view on the addiction itself has led to a surge in treatment facilities opening up.

Substance use disorders, once kept in the shadows and stigmatized, have been recognized as brain disorders, something that has made seeking help easier for people – and perception is changing by the day.

To that end, there very much is rehab for those addicted to Xanax.

What Is Xanax?

Xanax falls into a class of drugs called benzodiazepines, which are sedatives or “downers”.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notes they’re “approved to treat generalized anxiety disorder, insomnia, seizures, social phobia, and panic disorder. Benzodiazepines are also used as premedication before some medical procedures.”

Given what they’re meant to treat and the seeming ever-presence of things like anxiety, it’ll come as no surprise that benzos are the most commonly prescribed psychotropic meds in the United States and according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), in 2017 alone, “there was 45.0 million alprazolam [the generic name for Xanax]… prescriptions dispensed in the U.S.”

There’s a reason we referenced opioids at the top.

With tens of millions of Xanax prescriptions written and filled every year and the ongoing opioid epidemic, it’s worth pointing out the devasting consequences of them being prescribed together. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) noted that “In 2019, 16 percent of overdose deaths involving opioids also involved benzodiazepines… people concurrently using both drugs are at higher risk of visiting the emergency department or being admitted to a hospital for a drug-related emergency.”

In fact, the potential danger posed by benzodiazepines is so great that the FDA required an update to the boxed warning “to improve safe use of benzodiazepine drug class”.

Why?

“To address the serious risks of abuse, addiction, physical dependence, and withdrawal reactions.”

Is Xanax Addictive?

At this point, you can probably guess the answer to the question.

Yes, Xanax is addictive.

The FDA goes on in explaining their safety concern to say, “the current prescribing information for benzodiazepines does not provide adequate warnings about these serious risks and harms associated with these medicines so they may be prescribed and used inappropriately. This increases these serious risks, especially when benzodiazepines are used with some other medicines and substances.”

They follow that with a couple of heavy-hitting lines that need to be highlighted separately: 

“Even when taken at recommended dosages, their use can lead to misuse, abuse, and addiction. Abuse and misuse can result in overdose or death.”

“Physical dependence can occur when benzodiazepines are taken steadily for several days to weeks, even as prescribed.”

Xanax isn’t just addictive, it’s very addictive and even worse, it can hook a user in just a matter of days.

So, what can be done if you find yourself or a loved one in that precarious position?

Seek treatment.

Is There Xanax Rehab I Can Go To?

As mentioned from the get-go, there is dedicated Xanax rehab available.

At Safe Harbor in Mission Viejo, California, treating addiction to benzodiazepines is something we specialize in. Sure, you can theoretically work a benzo addiction at a more generalized facility but our team of experienced clinicians and highly trained staff are well versed in dealing with benzodiazepine addiction in particular.

That type of specialized knowledge and understanding goes a long way towards achieving meaningful and lasting outcomes.

We’ve been at this for nearly 3 decades so you’ll be in good hands as you work your way through recovery and the mental aspects of addiction, developing healthy habits and coping mechanisms to help you sustain that hard-fought sobriety.

To learn more about our approach to treating Xanax addiction, get in touch with us.

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