Benzodiazepines Addiction and Abuse Treatment in California

Elevate Addiction Services continuously provides exceptional benzodiazepine addiction treatment out of two large, well-equipped facilities in Northern California.

Whether taken illegally or as part of a prescription, benzodiazepine abuse is growing in the United States, leading to more overdoses and more admissions to addiction treatment programs.

What Are Benzodiazepines?

Benzodiazepines, also known as benzos, are only legally available via prescription, and they are used to suppress neural activity in the brain and spinal cord.

Medical experts believe that excessive activity of nerves may be the cause of psychological disorders such as anxiety. In short, benzos are used as tranquilizers, muscle relaxants, sleep aids, and more.

Physicians and other medical professionals typically prescribe or administer benzodiazepines to treat:

• Anxiety
• Panic attacks
• Nausea and vomiting
• Seizures and convulsions
• Insomnia
• Alcohol withdrawal symptoms

Benzodiazepines are also commonly used as general anesthesia prior to surgeries and other operations. Certain benzos are also prescribed to treat depression, although doctors usually refer patients to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in those situations.

Most Common Benzodiazepines

If you’re having trouble thinking of which medication falls in the benzodiazepine category, here are some of the more prominent names you might recognize:

• Xanax (alprazolam)
• Klonopin (clonazepam)
• Valium (diazepam)
• Ativan (lorazepam)
• Librium (chlordiazepoxide)
• Tranxene (clorazepate)

Benzodiazepine Abuse Statistics and Facts

If you know someone with a benzo addiction, keep in mind that they are not alone.

The following statistics give you an idea of how common benzo abuse is in the United States:

• Deaths from benzo addiction have grown exponentially since 2001 in the U.S. In that year, there were fewer than 2,000 such deaths.
• In 2014, there were more than 8,000, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
• More than 15,000 admissions to treatment centers in the U.S. with tranquilizers cited as the primary substance of abuse, according to SAMHSA. The record high for this class of drugs was 19,217 admissions in 2011.
• Eighty percent of those admitted to a benzodiazepine detox treatment center in 2014 primarily for tranquilizer abuse were white, fairly evenly split between men and women. Most were between the ages of 20 and 39 years old.
• More than half of all substance abuse treatment program admissions for tranquilizer abuse in 2014 were for Xanax. Klonopin and Valium came in second and third in this category, respectively.
• In 2011, the misuse or abuse of anti-anxiety and insomnia medications (namely benzodiazepines) accounted for more than half of a million visits to emergency departments in the U.S. – even more than narcotic pain relievers, according to SAMHSA.

California Benzodiazepine Abuse Statistics

And here’s a quick look at the prevalence of benzodiazepine abuse in California:

• According to a 2015 SAMHSA survey, nearly 5.3 million people in the Pacific region of the U.S. used tranquilizers over the previous year, while nearly 800,000 people reported misusing these substances.
• In 2015, 380 people were admitted to a benzo detox center in California with tranquilizers noted as their primary substance of abuse. Just over 53 percent of those admissions were male, and they tended to be white and between the ages of 18 and 35 years old.
• In the San Francisco area alone, benzodiazepine-related emergency department visits climbed from roughly 850 in 2004 to more than 1,200 in 2011, according to SAMHSA. The largest number of such visits during that time frame was 1,440 in 2005.

Treatment of Benzodiazepine at Elevate Addiction Services

To treat benzodiazepine addiction in California, Elevate Addiction Services offers a three-step approach to recovery:

• We start with detoxification – This helps usher the client comfortably through the grueling first days of benzo withdrawal and even through any aftershocks in the week or two after.
• We then focus on physical healing. Substance abuse leaves most users malnourished and either overweight or underweight. We therefore offer CrossFit® and several other outlets for exercise to help improve the client’s physical health. Being in shape, we find, helps with mental clarity and making smarter decisions.
• Our last step of benzo addiction treatment is concentrated on emotional healing and mental health treatment. Although we offer counseling during even the benzodiazepine detox stage, we ramp up these services and use more specialized, cutting-edge methods during this final phase of treatment. This is a time to fully address any mental health conditions that played a role in the client’s substance abuse.

In total, the inpatient benzodiazepine addiction treatment program at Elevate last roughly 90 days, depending on the client’s progress. More time may be allotted if we feel it would best serve the client.

After graduating the Elevate inpatient program, clients are treated to a plethora of aftercare services, including support group referrals and a dedicated staff member to check up on their progress weekly.

It’s our mission to make sure our treatment “sticks” and that each former client’s recovery continues uninterrupted.

Two Northern California Facility Options

Elevate Addiction Services boasts not one, but two large facilities in the Northern California region. Our primary facility is located right off the Santa Cruz Mountains in Santa Cruz County, overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

The second facility is in beautiful South Lake Tahoe across the state. This campus is just a moderate walk away from the lake that gives the town its name.

Both campuses are spread out and expansive, making it easier for us to achieve our mission of helping clients heal physically.

They each are equipped with amenities such as exercise gyms, yoga rooms, outdoor basketball and volleyball courts, access to hiking trails and more.

Not sure if the Santa Cruz County or the South Lake Tahoe substance abuse treatment program is more suitable for you (or a loved one)? Just get in touch with Elevate’s admissions counselors, who will listen to and assess your situation and then decide the best course of benzo detox treatment.

If benzodiazepine addiction is afflicting you, a family member, or a close friend, just give us a call or fill out the quick form below to get in touch with our admissions counselors shortly.