Valium is a benzodiazepine-class prescription medicine used to treat panic attacks, seizures, and anxiety. Valium reduces anxiety and lowers brain activity by attaching to gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) chemical receptors in the brain. This causes GABA-controlled functions to slow down.
You will usually experience the effects of a short-acting medicine within 30-60 minutes. Valium’s sedative qualities are the main reason it appeals to recreational users. Even if you have a valid prescription for Valium, you can get addicted to it. Abuse occurs when you take Valium for longer or in higher amounts than recommended. Tolerance, psychological dependence, and addiction are possible outcomes of its use.
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Valium is available in the following forms:
In the United Kingdom, valium is a controlled substance, which means it may only be obtained with a prescription. The drug can be classified in one of two ways.
Benzodiazepines are classified as Class C drugs, but they are still unlawful to offer, sell, or possess outside of a medical setting. Possession carries a maximum sentence of two years, while dealing carries a sentence of fourteen years.
Controlled substances are divided into five schedules, and each specifies who is allowed to import, export, produce, supply, and possess them. Diazepam belongs to the same schedule as steroids, non-benzodiazepine hypnotics, and somatropin and is classified as a schedule four substance.
Valium is a sedative-hypnotic drug from the Benzodiazepine family that is used for anticonvulsant, antidepressant, muscle relaxant, and sedative purposes. During the 2007 recession in the United Kingdom, the number of Valium prescriptions skyrocketed.
Valium addiction lasts longer than other benzo addictions. The disadvantage of Valium is that individuals can develop a tolerance to it after only a week of use. The transition from tolerance to drug dependence to addiction takes typically four months.
Because their doctor prescribed the medicine, most Valium users do not believe they have a problem. Despite this, individuals show indicators of addiction, such as strong cravings for Valium, inability to function normally without it, use of Valium to ease stress, and persistent use despite knowing the risks to their health.
When you’re addicted to Valium, it’s critical to get help from a rehabilitation centre, where medical professionals can safely guide you through the detox process.
Valium is less likely to cause addiction if taken exactly as prescribed. Long-term use, however, might build tolerance, making the medicine less effective than it was when first used. Valium abuse is frequently the result of people taking more than the recommended amount to intensify the benefits.
Each person who abuses Valium will have their motives for doing so. For others, it’s the ideal approach to forget about terrible memories from a traumatic encounter. In contrast, for others, it’s a chance to forget about an unstable family environment or relationship problems.
Some people abuse Valium on purpose, taking excessive doses or mixing it with other substances like alcohol or other narcotics. Abusing medicines like Valium can occur for a variety of reasons, including:
People who are looking for a way out of their mundane daily lives frequently abuse medication.
Many people say that their loved ones or the environment caused their early Family history The close-knit family, as every people’s first forming environment, might be a threat if someone around is addicted. The need for higher dosages of Valium to feel its effects is one of the obvious signs of Valium addiction. Other indicators of a Valium addiction include: If a user develops a tolerance to the effects of Valium, they may experience withdrawal symptoms if they stop taking it. Valium withdrawal can be dangerous and unpleasant, making it difficult for addicts to quit on their own. Withdrawal symptoms are severe, and many people addicted to Valium rely on the medicine to feel normal. Some physical signs of Valium addiction are: With benzodiazepine medicines like Valium, the withdrawal process is extremely difficult. The withdrawal process is challenging and raises your chance of severe symptoms because your brain and body have become so dependent on your medicine that they cannot operate correctly without it. Withdrawing from Valium can be a very unpleasant experience, and it can cause the following symptoms: Valium produces an immediate ‘high,’ which makes you feel relaxed, peaceful, sedated, and euphoric. Following the ‘high,’ many users experience the following short-term side effects:Signs and Symptoms of Valium Addiction
Valium Addiction Physical Symptoms
Valium Addiction withdrawal symptoms
Dangers and Effects of Valium Addiction and Abuse
Long-term consequences are riskier because they affect both the body and the mind. Some of the side effects are long-lasting and even life-threatening. They are as follows:
Valium is frequently abused in conjunction with other prescription drugs and alcohol. Because Valium depresses the Central Nervous System (CNS), mixing it with other medicines that do the same is extremely risky. Most Valium overdoses occur when the drug is combined with other CNS depressants such as alcohol or opiates.
Many people wrongly believe that because Valium is legal, it must be safer and less addictive than heroin or cocaine. Many people have overdosed unintentionally as a result of these beliefs.
Valium overdose symptoms:
The link between depression and substance abuse has long been established. Only identifying half of a comorbid condition has resulted in an incorrect diagnosis, poor treatment adherence, and a worsening clinical presentation. Underlying disorders frequently accompany the development of substance addiction.
One of the most common co-occurring disorders linked to benzodiazepine usage is anxiety. Valium stimulates the release of the neurotransmitter GABA in the brain. This produces feelings of well-being, relaxation, and euphoria at large dosages. Someone who has access to the substance may find it difficult to resist the feeling of relief. It’s critical to tackle anxiety during addiction treatment if you want to stop the impulse to use again.
