Clonazepam is a tranquillising benzodiazepine available only by prescription. It’s a drug used to prevent and treat a range of conditions, including panic disorder, akathisia, and epileptic seizures. Its sedative effects include drowsiness and a loss of coordination.
Klonopin is the most common brand name for clonazepam. It is the third most widely prescribed benzodiazepine in the UK, after alprazolam (Xanax) and lorazepam (Ativan). While many drugs have comparable properties, they differ in terms of how quickly they interact and how long they last.
Clonazepam is used to treat spasticity and other seizure disorders in addition to its mental health applications. It’s used in some detox facilities to treat acute alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Before surgery, it is sometimes used as an induction agent before providing anaesthetic.
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Bromazepam is a Class C drug in the United Kingdom (available only on prescription).
Clonazepam is usually given as a tablet for oral consumption. However, it can also be given intramuscularly, intravenously, or sublingually (a patch under the tongue).
Clonazepam is manufactured for global distribution. As a result, it has a variety of brand names:
Clonazepam is a sedative that is used to treat drug and alcohol addiction. The mind and body are both relaxed due to this sedative response, which relieves anxiety and panic. Sedation lowers the risk of serious seizures as well.
Clonazepam boosts the impact of GABA receptors without changing GABA levels in the brain, according to the mechanism of action. In essence, the medication inhibits cell firing by modulating GABA activity. This is what gives the medication its sedative properties.
Consuming Clonazepam over an extended length of time might lead to dependency. The brain and central nervous system of the person in question acclimatise to the presence of clonazepam and quickly become reliant on it to operate correctly. When clonazepam is not present – such as after a rapid termination of use – aberrant function might occur, resulting in a withdrawal syndrome, which can indicate a drug addiction.
It is called an addiction when you develop a physical dependence on clonazepam. This indicates that the brain has become so adapted to the substance’s effects that it cannot operate without it.
Clonazepam abuse regularly for a long time, as with other forms of drug abuse, can lead to addiction. When this happens, abruptly stopping the medicine might result in severe reactions such as tremors and seizures. Such severe withdrawal symptoms are a sign of addiction.
As previously stated, dependency is a physiological phenomenon in which a person’s body adjusts to the presence of a substance and requires it to function normally. On the other hand, addiction is a psychological rather than a physical phenomenon in which the affected person is forced to engage in a specific behaviour (in this case, the ingestion of clonazepam) despite being aware of the negative consequences of doing so.
Clonazepam dependence can be linked to the development of tolerance over a long time of use in unknowing addicts. Doctors frequently advise patients to taper their medicine after a while to avoid becoming dependent on it. Those who fail to do so, on the other hand, will eventually become addicted to the substance.
People who take clonazepam for non-medical reasons become addicted after a long time of abuse. They are more likely to become addicted if snorting the powdered form or injecting the liquid.
Several risk factors cause this addiction-forming behaviour:
Genetics – People with a history of substance misuse in their ancestors are more prone to developing addictive tendencies than those without. Scientists are looking into the potential of a gene for addiction.
Biological considerations – Pleasure-seeking behaviour can be triggered by birth abnormalities or brain traumas that impair the pleasure pathway. Users are more likely to abuse substances as a result of this.
Environmental variables – People with easy access to clonazepam are more likely to abuse it. Teenagers who have access to their parents’ medications, or in neighbourhoods where the drug can be purchased without a prescription, for example, will have a high abuse rate.
Factors of society – Peer pressure, employment position, and other similar exposures can all impact drug usage. If you go to drug-fueled parties regularly or have acquaintances who abuse clonazepam, your chances of indulging are higher than if you don’t.
Clonazepam, as effective as it is for alleviating withdrawal symptoms, is also a highly addictive substance. As a result, specialists recommend not taking it for more than nine weeks. The problem with this medicine is that it inhibits the brain’s ability to create specific chemicals that aid in relaxation and calmness. Dependence develops when the brain can no longer produce enough of those chemicals without the help of the drug.
Substance misuse is loaded with stigma, and those who abuse clonazepam will frequently go to considerable lengths to conceal their addiction, making it difficult to detect.
However, some symptoms of clonazepam addiction include:
Certain changes in a person’s behaviour and physical appearance can indicate that they are abusing a prescription drug. For example, due to vomiting and diarrhoea, they may appear dehydrated much of the time.
Physical signs and symptoms include:
Is someone you care about taking clonazepam above the recommended dosage? Are they more concerned with getting the medicine than with getting the treatment? If that’s the case, there’s a good likelihood they’re misusing it.
If you know someone is abusing clonazepam or another prescription drug, they will frequently lament how ineffective the usual dose has become. Many people who abuse prescription drugs go to various doctors to get multiple doses of the substance.
The following are psychological indicators:
While clonazepam addiction is primarily a physically addictive substance, individuals who abuse it regularly will experience psychological withdrawal symptoms.
