The unfortunate reality is that almost all of us have some touchpoint with addiction these days. Be it direct personal experience or that of a friend, family member or a more distant acquaintance, we all know someone or know of someone that’s been pulled in by it.

Across every walk of life, addiction can rear its ugly head and in that sense, substance abuse doesn’t discriminate.

As recently as 2017, 11.2% of people aged 12 and up had used an illicit drug in the past month.

Over 760,000 have died from a drug overdose since 1999 and 2 out of 3 deaths from overdose in 2018 alone involved an opioid.

While opioids are of course the clear and present danger, addiction isn’t limited to them. From benzos to meth to cocaine, many illicit and legal substances pose a risk across the board.

It’s not just the health crisis that we have to be aware of with respect to drugs, though that should always be the number 1 concern, there’s also a profound economic impact. Between illicit drugs and prescription opioids, it was estimated that the annual cost related to crime, lost work productivity and health was roughly $271.5 billion. When you add alcohol, that number balloons to $520.5 billion.

The silver lining to this dark, dark cloud is that today, more than ever, there are robust treatment options available for those suffering from addiction. 

What Is an Addiction to Drugs?

Before getting into the signs and symptoms of addiction, we need to understand what exactly it is.

For that, we can go to the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), who defines it as such, “Addiction is a treatable, chronic medical disease involving complex interactions among brain circuits, genetics, the environment, and an individual’s life experiences. People with addiction use substances or engage in behaviors that become compulsive and often continue despite harmful consequences.”

What Are the Signs That Someone Is Abusing Drugs?

The signs of someone addicted to drugs are plentiful and keeping an eye out for them can help stave off the worst parts of addiction and save a life. Substance abuse presents itself in the 3 key ways; physically, psychologically and behaviorally, here’s what to look for:

Behavioral Signs of Addiction

• Becoming overly secretive about what they’re doing and their whereabouts
• Increasingly disregarding responsibilities like school, work and family obligations
• Inadequate and weak performance at school or work
• No interest in activities and hobbies they once enjoyed
• Suddenly get a new set of dubious and even suspicious friends 
• Participating in high-risk behavior while under the influence
• Inability to stop or cut back on drugs, even when trying
• Borrowing or stealing to get drugs
• General financial stress

Psychological Signs of Addiction

• Mood swings
• Anxiety and paranoia
• Irritability and outbursts
• Shifts in attitude and personality
• Unmotivated and lethargic

Physical Signs of Addiction

• Abrupt weight loss and general lack of appetite or, conversely, weight gain
• Bloodshot eyes
• Interrupted or drastically changed sleep patterns and insomnia
• Impaired speech and coordination
• A general worsening of appearance and a lack of attention and neglect for personal grooming and hygiene

How to Get Someone Help With an Addiction

If you see any of the above signs that someone is abusing drugs it’s imperative to act swiftly. That doesn’t necessarily mean confronting them immediately though as it’s a very delicate and fragile thing. The last thing you want them to feel is that you’re attacking them which could end up pushing them further away.

At Addiction Treatment Solutions we understand how precarious that place can be both for the user as well as the family and friends and have spent years developing a network of leading treatment facility partners. Give us a call and let’s talk through the next step together because nothing is more important than getting your loved one onto the path of recovery.

 

As far as prescription drugs go, benzodiazepines (benzos for short) are among the most prescribed in the United States with roughly 12.5% of adults using them, a number which translates to about 30.5 million people. In other words, 1 in 8 Americans is on these, which is an increase from previous reports.

Before getting into the potential dangers of benzos and their misuse, Addiction Treatment Solutions wants to dive into a little primer of what they are.

 

What Are Benzodiazepines

First things first, benzodiazepines are, broadly speaking, central nervous system depressants. The main categories that it breaks down into are; tranquilizers, sedatives and hypnotics and the general effect they have is to slow down nerve activity throughout the brain. Given that, benzos have a sedative effect on the mind and body.

While you may not be familiar with the medical term benzodiazepine, you’ll certainly recognize some of the most well-known names that are prescribed; Ambien, Versed, Xanax, Ativan and Valium.

 

Why Are They Prescribed

Those aforementioned effects are harnessed to tackle a wide range of issues for those who are prescribed something from this family of drugs. Benzodiazepines are often used to treat anxiety disorders, insomnia & sleep disorders as well as alcohol withdrawal. Additionally, they help with controlling seizures and muscle spasms and relaxation.

 

 

Risks of Benzodiazepines

For starters, benzos are highly addictive, that can’t be stressed enough. While they do serve a very real and necessary function, it’s extremely easy to become dependent on them. It’s advised to take these for the absolute shortest amount of time required. 

To that end, of the overall usage, it’s estimated that 17% of the use of benzodiazepines was misuse.

Benzos become even more problematic when mixed with alcohol, a particularly dangerous combination as the effects of both are enhanced and seeing as how benzodiazepine and alcohol each work to depress the central nervous system, the results can be catastrophic.

Some warning signs to keep an eye out for if you’re concerned that you or someone you know may be getting into usage that would be problematic or abusive are;

• Drowsiness
• Confusion
• Unsteady walking
• Slurred speech
• Poor concentration
• Dizziness
• Problems with memory
• Slowed breathing
  

 

How To Get Help With A Benzo Addiction

There’s a natural tendency to view prescription drugs as somehow inherently “safer” but as evidenced by the widespread opioid epidemic we’ve been facing over the years, just because something is prescribed doesn’t mean it’s not addictive. It certainly doesn’t mean something can’t be abused. The dangers of benzodiazepines are its use can drift into abuse very quickly with this class of drug.

Just like any addiction, it’s vital to seek outside help. Trying to kick a substance that sank its hooks in so deep and so quickly is beyond tough to do on your own.

The first step in any treatment program is to detox the patient and get them fully off from benzos. This will likely lead to a host of withdrawal symptoms, like;

Physical

• Stiffness
• Weakness
• Stomach problems
• Flu-like symptoms
• Visual problems

Mental

• Anxiety
• Insomnia
• Nightmares
• Depersonalization
• Problems with memory and concentration
• Depression
• Hallucinations
• Delusions

After flushing your system, the rest of your recovery and rehabilitation from benzos can begin in earnest. Ordinarily, this would be in the form of inpatient treatment and eventually transitioning back to your life, clean and sober.

 

Dangers of Benzodiazepines 

Of course, this is a rather oversimplified view of the scope of what goes into treating an addiction to a drug like this. At Addiction Treatment Solutions, we offer a wealth of knowledge and expert guidance in getting you or the person in your life you know to be struggling with benzos the help you need and deserve. Reach out to us today to learn more about what options are out there.