What Are the Risks of Xanax Addiction & How To Recover?
In This Article
Treatment Options for Alprazolam Addiction
Farmapram or Xanax addiction and dependence require medical supervision. However, people respond to treatment differently, so finding the right treatment option is essential.
Common treatment options for addiction and dependence include:
- Inpatient treatment: You stay in a secure hospital setting and receive 24/7 treatment from medical professionals
- Outpatient treatment: You receive flexible treatment that allows you to readjust to daily life and responsibilities
- Dual diagnosis: You receive treatment for co-occurring addiction and mental illness
- Partial hospitalization programs: A structured treatment program where you receive treatment during the day and return home at night
Never try to overcome your addiction at home or without supervision. Some side effects of alprazolam withdrawal can be deadly, especially if convulsions or seizures occur.
Medical Detox
The first step in treating Xanax addiction is a medical detox. It involves using other drugs to manage withdrawal symptoms.
Professionals recommend tapering off Xanax gradually by replacing it with another less potent benzodiazepine.12 Because seizures and depression are typical withdrawal symptoms, anti-seizure medication and antidepressants may also be necessary.13
Therapies
After detoxing, treatment should involve therapy to treat the drivers of addiction. Usually, these are mental health disorders like depression and anxiety, which Xanax often (ironically) treats.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and motivational enhancement therapy successfully treat these conditions.
Xanax Addiction, Effects & Treatment
Xanax is a highly addictive drug, and tolerance develops quickly. Aside from addiction, its risks also include coma and death via overdose.
In Mexico, Xanax’s brand name is Farmapram. It’s also called Mexican Xanax bars and is a type of benzodiazepine for anxiety disorders and panic disorders.
If you develop withdrawal symptoms after stopping use, there’s a high chance that addiction has already formed.
Sponsored
Online Therapy Can Help
Over 3 million people use BetterHelp. Their services are:
- Professional and effective
- Affordable and convenient
- Personalized and discreet
- Easy to start
Answer a few questions to get started
What to Do if You Overdose on Xanax
Overdoses of Xanax by itself are rarely fatal. However, users often misuse Xanax with opiates and alcohol.10 In these circumstances, an overdose can be extremely dangerous.
Compared to other benzodiazepine medications, a Xanax overdose is also more toxic. Therefore, it requires immediate attention.11 Seek medical help immediately if you suspect you or someone you know has overdosed on Xanax.
Sponsored
Get Professional Help
BetterHelp can connect you to an addiction and mental health counselor.
Answer a few questions to get started
What are the Symptoms of Xanax Misuse and Addiction?
Here are some signs that someone may be abusing Xanax:
- Keeping Xanax pills around at all times (often in little baggies)
- Missing work or family obligations
- Secretive behavior and dishonesty
- Sleeping all the time
- Decreased sex drive
- Mood swings
- Personality changes
- “Doctor shopping” (to obtain new prescriptions)
- Constantly appearing disoriented and sluggish
What are Xanax Withdrawal Symptoms and Timeline?
Xanax withdrawal symptoms can begin within hours of the last dose. They last between 10 and 14 days.
Some signs, such as delirium and psychosis, are different from other benzodiazepine medications.12 Other symptoms of Xanax withdrawal are common to other benzodiazepines but more severe, including:
- Rebounding anxiety
- Panic attacks
- Seizures
- Insomnia
- High blood pressure
- Elevated heart rate
Sponsored
Phone, Video, or Live-Chat Support
BetterHelp provides therapy in a way that works for YOU. Fill out the questionnaire, get matched, begin therapy.
Answer a few questions to get started
What are Xanax Overdose Symptoms?
The maximum recommended dose for Xanax is four milligrams. Each Xanax bar is two milligrams, so anything over two bars is an overdose.10
Symptoms of an overdose include:
- Inability to stay awake
- Shallow breathing
- Slurred speech
- Slowed reflexes
- Rapid or irregular heart rate
- Hallucinations
- Chest pain
- Confusion
- Depression
- Tremors
- Unusual talkativeness
- Joint discomfort
- Coma
What is Xanax For?
Xanax, or Farmapram in Mexico, is a potent benzodiazepine that treats:
- Insomnia
- Depression
- Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting
- Social phobias
- Seizures
Xanax increases the activity of natural chemicals in the brain, such as GABA, which helps reduce nervousness and tension. It also binds to brain receptor sites to increase calmness and relaxation.
What are Xanax Bars?
A Xanax bar represents one of the most potent forms of the drug. Each bar is a two-milligram dose, with the daily recommended maximum being four milligrams.8
You can easily break a Xanax bar into quarters. This makes it both convenient and risky, leading to higher chances of misuse and overdose.
People also like to misuse Xanax bars because you can easily break them into four. This makes them more convenient than other forms.
Summary
Xanax addiction can be dangerous and even deadly. Misuse of Xanax bars, the most potent form of Xanax, is common due to convenience and potency.
Withdrawal symptoms can be severe and require medical supervision. Fortunately, there are telltale signs of Xanax misuse and addiction, such as secretive behavior and always keeping pills on hand.
Seek immediate medical help if you suspect an overdose or dependence on Farmapram or Xanax. Treatment options include the abovementioned options to help overcome addiction and start recovery.
What's Next?
Sponsored
Get matched with an affordable mental health counselor
Find a TherapistAnswer a few questions to get started
- “Alprazolam (Oral Route).” Mayo Clinic, 2023.
- U.S. National Library of Medicine. “Alprazolam.” MedlinePlus, 2021.
- “Alprazolam (Xanax).” National Alliance on Mental Illness, 2023.
- “Xanax.” RxList, 2023.
- “XANAX Label.” U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2016.
- U.S. Department of Justice. "Controlled Substance Schedules." Drug Enforcement Administration.
- Ganim, S. “Pill presses for counterfeit drugs seized in record numbers.” CNN Health, 2017.
- “Xanax Dosage Guide.” Drugs.com, 2023.
- Olfson et al. “Benzodiazepine Use in the United States.” JAMA Psychiatry, 2015.
- Yerby, N. “Xanax Bars.” RehabSpot, 2023.
- Darke et al. “Circumstances and toxicology of sudden or unnatural deaths involving alprazolam.” Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 2014.
- Ait-Daoud et al. “A Review of Alprazolam Use, Misuse, and Withdrawal.” Journal of Addiction Medicine, 2018.
- Warner et al. “National Vital Statistics Reports.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016.
