Benzo Abuse: Signs it is Time for an Intervention

There is never going to be the perfect moment. People are unlikely to change on their own without facing serious consequences for their choices and actions or if others become involved and nudge them in the right direction. 

If you believe that a person you care about is struggling with benzo abuse or addiction, it’s important you take this matter extremely seriously as the consequences can be severe. At Oasis Recovery, we work with clients and their loved ones to create a personalized treatment plan. When our clinicians and mental health counselors collaborate with clients to form a plan of action, we look beyond the surface-level symptoms and focus on treating the whole person. This means we make certain to address the core issues and underlying issues that result in substance abuse and addiction. 

Addiction is not a sign of weakness or a lack of character. A person who has developed a benzo abuse disorder most likely has not developed positive coping mechanisms to manage the sources of anxiety, stress, depression, and/or trauma in their life. By working with a therapist, our clients learn to face the issues that have resulted in poor decision making and negative behaviors. In treatment, our clients learn positive and healthy strategies for managing high risk triggers in real world situations. Our goal is for clients to complete our treatment programs in a state of well-being where they are ready to live a purposeful and meaningful life in sobriety. 

For more information about how to stage an intervention, or to learn more about our programs and mental health services, we encourage you to reach out to us today to speak with a specialist. Remember, it’s never too late to find lasting recovery. . 

Common Signs of Benzo Addiction

In the early stages of addiction, it’s possible a person may be able to maintain the appearance of normal living. They may continue to fulfill their work and family obligations. Loved ones, friends, and coworkers have an opportunity to help a person find help during the early stages of substance abuse before addiction takes a greater toll on a person’s life. 

Some common signs of benzo abuse and addiction may include:

• Seeking more medication than prescribed 
• Cravings
• Tolerance
• Restlessness
• Irritability 
• Mood instability 
• Social isolation 
• Sleep issues 
• Difficulty focusing
• Memory issues 
• Poor decision-making
• Lying or making excuses 

Common signs that someone has developed a benzo addiction can include:

• Lack of interest
• Lack of responsibility 
• Changes in behavior
• Increased isolation 
• Relationship issues
• Work issues 
• Financial problems
• Legal issues 

If a person who is struggling with benzo abuse or addiction and does not cease their problematic behavior or seek treatment, their addiction is likely to worsen over time. Long-term benzo abuse leads to serious and even life-threatening consequences.

Breaking the Cycle of Abuse

The first big steps involve accepting that you have a problem, ceasing benzo abuse and entering treatment can help a person return to a healthy and balanced lifestyle. In the midst of addiction it can be hard to see the light on the other side. You have to believe that there really is an opportunity to achieve a sense of well-being. This is true. It can happen. 

Once a person completes a treatment program, they have a real chance at a fresh start. It does take hard work, there’s no question. A person who has been in the throes of addiction is likely to be surprised how much better they feel both physically and mentally after detoxing from benzos. 

There is a sense of moving more easily through the world once you have established a sober lifestyle that integrates mindfulness practices and other techniques that increase your sense of wellness and allow you to create meaning and purpose in your day to day life. 

Confronting Core Issues that lead to Drug Abuse 

Confronting the underlying reasons why a person has turned to alcohol or drugs to self-medicate is an essential part of treatment. The benefits of confronting these core issues to well beyond a surface-level understanding of addiction. Learning why a person turned to substances for relief can reveal a great deal about a person’s challenges in everyday life. 

Those who abuse substances often have experienced past trauma. Facing trauma is difficult. When you confront trauma head on, you have an opportunity to learn how trauma has affected you and, through mental health treatment with a trained specialist, you can learn methods that will help you move forward in ways that free you from carrying the weight of past traumas. 

Developing Healthy Boundaries 

In many instances, those who have substance abuse disorders (SUDs) and mental health problems also have issues creating healthy boundaries. Even those who are healthy in many ways may struggle with boundaries. When you create a boundary, others are likely to push back on them initially. Being strong and resilient is an important part of learning how to make effective boundaries stick. In this way, boundaries are not unlike other habits and routines that individuals create to organize their daily life.   

Problematic boundaries are often seen in the forms that include:

• Codependent relationships
• Enmeshment issues with family members
• Trouble navigating relationships with friends
• Being a people pleaser when it is unhelpful for all parties involved
• Letting colleagues tell you what to do without questioning if expectations are fair 

Maintaining respectful and appropriate interactions with acquaintances can even be a challenge.  It’s important to learn how to navigate boundaries in healthy and appropriate manners so you do not put yourself in risky situations with high risk triggers that can lead to negative consequences including relapse. 

Benzos and Mental Health

Benzos are among the most commonly prescribed medications from those who struggle with anxiety, social anxiety, and panic disorders. Benzos are too often prescribed for long-term use when they are best used as temporary fixes or “band-aids” as short-term solutions. 

Over time, prolonged use of benzos can backfire and increase negative symptoms they were intended to relieve. Benzos are habit-forming and those who are prescribed them often need to adjust the dose or take additional as needed doses in order to manage their mental health. This form of management is closely related to self-medicating. The process of titrating doses in order to achieve a baseline is similar to what those with other substance abuse disorders (SUDs) or an alcohol use disorder (AUD) often attempt to do in order to get through one day at a time. 

In treatment, our clients learn better coping methods and life skills that they can use in recovery to manage real life situations in healthy and positive ways.  

The Importance of Personalized Care and Integrated Treatment

At Oasis Recovery, we offer a range of personalized treatment options to ensure you receive the best possible care. We believe that it’s important to treat the whole body. This means that we do not only focus on the physical symptoms and problems that a person with an addiction is managing. We take pride in having developed a thorough integrated wellness treatment program.

Our team of expert medical doctors collaborate and mental health practitioners collaborate with clients to create a treatment plan that is tailored to a client’s current situation and life circumstances. It’s always possible to alter our initial treatment plan with a carefully considered new plan of action in case new issues arise during treatment that require additional focus. 

Our drug rehab programs include but are not limited to:

• Partial hospitalization program (PHP) 
• Intensive outpatient program (IOP)
• Outpatient treatment program (OT)
• Relapse prevention program
• Aftercare program

Our mental health therapies include but are not limited to:

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) 
• Individual therapy
• Trauma-focused therapy
• Family therapy
• Group therapy

For more information about Oasis Recovery’s programs and mental health services, reach out to us today to speak with a specialist.