Benzodiazepines are extremely dangerous for teen use. These drugs are used to induce sedation, reduce anxiety, and even cause amnesia are commonly abused to create a euphoric high. According to the DEA, young adults often take the drug orally, crush it, or snort it to get high.
Relevance Recovery, our New Jersey teen treatment program, is designed to support teens struggling with mental illness and those struggling with substance abuse. If you feel your teen is abusing benzos, it is crucial to get them treated immediately. Contact a counselor today to see if our program fits your child’s needs.
What are Benzos? Can Benzos be Addictive?
Benzodiazepines are prescription medications that cause sedation and can be used to reduce anxiety. Benzos are often called “downers,” “tranks,” and “nerve pills.” These street names refer to the high that Benzos create when taken.
Benzodiazepines are addictive medications. Approximately half a million people over 12 are addicted to prescription sedatives, and about 75% of them get them from a friend, family member, or physician.
Are Benzos Dangerous for Teens?
When teens struggle with substance abuse, it can impact more than just their physical health. When the drug mentally alters your child, it can lead them to develop unhealthy coping mechanisms and increase the likelihood of participating in unsafe behaviors to increase the risk of trauma.
Not only Are benzodiazepines addictive, but they can also cause an overdose. Defined as “profound sedation,“ a benzo overdose can depress the lungs and heart to the point where an individual goes into a coma and, without medical treatment, could die.
Symptoms of Benzo Withdrawal
When an individual stops benzodiazepine use, whether legal or illegal, they may experience withdrawal symptoms that make it difficult for them to regulate their health and behavior. For example, when teenagers misuse benzos, they often experience more severe withdrawal symptoms.
When an individual goes through benzo withdrawal, they can expect to experience:
- seizures
- shakiness
- anxiety
- agitation
- insomnia
- overactive reflexes
- increased heart rate, blood pressure, and temperature with sweating
- hallucinations
- severe cravings
The severity of these symptoms indicates a need for users to undergo treatment for benzo withdrawal under the care of a medical professional in a detoxification facility. At a New Jersey rehab facility, medical professionals can provide clients with medication, emotional support, and other treatments to lessen withdrawal symptoms.
How to Find Benzo Addiction Treatment for Teens
When searching for a benzo Addiction treatment, it is critical to consider the factors that your teen will mean through the recovery process. Additionally, when searching for a treatment that meets your teen’s needs, it is important to consider the therapies and amenities as factors That can impact your child’s recovery.
The therapies provided should combine traditional treatment for mental health and alternative therapies to help your child develop a well-rounded sense of self. Through this process, your child should learn to manage stressors, identify triggering situations, and create a “game plan,” should they be in need.
Amenities are another thing that parents should consider for teens struggling with substance abuse. While they may not be living at a facility, they will be spending a significant amount of time there and should feel comfortable in that location. In addition, amenities and other services can help teens develop a multidisciplinary approach to their mental health. Some treatment facilities even offer an afterschool program for teens struggling with mental health to help them build connections, community, and their area with other individuals experiencing the same struggles.
In Relevance Recovery, we believe that creating an individual treatment plan for your teen is essential to their effective and successful recovery. Therefore, we offer multiple programs designed to meet your teen’s needs. We use a multidisciplinary approach; our highly trained medical staff address mental health concerns in teens through individual and group therapy. We believe that helping teens regulate their emotions, identify their triggers, and build a plan for the future are the foundational building blocks for sustainable recovery.
At Relevance Recovery, we know that treatment isn’t linear. We understand there will be setbacks and relapses, but with our comprehensive treatment options, we believe we can help your teen make lifelong changes. Request more information today about our New Jersey outpatient or teen intensive outpatient program.
