Effects of Tranquilizer Abuse and Addiction
There are a wide variety of tranquilizers that may be prescribed to help a person deal with stress or be able to sleep better, but there are none that should be taken for a long duration. Unfortunately, some doctors do not abide by this rule and some yield to patients who demand to continue receiving their prescriptions. Then there are some unscrupulous doctors who simply see how much money they can make if they hand out prescriptions for tranquilizers to anyone who wants one.
All three types of drugs commonly including under the heading of tranquilizers are addictive:
-
barbiturates
-
benzodiazepines
-
sleeping aids
When a person starts abusing these drugs, the effects can not only be seen in the way they act, the can also be seen in the quality of the person’s life. Tranquilizers make a person somewhat euphoric and may lower inhibitions. A person abusing these drugs may not care as much about performance and so schoolwork or job production are very likely to suffer. Attention to the needs of children or home may also deteriorate. A person may also give up activities that formerly interested them, simply because they are sedated to the point of losing interest.
With benzodiazepines, in particular, overuse and addiction can result in some of the problems they are intended to improve when prescribed, such as insomnia and anxiety. Chronic benzodiazepine abuse may also result in anorexia, the eating disorder in which a person refuses to eat enough.
When looking for the effects of benzodiazepine abuse, look for confusion and dizziness. Sometimes a person who does not tolerate these drugs may experience these effects when they first start using the drug. In this case, he or she should see the prescribing doctor immediately.
But since the effects of abusing these drugs include difficulty breathing, coma, and possible death, it is essential to help a person who has become addicted out of that addiction at the first moment possible. And since drowsiness can result from any of these drugs, it can be dangerous to drive. A person trying to determine if they are looking at the effects of tranquilizer abuse in a loved one should note if there have been car accidents or mishaps at home or at work.
Medical Help May be Needed to Escape these Effects
Because all three classes of tranquilizers are addictive, it is possible that a person may need to utilize a drug rehabilitation service to get clean and sober again. In some cases, a person must be stepped down from the drug to prevent dangerous withdrawal symptoms. This requires a medical detoxification program to be done before drug rehab. Some life-threatening symptoms may need to be managed with short-acting medications to protect the health and safety of the addicted person. For example, some people withdrawing from benzodiazepines can become suicidal and so must be very closely monitored. Seizures and delirium can be the effect of withdrawing from some barbiturates.
Tranquilizer Addiction may Send Some People to the Internet, with Negative Results
Some people who become addicted to tranquilizers and have a hard time maintaining their supply may go to the internet to order drugs. Many of these organizations providing drugs to American internet customers are now overseas, due to intensive work to protect consumers in the US. Thus controls over the potency and quality of their drugs is absent. In fact, some of those people trying to get tranquilizers which they were addicted to have actually wound up receiving haloperidol, a powerful antipsychotic drug. Some of these people have needed treatment for agitation and sedation resulting from this stronger drug.
Addiction leaves a person open for dangerous effects, not only from the drug itself but also from the need to continuously have more of the drug on hand to satisfy the cravings. A person who relies on tranquilizers to get through life may have to find multiple doctors who will prescribe enough medication to deal with his (or her) increasing tolerance for the drug. If the person’s doctor does not cooperate with increasing prescriptions, the person may feel the need to resort to illegal actions such as prescription fraud, doctor-shopping or buying drugs online without a prescription. In this way, the effect of tranquilizer abuse and addiction can also be incarceration.
Rescuing a Person from the Effects of Tranquilizer Abuse and Addiction
Addiction to tranquilizers is damaging to a person’s health, mind and spirit. As soon as it is possible, a person addicted to benzodiazepines, sleeping aids or barbiturates should be gotten to a drug rehabilitation program, with a competent medical examination done first to determine if a medical detox is needed as a preliminary step.
The Narconon drug and alcohol rehabilitation program helps people every day who have been trapped in abuse and addiction of tranquilizers, pain relievers, prescription stimulants, alcohol or street drugs. In just eight to ten weeks, on average, it is possible to learn how to live a sober and productive life.
One of the essential parts of addiction recovery is the Narconon New Life Detoxification, a sauna-based program that enables each person to flush out the residues of past drug use that get left behind after drug abuse. These residues have been shown to be involved in foggy thinking, dim perceptions, poor mood, and cravings. When the toxins are gone, there’s a better chance of staying sober as attitude generally improves and cravings are reduced or even eliminated in many cases.
Contact Narconon for the whole story of how sobriety is achieved.
Resources:
®