Lake Worth, FL 9/27/2012 4:00:00 AM
News / Education

Drug Rehab Patients Addicted To Xanax At Risk for Overdose

Xanax is one of the most prescribed anti-anxiety medications on the market today. While it is a very effective medication that works immediately to relieve anxiety symptoms, drug rehabs admit thousands of patients every year who suffer from addiction to the drug.

Xanax produces a calming effect that is quite satisfying for substance abuse center patients who take the drug. For this reason, drug rehabs warn that xanax is extremely addictive both physically and mentally. Substance abuse patients who have taken xanax easily become physically dependent on the medication if they take it repeatedly for long periods of time. Their minds also become dependent on xanax because it is so effective for calming nerves and anxiety symptoms that drug rehab patients fear not taking it. These substance abuse patients believe they won’t be able to encounter stressful situations without the drug. This fear could potentially lead to a serious panic attack in a social situation.

The biggest problem with xanax is that, when abused, it has a high tendency to cause overdose deaths. These overdoses are especially prevalent for people who take large quantities of the drug and drink alcohol. Because xanax is a benzodiazapene, it does not mix well with alcohol. The combination is deadly.

There are alternative medications to xanax for anxiety disorder that are not addictive. Many patients in drug rehabs are opting to detox themselves from xanax and choose an alternative prescription pill. Most of these other medications are not as fact acting as xanax, but substance abuse treatment center patients who choose this option will be safer in the long run.