The Need for a Xanax Addiction Treatment Program
The first step in treating an alprazolam addiction is admitting it exists in the first place.
And one of the quickest ways to do that is by taking an addiction quiz. These short tests will give you an indication of if your Xanax problem has progressed into an actual use disorder.
You can also use the criteria offered by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, also known as the DSM-V. This comprehensive self-assessment (provided by the National Institute on Drug Abuse) includes 11 different scenarios that may point to an alprazolam use disorder.
Short-Term Effects of Xanax
Xanax has an especially long list of short-term side effects, both physical and psychologicalin nature. A Xanax addiction treatment program will help you work through these short term effects.
And as with many other prescription medicines, the severity of these side effects is dependent on the degree to which alprazolam is abused. The longer its used or the higher the dosage, the worse these effects may become.
Here are some of the most common side effects according to the government-run health database MedlinePlus:
It is possible that more serious side effects may occur as well. If you experience any of these, call your doctor immediately. These side effects include:
Long-Term Effects of Alprazolam
Taking Xanax for an extended period of time can also come with a host of long-term side effects as well. On the physical side, these may include sustained and prolonged versions of the short-term effects listed above including fatigue, dizziness, and headache.
However, some of the most notable long-term side effects are the psychological ones. According to the Ashton Manual, one of the most trusted and comprehensive reports on benzodiazepines, long-term use of alprazolam and other benzodiazepines may cause significant and permanent damage to the brain.
The result of this damage may manifest in a variety of ways including:
Another widely reported long-term effect of Xanax is the development of what’s been called “emotional blunting.” This state is characterized by an inability to feel neither emotional pleasure nor pain, which can (and does) severely impact social relationships, family life, and overall quality of life.
What’s more, another long-term effect of alprazolam use is an increased probability of becoming physically dependent and ultimately entirely addicted to this powerful benzodiazepine.
Given the severity of these side effects, many physicians tend to use Xanax and other benzodiazepines only for short-term management of the symptoms of anxiety.