18 million Americans have misused prescription drugs in the past year alone. Are you one of them?
Everywhere you look today, you see stories in the news about prescription painkillers. In truth, there are far more prescription drugs that have high dependence rates and misuse rates. One of those drugs is Librium.
Librium is a drug that treats extreme and short-lived anxiety. For instance, it might be prescribed to calm a patient before surgery. It works by affecting your brain’s receptors for a neurotransmitter called GABA which controls your brain’s nerves and keeps anxiety from surging.
As useful as it is in the right circumstances, Librium has a high abuse rate as well. For someone who is dependent on it, Librium withdrawal is the first step.
Librium Withdrawal and Detox
For people addicted to Librium, the first step is to get the Librium out of their system through detox. As with any drug or addictive substance, the idea of withdrawal can be intimidating, but knowing what to expect can ease your fears.
What Causes Librium Withdrawal?
In general, withdrawal happens when your body struggles to function without a substance it relies on. When it comes to Librium and other benzo addictions, the withdrawal focuses on your brain.
Your brain has learned how to function with Librium and its effect on your GABA receptors. When that’s suddenly gone, your brain goes into shock and has to re-learn how to function without the Librium.
Think about it as if someone took away a key tool you use to do your job. You could probably find a way to do your job without it, but it would take time to learn and adjust.
Librium Withdrawal Symptoms
When your brain is going through that withdrawal and adjustment period, it impacts a variety of your body’s functions. This is what brings about the withdrawal symptoms.
Your symptoms will vary based on several factors, but many of them relate to your mood and mental state. One of the most common issues is “rebound anxiety.” The anxiety you used Librium to treat in the first place comes back, and it’s often more severe than it was before.
In addition, people often feel irritated and depressed at various points in their withdrawal. You have a hard time finding joy in life and your moods may be unpredictable. In more severe withdrawals, you may experience times of psychosis. You have trouble staying in touch with reality and your thoughts and actions may be irrational.
Librium withdrawal often has physical symptoms as well. You may have muscle aches as well as spasms that make you tremor and shiver. Insomnia is common during the withdrawal process, and the lack of sleep may bring about other symptoms of its own.
Keep in mind that every person’s withdrawal is unique. The symptoms you have and their severity depends on factors like your body chemistry, your physical and psychological health, how long and severe your addiction was, and more.?
Duration of Librium Withdrawal
It would be great if you could go into your withdrawal treatment and hear, “In this specific number of days, your withdrawal will be over.” In reality, it’s not as predictable as that. Your withdrawal could take a few weeks or over a month. It all depends on your unique anatomy and your addiction.
Librium Treatment Timeline
Though withdrawal takes different amounts of time, it tends to begin the same way. Here’s a look at what you can expect.
It takes a day or two for the Librium to fade from your system enough to bring on withdrawal. Within two or three days, you’ll start craving Librium while having symptoms like dizziness, exhaustion, restlessness, headaches, and irritability. in severe cases, you might develop paranoia too.
You’ll continue to have these symptoms but they tend to start dropping after about a week. At this point, your body has been through a lot, so you can expect a lot of exhaustion.
Throughout your second week, your symptoms will keep getting better little by little. This does tend to be a period when you have high insomnia, and some people have nightmares when they do fall asleep. However, you can expect your appetite to start picking up around this time.
It often takes about a month before the Librium is fully out of your system and your withdrawal symptoms resolve. Still, remember that you’ll probably continue to have cravings. It’s important that after detoxing, you get recovery treatment to help you deal with the cravings and stay sober.
Detoxing from Librium on Your Own
It’s common for people with Librium addiction to try detoxing on their own, but this isn’t a good idea. Without medical supervision, the withdrawal can be severe and dangerous. It’s particularly risky if you’re trying to stop “cold turkey,” and only a doctor will know how to create a “tapering off” plan for you.
In addition to self-detox being more difficult and more dangerous, it has a lower success rate too. You’ll face an incredible temptation to relapse in order to stop your symptoms, which would mean you’d have to start the whole process again.
Medical Detox for Librium
For a safer and more successful recovery, medical detox is another option. A medical team will develop a plan and supervise your health throughout your detox, leading to a safer process with a higher chance for success.
How Medical Detox Works and What to Expect
Medical detox begins with an evaluation. A medical professional will evaluate your health as well as your addiction so they can find the best way to help you detox.
With that information in hand, they will usually set up a precise schedule to taper you off the Librium little by little. You’ll have withdrawal symptoms but they won’t be as severe as if you were to quit cold turkey.
Keep in mind that addictions are rarely simple. Many people have other health issues or addictions that a medical team needs to account for. Medical detox can address your specific needs to safely start your recovery journey.
Medications Available for Librium Detox
Another advantage of medical detox is that the medical team can provide medication to reduce your withdrawal symptoms. In general, you can expect medications that stabilize your central nervous system while it learns how to function without the Librium.
One of the most common types of medication for Librium withdrawal is a mood stabilizer. When you’re struggling with insomnia, your medical team may prescribe sleep aids for you as well.
Making the Right Choices for Your Librium Detox
You may not hear about Librium addiction as much as you hear about painkiller addiction, but it’s a serious problem that affects countless people every day. While Librium withdrawal is a necessary step for your recovery, it doesn’t have to be traumatizing if you opt for medical supervision and assistance.
