Treatment for addiction to benzodiazepine requires medical assessment followed by a home detoxification plan where reduced doses of the drug are given. Continuous physical and mental state assessments will be made by a specialist in the home and the treatment will focus heavily on good nutrition, proper sleep hygiene, relaxation techniques and prevention of relapse.
Benzodiazepine detoxification is a process of eliminating drug toxin from the body as withdrawal symptoms are controlled. It essentially overcomes the damage caused by these toxins in the brain. Gradual reduction and elimination is used to prevent seizures and other problems during detoxification which can be accomplished within 14 days in general but depends also to the patient’s condition if longer treatment is required. Recovery is achieved through pharmacological intervention which acts upon the neurotransmitters in the brain destroyed by Benzodiazepine. During a Benzodiazepine detoxification treatment, several processes are involved:
- Diagnosis
- Detoxification
- Brain nutrition
- Psychotherapy
In diagnosis, every factor that interdependently affects and is related to the patient’s condition is evaluated. It includes medical examination such as laboratory tests, blood chemistry analysis, hepatic and renal profiles to name a few. During the detoxification process, difficulty and suffering are eliminated by using pharmacological intervention while in the process of brain nutrition, the patient’s diet is enriched with amino acids that aids in the correction of nutritional deficiencies which is usually the case in this illness.
Psychotherapy is an essentially important process in the Benzodiazepine detoxification treatment. This program is personally designed for each patient to help them restore their relationship with their family, friends, colleagues and loved ones which are affected with their addiction. They are educated with facts about their illness and coping skills are taught to enable them to successfully recover and get back to society renewed and restored. However, they should be willing to undergo this program and work cooperatively with their counselors to enable the success of the program. Support and acceptance from their family and loved ones are also imperative because the process usually takes some time and several difficulties will be encountered along the way.
