Xanax: The Latest and Most Dangerous Drug Craze

Addiction to any type of drug and/or alcohol is one of the reasons why people have had many serious illnesses. In general, some drugs are meant to treat illnesses of some kind, misuse could put an individual in a more complicated situation. It is best to know more about drugs before use to minimize the risk that it will be abused. Today, we’re going to talk about a drug that has recently become widely abused and sought after by people looking for a “fix”. This drug is Xanax.

What is Xanax?

Xanax is a potent benzodiazepine that is often used for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorders and insomnia. It is highly addictive to long-term applications. It is the top psychiatric medicine prescribed in the United States.

It takes less than an hour to feel the effect of Xanax in the body. Xanax includes an alprazolam compound. The symptoms come on rapidly and disappear quickly. Many individuals take the drug on a regular basis for its calming effects.

Unlike some drugs, such as ecstasy, which create a high or euphoric sensation, people who use Xanax experience more calm, quiet, and exhausted feelings. Such emotions can contribute to falling asleep or passing out for a few hours.

Effects of Xanax on the Body

Xanax is an FDA approved drug that is used to treat specific forms of anxiety such as GAD. It can treat symptoms such as high levels of anxiety, restlessness, and stiffness of muscles. Xanax is a depressant of the central nervous system categorized in the benzodiazepine class, a group of drugs that slow down the central nervous system.

This function by enhancing the influence of a brain chemical called GABA that promotes calmness and relaxation. The drug reduces the excitement level in the brain to relieve anxiety and panic. The misuse of the medication is deemed more than the prescribed dose or the use of Xanax without a prescription. Nevertheless, Xanax may continue to be addicted to those following the prescription

Xanax Abuse

There are several ways people have abused Xanax. This involves taking several pills, injecting, snorting, using blotter paper to administer the drug, and using Xanax with a variety of other products.

Xanax is usually abused because it causes calmness and a relaxing feeling for the user. It is used to be taken in high doses and combined with other medicines or alcohol to reach the desired level by some individuals.

What Happens If You Use Xanax With Other Drugs?

You should avoid mixing Xanax with other drugs, particularly oral contraceptives, antifungal drugs, antidepressants, antibiotics, and opioids as it may lead to a toxic buildup and eventually overdose.

Also, avoid combining Xanax with medicines – including over-the-counter – to make you sleepy, slow breathing, and fatigued. The combination of these drugs with their combined effects may be dangerous and cause health problems or death.

Addiction to Xanax

Xanax tolerance increases quickly and allows the patient to ingest more medicines to achieve the desired results. Those who are addicted  can take up to 20 or 30 pills per day. A warning that a physical dependence has formed is the start of withdrawal symptoms. Tolerance growth and withdrawal are symptoms of dependence.

When Xanax dependency is taken over, daily activities, including classes, jobs, or the family, are neglected as attention is diverted into an activity that seeks drugs. There are other behavioral symptoms of addiction such as

• Continued use of Xanax despite leading to personal problems
• Unable to stop abusing Xanax despite the desire to do so
• Loss of interest in your daily activities
• The eagerness to acquire the pill
• The inability to control oneself in taking a higher dosage of Xanax
• Legal problems such as driving while in the influence of Xanax

Risk Factors of Addiction to Xanax

Xanax can be used to slow the normal function of the brain, which could lead to slurred speech, shallow breathing, exhaustion, disorientation, and lack of coordination. Some may become violent at some point, and irritable experiences paranoia and impaired memory, and having the urge of taking their own life. Prescribed tranquilizers may also slow breathing or both heart and breathe and can potentially lead to death by using other substances — in particular alcohol.

Continuous use can lead to physical dependence and symptoms of withdrawal can arise when the use is diminished or stopped abruptly. Since all remedial calms function by slowing down the activity of the brain, when a person stops taking these, a rebounding effect can occur, which can lead to convulsions and other harmful effects.

Tolerance to the effects of the drug can also occur, which means that larger doses are necessary to achieve similar effects. This may result in users getting higher doses and risk an overdose.

How Would it Affect a Person Who is Coming Off Xanax?

If Xanax is consumed rapidly by the body, its effects are faster than other benzodiazepines. Xanax has a short half-life too, so its influence quickly goes away. Such features boost their capacity for addictions.

The body becomes accustomed to the substance after taking Xanax for a long time, allowing people to experience withdrawal symptoms when they stop. Slowly decreasing Xanax reduces the severity of these symptoms over time. Xanax can include withdrawal symptoms:

• Feeling of dissatisfaction
• Insomnia
• Abdominal and Muscle Cramps
• Vomiting
• Sweating
• Tremors and Convulsion

Several scientists have documented other symptoms of withdrawal that seem to be more prevalent with alprazolam than other benzodiazepines, including delirium, hallucinations and anxiety rebound.

Often doctors prescribe another benzodiazepine in its stead to relieve withdrawal symptoms when Xanax is stopped. You may prescribe a long-lasting form like diazepam. This is not always a successful strategy. When you take Xanax for a long time and you want to get out of it, talk to a healthcare provider to find a healthy way to stop the medication.

Treatment for Xanax Addiction

The removal of alprazolam and other benzodiazepines in some instances may constitute a medical emergency. Those who take or use the substance at a high dose should never suddenly stop using the drug without having been consulted by a medical professional beforehand; this can lead to seizures, coma or death. Before starting a drug abuse treatment process, it is highly recommended to consult a toxicity treatment or medical professional.

For the above-mentioned withdrawal hazards, a period of supervised detox services to stop Xanax will be needed to ensure that the patient passes this difficult process safely. The status shall be monitored during this period to prevent negative consequences. Due to the seriousness and duration of the symptoms of Xanax withdrawal, this drug should be detoxified by trained medical professionals at a reputable treatment center.

After the detoxification process, monitoring is essential to stay sobriety, to adapt to life without the drug and to improve overall well-being. Addiction is a chronic problem and it is often important that progress made during the initial treatment process is consistently maintained in the long-term.