Prescription drugs called benzodiazepines, or benzos for short, are used for sedation and for treating certain nervous system conditions. Those disorders include seizures, insomnia, muscle spasms, and anxiety.
Benzos are sold under a variety of popular brand names, among them Ativan, Xanax, and Valium. In most cases, doctors prescribe such drugs for a short period of time or for intermittent usage.
Unfortunately, benzodiazepines are commonly abused. In particular, people often take them with alcohol. It’s a practice that’s extremely dangerous as well as addictive.
If you think you might be addicted to benzos, alcohol, or both, it’s vital to seek professional help for detox and recovery. Doing so will give you the best possible chance of overcoming the addiction.
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What Are Benzodiazepines?
Benzodiazepines, also known as benzos, are central nervous system depressants. These substances slow down brain activity by affecting the way the brain sends messages to the body. Specifically, they enhance the effect of the neurotransmitter GABA, which reduces nerve cell excitability. This action diminishes a person’s sense of arousal and stimulation, producing a calming effect. Many benzos, such as alprazolam (Xanax), clonazepam (Klonopin), diazepam (Valium), lorazepam (Ativan), temazepam (Restoril), chlordiazepoxide (Librium), work quickly, with patients often feeling the sedative effects almost immediately.
While prescribed for various conditions, including anxiety and insomnia, benzodiazepines can be easily misused. They are sometimes sold illegally and are often referred to as “downers.” Individuals who obtain these drugs without a prescription may misuse them by snorting or swallowing them to achieve a high.
A significant number of people who misuse benzos do so in combination with other substances, such as cocaine or heroin, seeking to intensify euphoric sensations. Regardless of whether benzos are taken alone or with other substances, there is a risk of overdose.
A benzodiazepine overdose can lead to several dangerous effects, including confusion, fatigue, impaired coordination and reflexes, and respiratory depression (slow and shallow breathing, potentially leading to oxygen deprivation). Overdoses can also result in comas and even death. Drowsiness is also a common side effect, even at therapeutic doses.
The Dangers of Mixing Benzos and Alcohol
Like benzos, alcohol is a depressant that affects the central nervous system. (That’s why drinking alcohol can make people feel relaxed and sleepy.) And taking two depressants at the same time or in close proximity significantly increases the risk of overdose and other health problems.
Indeed, mixing alcohol with benzos compounds all of the effects and risks of drinking alcohol. For example, this combination can severely impair a person’s hand-eye coordination and motor functions, far more than alcohol alone. Consequently, a person is at an increased risk of accidents and serious injuries. The risks of memory problems, amnesia, and vomit aspiration also increase.
Mixing alcohol and benzos also lowers inhibitions, potentially leading to poor decision-making and actions that hurt others or are personally humiliating. The long-term consequences of such actions can include damaged family relationships, broken friendships, and even legal liabilities. This combination also increases the risk of substance use disorder, alcohol abuse, and drug abuse.
When people are home alone and combine benzos and alcohol, they face an even greater danger. They might suffer from respiratory failure, which, without medical help, can quickly worsen into a coma and ultimately lead to death.
Given these dangers, if you have a benzodiazepine prescription, you should avoid alcohol use altogether. Even short-term mixing of these substances can have serious consequences for your well-being. It is crucial to understand the risks associated with this dangerous combination.
Recognizing the Signs of Addiction and Withdrawal
Tragically, alcohol and benzos are both highly addictive substances. And, when people develop a tolerance for them, they need increasingly larger doses to get the highs they crave.
Indeed, one of the main reasons people start taking benzos with alcohol is that alcohol alone no longer gives them the pleasurable sensations they once enjoyed.
Certain symptoms are common whenever people are addicted to benzos, alcohol, or both. They include the following:
- Social isolation
- Blackouts
- Vertigo
- Double vision
- Frequent headaches
- Changes in sleep pattern
- Changes in diet
- Slower reflexes and reaction times
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Hostility or aggression
- Mood swings
- Problems with memory, concentration, or thinking clearly
- Defensiveness and denial, especially when it comes to substance use conversations
If you’re suffering from any of these symptoms — or any combination of them — it’s vital to contact an addiction treatment center immediately.
Treatment Options for Benzodiazepine and Alcohol Addiction
Professional addiction treatments — including treatments for alcohol and benzodiazepine addiction — generally break down into these categories:
1. Medical Detox
Medical detoxification is the process by which medical professionals remove all traces of a substance from a patient’s body. They then monitor that person carefully for a period of days or weeks — or sometimes months.
Of course, when a person has an addiction, the withdrawal side effects can be severe. They often include:
- A faster heart rate
- High blood pressure
- Insomnia
- Night sweats
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Congestion
- Seizures
- Paranoia or hallucinations
- Muscle aches and tremors
Fortunately, treatment experts can provide medications and other therapies to relieve benzos and alcohol withdrawal symptoms. That way, it’s much easier for a patient to adjust to life without those substances.
2. Inpatient Treatment
When patients are struggling with a severe addiction, inpatient treatment is often the most effective course of action. With inpatient care, people stay in their treatment facility for a few weeks, several weeks, or perhaps a few months.
During that time, patients are away from all of the anxieties and triggers of daily life. They can focus solely on getting better through counseling, managed medications, and other treatments.
Patients can also have fun via recreational activities, and they can enjoy a balanced diet and regular exercise sessions.
3. Outpatient Treatment
For a less acute addiction, an outpatient treatment program might be the right approach. This option involves continuing to live at home and continuing to attend school or go to work each day.
Meanwhile, patients routinely visit their treatment facility for checkups, medication, counseling, and other forms of care.
With outpatient treatment, people can take all the lifestyle and coping tactics they learn in their therapy sessions and put them into practice immediately. They can use them at home, at school, at work, and in social situations.
4. Mental Health Support
Mental health support identifies and addresses the root causes of people’s addiction. It also gives them potent strategies for avoiding relapses and for enjoying a substance-free lifestyle. And it helps them to manage any co-occurring disorders.
Such support begins with a thorough mental health examination. It can then proceed to individual counseling, behavioral therapy, group therapy, family therapy, support group meetings (both formal and informal), or some combination thereof.
Typically, mental health support for addiction will continue after people end their inpatient or outpatient treatment. Patients might schedule in-person counseling sessions, telehealth sessions, or both.
Why Choose Allure Detox for Treatment?
If you live in or near West Palm Beach, Allure Detox is an outstanding and trusted option for detox treatment.
Our caring and dedicated team members are experts in treating dual substance addictions. And we offer personalized treatment programs, each of them tailored to individual needs.
Plus, for our patients’ comfort and safety, our medical staff is available 24/7.
In short, the first step toward addiction recovery is to call a professional for help. For sure, this action is simple yet powerful.
If you or a loved one is struggling with benzodiazepine and alcohol addiction, contact Allure Detox today for professional support and compassionate care.
Published on: 2025-01-28
Updated on: 2025-01-28
