For their original and medical purpose, benzodiazepines (shortened to benzos) were developed to treat conditions such as anxiety and insomnia. This is mainly due to the sedative effect that they have.
With anxiety, benzos can have a ‘calming’ effect, and they can also help to make individuals feel more tired, aiding with insomnia, as well.
However, benzos are increasingly being used in a recreational setting – without prescription and not for medical or mental health conditions.
This can be very dangerous; individuals who consume benzos without prescription run the risk of consuming too much and suffering an overdose or, as the primary focus of this article, may develop an addiction and require lengthy treatment to overcome.
This article will cover more about benzos as a substance, as well as where the individual struggling may be able to seek suitable rehabilitation (including detoxification) in Sheffield, and the process of this.
As a substance, benzodiazepines are unique in the way that they impact the individual’s central nervous system (CNS).
By affecting the CNS, benzos can have a range of effects such as those mentioned in the introduction (calming anxiety, increasing tiredness), but they can also have a sedative effect which reduces brain activity.
As an addictive substance, however, benzos are considered to be physically addictive. This means that they become ingrained within an individual’s everyday functioning, often affecting their ability to carry out everyday and mundane tasks, in some cases.
When a substance is physically addictive, it is also much harder to withdraw from as the individual has become dependent on it – both physically and mentally.
These withdrawal processes can often become very complex and always require professional medical approval and supervision when undergoing a benzo detox in Sheffield.
One piece of research, conducted on patients using benzos for more than a month, found that 47% of them developed a dependence on the substance. This was more prevalent with women who were single, had little educational background, and were unemployed or considered housewives (1).
Every individual will react differently to benzos, and this includes the point at which many people seek help in Sheffield.
In general, if you are aware of a benzo addiction in yourself or in others then help should be sought as soon as possible – though this is not always how the situation plays out.
Some common signs and symptoms that someone is struggling are outlined below:
Please be aware that not all of these signs and symptoms apply to every case; some individuals may display some of these, but they may also display different symptoms entirely based on their personal differences and/or history with the substance.
In general, the process that Rehab 4 Addiction suggests for overcoming an addiction is the same (or similar) in the cases of many different substances.
The three key stages are: detoxification, rehabilitation, and aftercare.
Detoxification is the primary focus of this article and is the process in which an individual withdraws from the substance(s) that they are addicted to and prepares their body physically for the following rehabilitative treatments.
Rehabilitation (also referred to as therapy or treatment) is generally the longest stage of care and includes the different therapies and other treatment programmes that the individual may engage in as a part of their recovery process. This stage treats mental health at its core.
Aftercare is the third stage and continues what the individual has learned in the previous stages, allowing the individual to regain their independence (still supported, if required), as well as learning to live with their addiction in the long term.
When an individual admits to having a benzo addiction in Sheffield, the first step is to find suitable detoxification.
This is often considered to be one of the most important stages of rehabilitation as it is the stage of the process that allows time and space for the individual to withdraw from the substance that they are addicted to and prepare the body physically for the remainder of their recovery process.
Without detoxification as the first stage, individuals would enter therapy and other treatments while still physically craving benzos and therefore reducing the effectiveness and efficiency of these care programmes significantly.
By withdrawing from benzodiazepines before beginning these further treatments, individuals will put themselves in the best possible situation for making effective recovery progress.
As mentioned across this article, benzos are physically addictive, meaning that the withdrawal process in Sheffield can often be far more complex than other addictive substances such as cannabis and cocaine, for example.
Withdrawal symptoms, for example, can cause serious discomfort in many cases and – without proper supervision and monitoring – some longer-term cases can lead to life-threatening health issues during this stage.
Common benzo withdrawal symptoms include:
This is why it is always essential that individuals seek full approval and support from medical professionals before beginning a benzo detox and it is never recommended to undergo a detox of any sort alone or without prior medical approval.
Most studies have found that a slow and tapering approach to a benzo detox is necessary – with the inclusion of long-acting substances such as diazepam to relieve the physical symptoms (2).
In terms of general recommendations for rehabilitation and detoxification in the field of addiction, Rehab 4 Addiction (as well as most medical professionals) will suggest residential care as the most effective way to overcome and addiction and learn to live with the long-term consequences.
This is because residential rehabilitation and detoxification (inpatient care) is a full-time care programme and often supplies the individual with all the different components that they need for a full and effective recovery process.
With inpatient care, most dedicated rehab centres and detox clinics in Sheffield will have modern facilities, expert staff, and 24/7 care available for their patients – all of which greatly boost the individuals experience and recovery process.
However, for individuals who may not be able to attend residential care, there are other options available. In general, detoxification should always be carried out within a specialised detox clinic, but the further treatments and care can be carried out on an outpatient basis.
These outpatient care services are often part-time and not as regular, however, often accumulating in lower effectivity and longer time required in care to complete an effective detoxification session in Sheffield.
Sheffield is a unique area within the UK, with many specialised addiction support services and organisations.
As well as being able to access Rehab 4 Addiction’s online and over-the-phone support anywhere, anytime, there are also countless other non-profit organisations that help support individuals struggling with addiction – no matter the substance or the severity.
Individuals can access these services by searching online, or by speaking to their local health services for referrals and/or further information.
For emergency care and support, individuals can also access the National Health Services (NHS) through key hospitals in the area such as Sheffield Teaching Hospital and the Northern General Hospital.
Please be aware that these hospitals should only be accessed for emergency addiction care (accident and emergency (A&E) services) and those seeking detoxification or rehabilitation should instead contact the sources mentioned previous.
Rehab 4 Addiction is a dedicated addiction referral service, helping individuals to find the most suitable rehabilitation options for them and their unique needs.
By taking into account individuals’ unique situations and struggles with addiction in Sheffield, our professional team can recommend the best next steps in each individual case.
To learn how we can help you or someone you know, call our addiction support hotline on 0800 140 4690 today.
[1] de las Cuevas, C., Sanz, E. and de la Fuente, J., 2003. Benzodiazepines: more” behavioural” addiction than dependence. Psychopharmacology, 167(3), pp.297-303.
[2] Kubová, K., Franc, A., Vysloužil, J., Šaloun, J. and Vetchý, D., 2019. New approach for detoxification of patients dependent on benzodiazepines and Z-drugs for reduction of psychogenic complications. Ceska a Slovenska farmacie: casopis Ceske farmaceuticke spolecnosti a Slovenske farmaceuticke spolecnosti, 68(4), pp.139-147.
