By 
Anxiety is a twenty-four-hour a day diagnosis. Anxiety doesn’t disappear when the sun comes out the next day and it doesn’t temper when it’s time to sleep at night. Feelings of fear, depression, panic and an inability to function in social settings impact nearly forty-million Americans annually. Teens are no exception to this crisis with an estimated one in ten teenagers ages thirteen to eighteen suffering from some form of anxiety.
Effective Treatment for Anxiety
The good news is that teen anxiety can be effectively treated. In combination with therapy, benzos or benzodiazepine are a class of drugs that promote calming effects, support sleep, and reduce stress. They are intended for short-term use and are the most commonly prescribed medication for treating teens with anxiety. Familiar benzo drugs include Xanax, Ativan, Klonopin, and Valium. When prescribed by a physician and taken for a limited amount of time, many patients find success.
Developing Tolerance
While benzodiazepine can be highly effective when taken as directed, benzos are addictive and readily abused when taken in excessive doses and over long periods of time. Benzo abusers can quickly find themselves experiencing an overwhelming pleasure surge, which for some becomes increasingly seductive and impossible to resist. Research shows that benzos readily lead to the development of drug tolerance which develops when the brain becomes accustomed to the effects of a drug so much so that it requires higher and higher doses to experience the original high. Tolerance is a strong indicator of physical dependency and especially dangerous to the developing brain of a teenager. In fact, researchers found that benzos actually accumulate in the body over time altering the function of specific brain receptors. Benzo addiction has been described as just as overwhelming as an opioid addiction with experts estimating” at least 44% of users eventually become dependent on benzos.”
Despite the fact that there are no systematically collected data to support a specific discontinuation regimen, it is recommended to reduce the daily dose of the drug by no more than 0.5 mg every 3 days. Some patients may need to reduce the dosage even more slowly. Read more about this at https://www.therapyheals.ca/xanax-1mg/.
Common behaviors exhibited by teens struggling with benzo dependence may include:
- poor attendance at school or work
- declining academic performance
- withdrawing from friends and family
- memory problems
- impaired judgment
- reckless behavior
- Insomnia, increased anxiety, and headaches
Finding Hope
Today’s teenagers are under a palpable amount of stress and as a result, some are dangerously choosing to self-medicate the pressures of life away. While the trauma and devastation of addiction can seem overwhelming, hope and recovery are very real possibilities for impacted teenagers. Through a combination of medically supervised detoxification and inpatient residential therapy protocols, teens and families can navigate their way to success, overcoming benzo addiction in a sober and safe living environment. We are here to renew your hope, build your strength and begin your teens journey to recovery today.
Comments