Substance Abuse
Substance Abuse: Prescription Drugs

Common Signs of a Valium Addiction

Addiction is a trying occurrence that can happen to any family. Chemical dependency is one of the scariest forms of addiction. Controlled substances are displaced illegally onto the streets where they are used without prescription. The results can be life-changing and have serious repercussions. However, there is always hope for recovery. One of the best ways to help people you care about is to be aware when changes in behavior happen. Different drugs give different behavioral signals that are clues to identifying substance abuse. To protect your loved ones from this threat, learn the common signs of valium addiction.

What Is Valium?

Valium is the brand name of the drug diazepam. It is classified as a benzodiazepine. This type of drug targets specific neurotransmitters in the brain and causes them to become overstimulated. However, these drugs are depressants. The reason for this is that the brain sends counter-responses to reduce these alert messages. The soothing signals of the brain also impact other areas that are overstimulated, such as when suffering from extreme anxiety or seizures.

Valium is used to treat seizures and anxiety and tends to only be prescribed for extreme cases. All drugs in this classification are very addictive and must be dosed carefully by a trained physician. The science behind this is very clear, as it makes sense that frequent use of valium causes a tolerance build-up. This tolerance is a result of overuse and creates a need for a higher dosage, which in turn becomes a dependency.  

Dangers of Valium Abuse

Long-term abuse of valium has very serious repercussions. After a while, the depressant powers of the drug are overridden by many of the symptoms it’s intended to treat. As the body builds tolerance, the drug loses out to the body’s need for it. As a result, misusing this drug frequently results in severe anxiety and regular panic attacks. Users also report extreme drowsiness almost all the time, coupled with an inability to sleep. Unsurprisingly, these symptoms contribute to a reduction in reasoning. Frequent misuse of the drug causes a state of forgetfulness, fogginess, and confusion.

The drug also can cause life-threatening seizures. Furthermore, the drug stays much longer in the system than other drugs in the benzodiazepine family. This lingering causes more general symptoms to last longer. It also makes long-term addiction very dangerous, as the body adapts to the drug’s frequent and lasting presence. Users may find they can’t even function without the drug after a period of time.

Symptoms of Valium Addiction

Besides the above-mentioned side effects, valium has many symptoms and signals of use. One of the first signs of abuse is often an occurrence of the symptom’s valium is most often used to treat. Someone with a valium addiction may express anxiety and paranoia. Most also struggle with exhaustion and feel confused and groggy. Frequent abuse of this drug can cause an overall lethargic behavior as fatigue starts to increase. Users may also experience unusual bouts of dizziness. Besides this, people have also reported hallucinating and nightmares.

The longer the drug is used, the more gradually severe the symptoms become. This can include the previously mentioned insomnia, and well as stomach issues. The latter can become severe enough to result in the instance of bloody stool. Continued abuse also often relates to depression and even suicidal thoughts. Lastly, valium abuse is commonly linked to physical tremors.

Other Signs To Look For

As addiction progresses, symptoms and changes will become more pronounced. Valium is an alarmingly powerful addiction and can completely take over a person’s life. Friends and family will be more than suspicious about the likelihood of addiction once these changes occur. However, keep in mind that this person needs real medical help. Valium addiction is severe, and detox without professional care can be extremely dangerous.

Some other common signs of valium addiction include vomiting and nausea. Occurrences of dizziness often accompany the former. Users may also complain of frequent headaches and inexplicable muscle pain. Valium abuse also causes dangerous spikes in blood pressure and a rapid heart rate. On a day-to-day basis, a loss of appetite is also a sign to watch out for.

Severely addicted individuals can be very telling in behavior. Like other dangerous substances, a certain preoccupation with the drug almost always follows. Addicted individuals may rapidly withdraw from social activities they once loved. They may even begin to withdraw from interacting with close friends and family members. Those struggling with full addiction may even go to great lengths to procure the drug, and will generally be very obsessed with it.

Common Treatment Options for Valium Addiction

Treatment options for any type of drug addiction vary wildly depending on the type of drug, usage term, and even a person’s physical traits. As such, there is no “one size fits all” answer to this question. Instead, patients should seek immediate medical treatment and work with addiction specialists to find the right option for them.

Valium addiction is very dangerous because of how quickly and totally a person can become dependent on the drug. As such, detox at a hospital is usually the first step. This drug must be slowly eased out of the user’s system, as any cold turkey approach can result in life-threatening seizures. As with most advanced addiction treatments, the patient will be cycled through stages of urgency, from hospital to inpatient, and eventually to outpatient. As with anything, the exact stages taken depend on each individual and their stage of addiction.

Once an addicted person has been successfully detoxed of the drug and no longer needs constant attention from doctors and nurses, they can begin to rehabilitate into society. This is done with the help of regularly scheduled times at outpatient facilities. The purpose of these facilities is to provide regular check-ins with physicians and continued guidance from recovery specialists, while also maintaining connections and support from professionals.

Chapman House is a dedicated outpatient facility. We specialize in treating teenagers suffering from a variety of addictions. We have a fully trained staff ready to field your questions about valium addiction treatment and more. Reach out to us today for guidance on how to help your loved one get started on treatment today. We understand the pain that families go through living with a member dealing with addiction. Our outpatient facility has the tools and experience to help recovering individuals take steps towards reclaiming their life, free from addiction.


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