Xanax is a benzodiazepine with sedative properties. It is a central nervous system depressant that slows down your heart rate, lowers blood pressure and decreases your body temperature while it reduces panic, stress and anxiety. While it is abused for the increased dopamine release it causes, withdrawing from it can be dangerous and potentially life-threatening.
Undergoing a medically supervised detox will ensure that your physical and psychological symptoms are managed professionally, and that you have the emotional support you need to complete this important
Xanax Withdrawal Symptoms
Xanax is considered to be a difficult and complicated benzo to detox from because of its potency. Your withdrawal symptoms are difficult to predict because they depend on factors like the dose and length of time you have been using Xanax, how you were administering it, whether you combined it with other substances and your age and genetics.
Some of the most commonly experienced physiological withdrawal symptoms include blurred vision, headaches, diarrhea, muscle pain and stiffness, tremors, sensitivity to sound and light, insomnia, loss of appetite, sweating, heart palpitations and seizures.
There are a number of distressing psychological withdrawal symptoms that can present, including trouble sleeping, bad dreams, paranoia, restlessness, and tension. Sometimes withdrawal symptoms can progress very quickly to include visual and auditory hallucinations, feelings of sadness, loss of pleasure, and suicidal thoughts.
Timeline of Withdrawal Symptoms
On average Xanax withdrawal symptoms can start within hours of missing your last dose and peak one to four days later. Xanax is a short-acting drug with an average half life of approximately 11 hours. For most people withdrawal symptoms can begin six to 12 hours after quitting and can last for two to four weeks.
Acute withdrawal symptoms usually persist for the first one to two days. For some people, post acute withdrawal symptoms can persist for weeks or months afterwards. A possible recovery timeline could look like this:
Stage 1: 6 to 12 hours after your last dose
Symptoms such as anxiety, headache and sleeping problems begin.
Stage 2: 1 to 4 days after your last dose
Anxiety and insomnia may worsen. Rebound symptoms may appear and be worse than the original symptoms. Flu-like symptoms are common and seizure risk is high.
Stage 3: 5 to 14 days later
Your symptoms should start to improve. Insomnia and anxiety may persist but headaches and muscle pain should improve. Gastrointestinal upsets may begin and can persist for months. Seizure risk is lowered by this stage.
Stage 4: 14 days to months later
Generally symptoms should have improved but mood and gastrointestinal symptoms may persist. Slowly, you should start returning to normal.
How to Detox from Xanax Safely
Because Xanax withdrawal is potentially dangerous, the safest approach is to follow a medically supervised detox where you are under 24-hour care. In a medical facility your vital signs like heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature will be monitored closely and severe symptoms can be managed immediately. Because of the effects of Xanax on your CNS, sudden changes in your vital signs could result in complications that require urgent intervention.
It is never a good idea to quit Xanax cold turkey, and our clinical team will follow the tapering schedule that was developed for you, to keep you safe at all times.
>Trusting Your Doctors
Addiction is a medical disease that needs to be treated by medical professionals and your doctors play a critical role in your recovery, so it’s important that you disclose as much information as possible about your dosage and how long you have been taking Xanax for. The higher the dose and the more frequent the dosing, the bigger your risk of complications. Your medical team needs to make informed decisions on your behalf and they can only do this if they have a clear picture of the facts surrounding your addiction. If you have been abusing other substances, it’s important to let them know as this can also influence your withdrawal.
Xanax Withdrawal Risks
Seizures are relatively common in Xanax withdrawal and they pose a significant risk to your safety. Seizures need to be managed medically in your detox program and anticonvulsant medication should be used if necessary. Some patients experience hallucinations and others may experience suicidal thoughts at different stages of withdrawal. Because of its use as an anti-anxiety medication, rebound anxiety may occur during withdrawal, and having professional support is a necessary part of the process. Withdrawal poses psychological and physiological risks and having a medical team available for professional intervention can make the difference between relapse and recovery. Unsupervised detox always presents the risk of relapse, and overdose deaths have occurred with Xanax.
In a Residential Setting
A residential environment gives you the chance to break away from your home environment and its triggers as you work to cleanse your body of Xanax. Your needs will be taken care of at our luxury rehab so you can focus on yourself and find the inner space for reflection to heal. It’s easy to underestimate the importance of nutrition, hydration and good sleep, but when these needs are not taken care of, it can exacerbate your withdrawal symptoms and cause complications for your recovery. Having access to an experienced team of clinical professionals will ensure you have the emotional support and symptomatic relief required to get through your Xanax detox safely and comfortably.
Why Choose United Recovery California for Xanax Detox?
United Recovery CA has created a group of luxury rehab centers that focuses on your comfort and wellbeing for the duration of your residential program. We know that healing and recovery is so much easier when you are safe and comfortable and our detox programs are managed by our clinical staff who provide symptomatic and psychological support throughout the process.
We treat the whole person, offering you emotional support as you find joy in your life through holistic therapies like art, music, meditation and exercise.
Our treatment process is informed by the latest evidence-based therapies and includes one-on-one counseling therapy as well as group therapy to give you the skills you need to move forward on your new path with confidence.
Why Choose United Recovery CA for Xanax Detox and Withdrawal?
Our medical detox and rehabilitation centre has been designed for comfort and safety. We will provide you with a luxurious and non-judgmental space where you will receive 24-hour medical supervision and clinical interventions to help you forge your long-term recovery. Once your drug detox is complete, you can enrol for either residential or outpatient rehab as you learn the tools and coping skills required to address the underlying triggers that may have led to your Xanax dependency. Aftercare, support groups and sober living homes provide you with extended care programs that facilitate long term sobriety in an understanding community.
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Is a Xanax Detox Enough to Tackle Addiction?
A detox is a challenging and painful experience that sets you on the path to recovery but on its own, it is not enough to tackle addiction. Detox will rid your body of Xanax and break your physical dependence on the substance, but addiction is a complex and releasing disease that requires a holistic approach to treatment. In order to manage your triggers after detox, you need to enroll in a Xanax rehab program.
A rehab program will help you to understand the nature of your addiction better and how different life experiences influenced the decisions you made in your past. The deeper, underlying factors that contributed to your addiction need to be worked through systematically through a series of counseling and group therapy interventions in order for you to embrace long term recovery.
