Xanax is a prescription medication that is classified as a benzodiazepine and used to treat generalized anxiety disorder. It is the most commonly prescribed psychiatric medication in the United States currently. Although it is effective when treating intense levels of stress, Xanax is often abused by those who have a prescription for it, as well as those who do not.
Xanax is a depressant that suppresses your central nervous system, which, for teens with anxiety disorder, can come as a serious relief. But with continued use, Xanax causes the body to build up a tolerance quickly, making it likely that you will need to take more of the drug than what was initially prescribed.
Even if you follow your doctor’s instructions and take Xanax as prescribed, the drug often leads to dependence and subsequent addiction. In order to treat an addiction to Xanax, intensive adolescent inpatient or outpatient care is almost always recommend. You may not know how to properly wean yourself off of the drug on your own and cut off your intake too quickly, which can have serious effects on your health and cause permanent damage or death.
It’s best if you seek treatment at a facility that gradually tapers off your Xanax consumption so that you can slowly become less dependent on the drug. If you require longer-term care after you leave your primary inpatient treatment facility, you can continue maintaining your sobriety at Sustain Recovery. We offer extended care services for adolescents so that you can make a clean and comfortable transition back into society.
Are You Addicted to Xanax?
It’s not uncommon for you to be unaware of your Xanax addiction. Many teens use the drug correctly, but still end up dependent on it. Others, however, may use Xanax recreationally. No matter how you use the drug, addiction is still possible.
Common signs of Xanax addiction include:
- A lack of interest in your usually daily activities
- An obsessive interest in finding Xanax
- Taking more pills than what was recommended by your doctor
- Continuing your use of Xanax even though it creates debilitation in everyday life
- An inability to stop using Xanax no matter how hard you seem to try
- Experiencing severe discomfort (or withdrawal) when you stop taking Xanax
Exhibiting any of these factors is debilitating for both you and your family, and the short-term effects of the drug can create much dysfunction in your household. Memory loss is a common symptom of Xanax abuse, which may cause you to forget events that occurred only a short time ago. Conversations while on Xanax are also incomprehensible due to incoherency and slurred speech.
Xanax Abuse in Teens
When taken, Xanax produces feelings of calm and relaxation, which is why it is so readily prescribed if you have an anxiety disorder. If you choose to take Xanax recreationally, however, the drug may produce feelings of euphoria and lethargic behavior.
You or your friends might have a Xanax prescription and buy or sell some pills to your peers for recreational use, or it’s possible that you or someone you know has a family member with a Xanax prescription, giving you access to the drug. However you manage to secure Xanax, consistently taking the drug can quickly spiral out of control and turn into abuse.
Continue Sobriety with Sustain Recovery
As an extended care facility, Sustain Recovery provides longer-term care for teens after they have completed treatment at a primary facility. The minimum stay is 90 days, but many teens choose to stay for six months or more to fully prepare themselves for their transition back into sober living outside of treatment.
The 12-step program is at the core of our treatment philosophy, which we implement as part of our phase system. Patients engage in the 12-process to come to terms with their addiction, become motivated to continue their sobriety and listen to similar stories from other residents in the program.
In addition to the 12-step process, and depending on the particulars of your individual treatment plan, you may participate in individual and family therapy, support groups, music and cinema therapy, nutritional guidance, vocational training and more. Your time at Sustain Recovery will be spent practicing the necessary strategies that will maintain your sobriety while having fun at the same time.
Adolescent extended care is also a time for you to learn how to apply these strategies to everyday life. The structure of a teen inpatient or outpatient facility is helpful for many residents, but they often have trouble applying the same principles to the real world. Similarly, friends and family may not offer the same amount of support and understanding as what you received in recovery. All of this can pile up over time and result in relapse.
At Sustain Recovery, you are assigned your own personal counselor who will help you put everyday activities into practice. You will learn the importance of daily chores, meal planning, personal hygiene and more, which is all part of the treatment plan that is created for you here and combined with what is instructed to us by your primary inpatient facility. Your treatment plan also considers any co-occurring disorder that may be present, such as anxiety.
We encourage you to participate in family therapy with your loved ones as well, which can seriously determine the success for continued recovery at home. The family unit is vital to your sobriety, and in therapy you can all learn the proper ways to build a supportive and safe environment outside of treatment.
If you would like more information about the teen extended care services we offer, contact Sustain Recovery at (949) 407-9052 to speak with one of our counselors.