Although withdrawal from benzodiazepines is one of the most unpleasant and deadly forms of withdrawal, it is an unavoidable part of the rehabilitation process for anyone who has acquired a clonazepam addiction. It can, however, be made easier with the help of medication and the expertise of medical specialists.
Every case of clonazepam withdrawal is unique. However, on average, the withdrawal will last between two and four weeks, with acute withdrawal beginning three or four days following the last dose and typically lasting around a week. Prolonged (or post-acute) withdrawal syndrome can occur in some circumstances, with symptoms lasting months or even years.
The following are some of the most prevalent benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms:
Clonazepam’s beneficial effects might be felt within one hour after taking the medicine orally. The effects of the medicine might last anywhere from six to 24 hours, depending on the severity of the symptoms it is addressing.
The following are some of the enjoyable effects:
However, there are certain disadvantages, such as:
Ironically, clonazepam-dependent users who abruptly stopped taking the drug experienced a resurgence of the condition the drug intended to cure, including seizures and agitation.
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Most benzodiazepine drugs are only intended to be used for three to five months. However, some individuals use them for more extended periods. When this happens, people typically develop a tolerance for the drug or become dependent on it.
The following are some long-term effects:
Long-term clonazepam users are at a higher risk of developing a mental health issue (dual-diagnosis). For a more powerful impact, many substance abusers combine benzos with alcohol.
Clonazepam, like many other benzodiazepines, is used to treat a variety of mental health concerns and is hence more likely to appear in dual diagnosis cases (where substance abuse disorders co-occur with other mental disorders). In such circumstances, treating the addiction is inevitably more complex, and expert care is usually required.
Because of its easy availability and low cost, benzodiazepine usage and addiction are particularly common among young people. If you suspect a young person close to you is misusing clonazepam, seek help from an addiction specialist.
As addiction becomes more prevalent in the United Kingdom, additional treatment facilities have opened across the country to address the problem. Treatment typically consists of two phases: detoxification/withdrawal (during which the patient’s system is cleansed of the substance) and counselling (in various formats and models).
Detoxification can be approached in various ways, and each treatment facility may have its own protocol. Nevertheless, each instance of addiction is unique, and the therapy required for one person may differ dramatically from that of another. Some individuals may be required to taper down their clonazepam usage before beginning detox, and others may be given medicine to help with withdrawal. If you’re thinking about going through clonazepam detox, make sure you’re as informed as possible about the procedure ahead of time, in collaboration with the doctor or specialists who will be assisting you.
An addiction specialist will assess your level of dependency and recommend a suitable clinic/rehab facility for detoxification. By forcing you to go through withdrawal, detoxing removes all traces of clonazepam from your system.
While withdrawal might be painful, a skilled doctor will be on call to provide you with medication to help you cope. Rehabilitation therapy follows a successful detox. An addiction psychiatrist can assist you in identifying the source of your addiction and teach you how to fight cravings by using various abstinence tactics. Rehab might range anywhere from 30 days to a year, depending on how quickly you heal. You will learn how to form support groups and stay sober after rehab during this period.
Only therapy can uncover and address the core psychological roots of addiction: detoxification can relieve the acute pressures of dependency, but the underlying impulses to consume clonazepam (or any other substance of abuse) are likely to remain unaffected without therapy. Addiction therapy is available in a wide range of methodologies and styles, and it can be delivered one-on-one or in a group environment.
CBT is a goal-oriented talking therapy and a short-term therapy that aims to bring treatment to a close rather than leave it open-ended. Some types of continuing mental health counselling, for example, are developed with no end date or measurable goal in mind. Counselling lasts as long as both the therapist and the patient agree it is necessary. CBT is distinct. It is based on a set of goals that the counsellor and the patient work through from session to session. The therapy is finished once all of the goals have been met. In most circumstances, 12 to 15 sessions are sufficient to achieve all of the targeted outcomes.
The 12-step programme is a type of therapy in which patients are given a set of 12 explicit stages to follow to recover from addiction. These phases are designed to generate a complete transition, from the initial stages of acceptance through the restoration of your relationship with others.
Your family is an integral part of your support system. They are the ones who have known you the longest, so they are the ones who are most likely to comprehend the origins of your drug misuse. A therapist can conduct family sessions to help you settle any residual family difficulties and have a fresh start in recovery. It is not only medicinal, but it also strengthens resistance to cravings.
The key to a successful recovery is avoiding relapse (though it is important to note that if you do relapse, it is not the end of the world and does not automatically mean that you will inevitably fall back into addiction). Therapy, such as those provided in rehab, can help you develop psychological defence mechanisms against relapse; attending self-help groups and receiving frequent counselling throughout your recovery phase can help you strengthen your defences. Speak with an addiction specialist about the steps you may take to reduce your chances of relapsing.
BACP accredited psychotherapist with 16 years experience working in mental health specialising in psychodynamic person-centred therapies treating those with a range of mental health disorders including anxiety, depression, OCD and Addiction.
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