Valium Addiction & Drug AbuseTreatment Centers California

Valium

Valium is a versatile sedative in the benzodiazepine family. Similar to Xanax, Valium is prescribed for anxiety disorders, hallucinations resulting from alcohol withdrawal, delirium, muscle spasms and seizures. The drug has become so popular and widely known that people will often joke, “Take a Valium!” when friends get overly excited.

However Valium is an addictive drug that is very commonly abused.

Sovereign Health provides comprehensive Valium addiction treatment in all of our locations nationwide.

Valium abuse

Valium abuse often starts rather innocently. A friend may share a pill now and then when you’re stressed; a prescription may only be necessary for a season, but you continue to seek out refills, afraid to go without its desired effects. People are lured into dependency on the drug because:

Sedative effects help with sleep problems
It has muscle relaxant properties
It causes a sense of euphoria

Symptoms of Valium abuse

Use can quickly escalate to abuse and dependency. There are several Valium addiction symptoms to watch for including:

Blurred vision
Changes in appetite and mood swings
Clumsiness, slowed reflexes and other motor difficulties
Dry mouth
Memory and concentration problems
Sleeping difficulties and lethargy
Severe withdrawal symptoms when not taking the drug

Red flags of Valium addiction

You or your loved ones may not think there’s a problem. Here are several indicators of valium addiction:

Abuse of other drugs, including alcohol
Aggressive behavior
Depression
Doctor shopping – seeing multiple doctors in attempt to get multiple Valium prescriptions
Episodes of psychosis
Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when not taking Valium
Long-term mental impairment
Relying on Valium just to get through the day

Valium inside the body

Valium works in the brain by influencing levels of the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA); thus decreasing the activity of nerves. In fact, some researchers point to a correlation between lower levels of GABA and anxiety disorders or neurological conditions such as epilepsy.

Valium latches on and weighs down GABA receptors in the brain, like a runner with someone riding piggyback, creating a calming effect. This chemical “piggyback” is what makes Valium functional for medical treatment of seizures, anxiety disorders and helping alcoholics through detox.

However, the same rewiring is what can cause tolerance and dependency.

Like a piggyback ride that doesn’t end, eventually the GABA neurotransmitters accustom to the extra weight, tolerance is built and progressively more Valium is needed to achieve the same effects.

Withdrawal effects

When a person stops abusing Valium, they’ll experience withdrawal symptoms including:

Gastrointestinal issues
Rebound anxiety or panic attacks
Memory difficulties

Muscle aches
Seizures

Getting help for Valium abuse

Valium drug abuse, often gets to overdose before valium addiction treatment is sought out because it’s such a popularly used prescription drug that’s regular consumption is widely accepted.

With this in mind, Sovereign Health offers holistic treatment that’s nonjudgmental with emergency medical, inpatient residential and outpatient levels of care.

Addiction is not an isolated accumulation of physical symptoms; rather it’s a brain disease often fueled by underlying mental disorders. Sovereign Health is licensed for mental health, while treating all underlying co-occurring disorders such as prescription addiction concurrently. We utilize evidenced-based treatment modalities such as:

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
Brain wellness and brain restoration technologies

Sovereign also incorporates alternative therapies such as:

Yoga
Equine therapy

Art therapy
Music therapy

We initially conduct what is known in the clinical community as a biopsychosocial assessment of each patient. Sovereign Health stands behind customization of care to help ensure lasting recovery. Each patient is treated as a person first, not their addiction or disorder.

Why choose Sovereign Health?

Sovereign Health is Joint Commission-accredited in all our facilities nationwide. We are the ideal fusion of evidence-based traditional recovery tools, technologically modern treatment modalities and alternative therapies. We specialize in treating dual diagnosis patients with co-occurring issues.

To learn more about how we can help someone addicted to Valium and how we tailor-fit recovery for A Better Way to a Better Life, call our 24/7 helpline.

We can help you today!