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What is Xanax Addiction?
Xanax is the brand name of the drug alprazolam, which is often used to treat anxiety disorders and panic attacks. It belongs to one of the most highly abused drug classes, benzodiazepines, and works by slowing down overactivity in the central nervous system. Xanax is a particularly fast-acting benzodiazepine, taking effect in < 30 minutes, which is one major reason for its popularity.
When Xanax is taken in doses stronger than prescribed or by people who don’t have anxiety or a panic disorder, the drug causes sedation, relaxation, and euphoria, especially when the user resists the sedative effects. The desire to reach this relaxed and euphoric state often leads to misuse, even among users who were never prescribed Xanax in the first place.
Some people become addicted to Xanax after initially taking the medication as prescribed and start to increase the dosage on their own as they quickly build up a tolerance to the calming effects. Originally, these individuals aren’t seeking to get high and only want to overcome crippling social anxiety or panic attacks, but they don’t realize how quickly an addiction to benzodiazepines can develop.
What are the Risks of Xanax Addiction?
Approximately 54 million Americans have taken prescription medications for recreational purposes, which can easily lead to health complications. A study from SAMHSA noted that, in 2023, 192,044 cases of emergency department visits were reported to be associated with benzodiazepines. Of those visits, those between the ages of 26-64 were hit the hardest.
Benzodiazepine dependence not only cause dangerous side effects when abused, it also creates a serious addiction syndrome, one that makes individuals continue to abuse the drug even after it severely damages their health, their relationships, and their lives.
Some people combine Xanax with alcohol, opioids, or other drugs because the combination exponentially enhances the effects of each. The body has difficulty metabolizing different substances simultaneously, so more of each substance remains active in the system for an extended period. This combination often leads to a dangerous level of central nervous system depression and a hazardous build-up of Xanax in the system. The body can experience severe cardiovascular or respiratory complications, including coma and death.
Combining Xanax with other substances can also lead to hostility, anger, and impulsive behavior, as well as to severely impaired cognitive abilities so the user can’t think clearly, make logical choices, or govern their actions. Many people experience a total blackout on a combination of Xanax and alcohol or other drugs, retaining no memory of what they did while high.
What are the Symptoms of Xanax Addiction?
If someone is abusing Xanax, it’s likely that they’ll experience the following symptoms:
- Confusion
- Headaches
- Light-headedness
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Irritability
- Difficulty concentrating
- Dry mouth
- Joint pain
- Increased salivation
- Changes in sex drive or ability
- Nausea
- Weight changes or changes in appetite
- Constipation
- Difficulty urinating
What are the Signs of Xanax Addiction?
It’s usually noticeable when someone is abusing Xanax because the drug causes some physical and psychological effects. When users fight the sleepiness caused by benzodiazepines, this creates euphoria, and puts users in a dangerous, irrational state that may be observable as unexplained mood swings and foolish, confused speech and behavior. Other signs and symptoms of Xanax abuse include:
- Depersonalization
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Hypersensitivity
- Physical tremors
- Sleep disturbances
- Seizures
- Psychosis
These are all potential side effects of Xanax even when used as prescribed. But when the drug is abused, these adverse effects become much more common and severe. When a person takes a hefty unregulated dose of Xanax, they put themselves in grave danger. A Xanax overdose can create respiratory depression, which can often result in coma and death.
What to do if Someone You Love is Abusing Xanax?
Those who become addicted to Xanax can’t stop taking the drug on their own, even if they want to. This is because addiction takes away a person’s power to control their actions. Cravings for the drug begins to occur, and their tolerance increases so that stronger and more frequent doses must be taken for the individual to experience the same effects. The more Xanax ingested, the more serious the addiction becomes and the more they need professional addiction treatment.
Other signs of Xanax addiction aren’t associated with its normal use, such as:
- Hiding or lying about how much or how often you use Xanax
- Running out of prescription far earlier than you should
- Visiting multiple doctors, clinics, and pharmacies to keep up a supply
- Purchasing Xanax from illicit sources
- Neglecting responsibilities at home, work, or school
- A decline in personal hygiene or grooming
- Withdrawing from family and friends
- Apathy towards events, hobbies, and interests you once enjoyed
If someone you love is addicted to Xanax, encourage them to get help. Start by having a calm, serious discussion about specific behaviors and consequences of drug use. If a one-on-one conversation isn’t effective, plan a formal intervention. You can prepare and run an intervention on your own or work with a counselor or professional interventionist.
Many treatment facilities offer intervention services to potential patients. Investigate the treatment options available to your loved one, so that you can connect them to a rehab facility as soon as they’re ready to accept help.
Whenever you speak to your loved one about their addiction, try to use “I language” when you speak (I feel, I notice) more than “you language,” which can sound like you’re accusing and blaming. Be direct and honest, but not judgmental. You need them to stay open to what you’re trying to say, so make it clear that you’re coming from a place of love and concern, and not disapproval.
Xanax addiction also puts your loved one at risk of an overdose. If you observe them having a seizure, collapsing, struggling to breathe, or if they’re sleeping and can’t be woken up, immediately call emergency medical services.
Other signs of overdose include:
- Clumsy, uncoordinated movements
- Confusion
- Drowsiness and nodding off
- Loss of consciousness
Which Treatment options are available for Xanax Addiction?
Treatment for Xanax addiction often begins with a slow tapering of the drug or another benzodiazepine so the individual doesn’t experience severe withdrawal effects. Benzodiazepine withdrawal can create a syndrome similar to delirium tremens that causes hallucinations, agitation, confusion, and potentially fatal seizures. For safety reasons, make sure to have medical supervision throughout any Xanax withdrawal process so that these symptoms can be avoided or immediately treated.
After detox, or at least after the worst withdrawal symptoms have passed, patients usually start their behavioral therapy sessions to change the way they think about their substance abuse and to reduce chances for relapse. Behavioral therapy helps patients develop new coping mechanisms to respond in a healthy way to stress and drug triggers.
Any co-occurring mental disorders (especially those for which the Xanax itself may have been prescribed in the first place) must also be assessed and treated alongside the addiction. Furthermore, Xanax addiction and withdrawal can cause mental disorders, even in people who didn’t have them previously. Anxiety is an especially common condition among people recovering from Xanax addiction. It takes time for the central nervous system to regain its equilibrium following physical dependency on drugs.
Xanax is a beneficial medication for those who take it as prescribed. But once a prescription is abused, seriously dangerous consequences result. If you or someone you love has been misusing Xanax, it’s essential to seek help right away.