Disorders, such as Valium addiction, have been proved to impact your life more than physical ailments, according to research. It’s never simple to live with an addict or to persuade them to get treatment for their addiction. The first step is to educate yourself on the subject of Valium addiction. To learn how to deal with and help addicts’ families, join a support group for addicts’ families.
In your support group, there will be people who have had success getting their loved ones into therapy, so ask them for advice. Attending meetings reduces stress, reduces feelings of isolation, and builds skills for dealing with personal issues that may arise due to a loved one’s addiction.
Spend quality time with your family and be kind and nonjudgmental when speaking with them. During intervention sessions, keep your expectations in check and consider hiring a professional interventionist to help you. It took a long time for their addiction to develop, so convincing them to get assistance will take time.
When you are not under the influence of drugs, rehabilitation can begin. The removal of all traces of Valium from your body (detox) is the first step in treatment. Although valium withdrawal is rarely life-threatening, receiving therapy at a medically supervised detox centre is the safest approach to detox. Doctors will use drugs and the tapering procedure to assist patients in coping with the agony of withdrawal.
After detox, you’ll go to treatment, where therapists and drug counsellors can help you understand why you started abusing Valium in the first place.
Enrol as an inpatient for a comprehensive treatment. This is a full-time recovery programme in which you live in a therapeutic community for the duration of your therapy. Medical specialists are on alert 24/7 to ensure you’re safe and have ongoing assistance.
Some people are frightened by the prospect of detoxing in a medical setting. People who go to rehab have the misperception that they are just given replacement medicines and sent home. This isn’t the case at all. First, the person spends around ten days trying to get the drug out of their system. This usually entails administering a new benzodiazepine at doses high enough to prevent Valium withdrawal symptoms but low enough to prevent euphoria.
Detoxification may be enough for some people. This is frequently the case with process addictions that haven’t formed as a result of a mental health issue. The majority of the time, however, it is advised that an individual pursues inpatient or outpatient therapy. The service user is completely immersed in a therapeutic context during inpatient recovery and has no access to triggers at home or the urge to get drugs.
Don’t go through the process of recovery alone. Treatment providers can answer your questions. Get in touch with one today.
Call 0800 999 1083 today!
Valium detox, like any other benzo drug, requires medical supervision, and users should never attempt to detox from Valium without medical supervision. Professional healthcare experts will do a comprehensive mental and psychological evaluation of a patient before starting the process of weaning them off Valium in an inpatient treatment facility. To avoid the worst withdrawal symptoms, staff may offer anticonvulsants, anti-seizure, or anti-anxiety drugs to help with the process. Comprehensive inpatient therapy and medical detox are essential to address the underlying issues that led to addiction in the first place. It’s critical to learn how to process the mental and emotional harm caused by Valium addiction and how to function in daily life without relying on the crutch of grabbing a bottle of pills.
That insight comes via therapy, in which the client and therapist work together to develop ways to help the client deal with the urge to use Valium and how to respond to situations that trigger those temptations. Inpatient therapy is helpful for patients who need to avoid external triggers and environments that can lead to relapse and continuous substance use.
Clients may be offered outpatient treatment if the Valium addiction is not severe enough to justify supervision and protection against relapse triggers. This option may exist if people seek treatment early in their addiction before they become physically and psychologically dependent on Valium to get by. Medical detox with 24-hour supervision is suggested for Valium detox, regardless of whether inpatient or outpatient treatment is deemed appropriate for recovery.
The individual returns home every night as an outpatient. Patients may be able to return to their private lives after participating in therapy sessions or getting their medicine dosage and may be able to resume employment, academic, or family obligations. However, experts caution that one of the many criteria imposed on patients who qualify for outpatient therapy is that they must visit treatment centres regularly, possibly spending most of their day there. There is no high risk of reengaging in Valium consumption when out of the rehab centre.
There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach to therapy. While some types of therapy are more common, alternative therapies may be more beneficial to particular people.
The following is a list of several types of therapy:
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a type of therapy that aims to help patients change their negative thought habits. It is based on the idea that negative thinking and learned behavioural patterns are linked to psychological issues. Patients who want to change their ingrained patterns can use CBT as a solution-based approach.
Traditional 12-step programmes are widely used and recognised as one of the most successful alcoholism treatments. The pharmacological effects of valium and alcohol are comparable. The programme was created in the 1930s as a way for those who needed to get sober to avoid going to prison. A combination of group therapy and self-acceptance, as well as surrendering to a higher power and following the 12 rules, can help individuals plagued by addiction find meaning in their lives.
The statistics for recovering addicts who remain abstinent for the rest of their lives aren’t encouraging. Almost 80% of recovering addicts relapse in the first month after rehab. The first thing to realise is that drug rehabilitation is a lifelong process since, like addiction, it is a mental state that affects every decision you make.
A relapse prevention plan that guides your everyday life during the first several months after treatment can help you stay on track and make the best decisions possible. You will have to deal with inevitable high-risk scenarios, such as interpersonal stresses, environmental stressors, and mood fluctuations. A relapse prevention strategy guarantees that you are entirely prepared (mentally and physically) to handle these situations without 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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