Smarmore Castle Drug & Alcohol Rehab
Safe Management & Treatment for Benzodiazepine Addiction
As a leading addiction clinic, Smarmore Castle understands exactly what it’s like to be in the grips of a benzo addiction.
Pregabalin | Tramadol | Painkillers | Codeine | Benzodiazepines
An addiction to benzodiazepine drugs is common – those prescribed these drugs for legitimate medical reasons and conditions can often unintentionally abuse them leading to a crippling addiction.
Whether you’ve accidentally fallen into an addiction or taking benzos illegally, continued abuse or sudden cessation can cause you more physical and mental harm.
We’re very sorry that you are going through this but please let us reassure you that there is a way out. Call ++353 41 214 5111.
Get Help and Advice for Your Addiction Today
Please do not try and attempt to quit benzos without medical supervision as doing so can lead to extremely dangerous outcomes.
Benzodiazepine Addiction – Substance Breakdown
Loved ones and afflicted individuals should bear in mind that even though benzodiazepines are prescribed by doctors that they are acutely addictive and cause significant harm when abused.
- What is it? Benzodiazepines belong to the sedative class of drugs that provide a calming effect. However, the prescription tranquiliser is highly addictive, and abusers are often faced with a host of physical, psychological, and behavioural symptoms. Initially, benzodiazepine can be prescribed for anxiety or panic disorders. The mental health community refers to benzodiazepine abuse as hypnotic, sedative or anxiolytic use disorder. Source.
- Street names: Benzos, Blues, Chill Pills, Downers, Bars.
- Signs of drug abuse: Poor judgement and thinking, doctor shopping, mood changes and new risk-taking behaviours, slurred speech, lack of motor coordination.
- Poly-use (common substance combinations): Benzos are very commonly mixed with alcohol.
- Side effects: Weakness, blurred version, drowsiness, dizziness, confusion, and physical weakness. Source.
- Psychological effects: Shifts in mood and personality, the user is uncharacteristically secretive and engages in risky activities.
- Long-term medical: The chronic abuse of benzodiazepines can trigger the following medical problems: anxiety, anorexia, insomnia, tremors, headaches and memory problems.
- Withdrawal: A benzodiazepine withdrawal is particularly dangerous and life-threatening, and thus the recommended type of detoxification is one under the direct care of a doctor. “Any patient who has taken a benzodiazepine for longer than 3–4 weeks is likely to have withdrawal symptoms if the drug is ceased abruptly.” – Source.
Benzo Rehab in Ireland
Addiction Assessments | Medically Managed Detox | Daily Therapy
The minimum, recommended stay of our inpatient facility a short drive from Dublin is 28 days – this is to ensure we have an adequate amount of time for a safe detox and therapeutic intervention.
For a Benzodiazepine addiction, our supervised detoxes can last up to two weeks to help individuals overcome and get through the intense withdrawal process.
During this time, we will also provide dual diagnosis support and mental health assessments to determine the best therapeutic programme moving forward.
“In general, the optimal treatment of these conditions in primary care is non-pharmacological, particularly psychological and behavioural, therapies.” – Source.
Personalised, individual therapies sessions will take place multiple times a week using CBT, DBT or EMDR techniques to repair cognitive thoughts and emotional maturity that will help you see yourself and your addiction in a compassionate, empathetic way.
Daily group therapies, relationship management and family therapy will also be offered to help you rebuild and sustain close relationships – this will also help your family to understand your condition so that they can best help you manage triggers later.
We’ll take over your pharmacology and nutritional management to ensure a stable recovery and facilitate the best mindset for workshops, continued learning and 12-step facilitation.
Upon leaving our facility, you can also rely on 12 months of free support, weekly outpatient therapy sessions and alumni meetings to motivate your recovery journey as it progresses away from Smarmore Castle.
Download our Brochure
The Importance of an Assisted, Medical Detox
By sudden cessation, the brain does not get its familiar amount and the withdrawal process is triggered. Withdrawal from benzos is particularly dangerous, and in many instances can be fatal.
For example, seizures are one of the most common symptoms of withdrawal, hence the need for the assistance and supervision of medical professionals.
For loved ones at home, it can be unclear to distinguish symptoms of use from symptoms of withdrawal, therefore, the best practice in situations like this is to seek immediate help from doctors, who can assist you safely.
Benzodiazepine abuse alone does not typically result in death; however, the withdrawal can be life-threatening. Thus all addiction professionals agree that a best practice is to be weaned off benzos with a medically-supervised and managed detoxification.
Mental Health Dangers
Benzodiazepine addiction can co-occur with various mental health difficulties including major depressive disorders, bipolar and anxiety. When used in conjunction with other substances, like alcohol, the development and progression of depression is a distinct possibility.
Even though benzos are used to treat anxiety conditions, the risk of addiction to the medication often translates to dual diagnoses occurring. If you do not take benzos to treat existing mental health problems, you should be aware that the continued abuse of the medication can increase the risk of developing serious mental health disorders.
When treating you for a benzo addiction, we will ensure to create a plan that targets both the physical and psychological addiction as well as any mental health disorders at the same time.
The approach to treating the two together takes a combined approach of medication, psychotherapy and group support.
Free & Confidential Addiction Assessment
Taking the first step in seeking help can be very difficult, our team is here to help you.
A Therapy Team That Understands You, Your Feelings and Addiction
Our therapists possess and utilise many skills in addiction recovery, but one of their main skills is the practice of empathetic responding and active listening. This is because they often have personal addiction experience
One main reason for our patient’s success in achieving sustained recovery is the positive therapist-client relationship we create. Our patients thrive and grow because they feel understood.
Our therapeutic approach focuses on:
- Nonverbal behaviours and indicators
- Reflecting on deeper feelings
- Pointing out conflictual feelings and thoughts
- Using visual imagery, metaphors and analogies
- Targeted self-disclosure
- Reflecting tactile responses and using discursive responses
Here at Smarmore Castle, we don’t wish we could it make better, we can be proactive in making it happen.
We believe in you – and we believe you can recover. Contact us for help. Our admission team are naturally empathetic and know exactly what to do to help you navigate through this worrying time.
- How to Access Rehab With Health Insurance
For those experiencing existing mental health conditions in Ireland, there are private medical insurers who can help you cover treatment. As addiction experts, we know that receiving the appropriate care and support when you have a mental health disorder is pivotal to attaining long-lasting recovery. Below, we will go through the various health insurance options to help you understand your options when it comes to seeking private residential care for substance abuse. Please note that there is no guarantee that you can be covered for all addiction problems as policies are always assessed on a case-by-case basis. Find Out More
- My Loved One Doesn’t Want Help, What Do I Do?
You can’t force someone to go to rehab. At the end of the day, it needs to be their decision because they are the ones that need to be open to turning their lives around. There are ways in which you can encourage someone to enter treatment, one of these ways is via an intervention with a trained interventionist, who facilitates an honest discussion between family members and the addict. This is something Smarmore Castle can arrange – contact us today.
- Which Drugs Does Smarmore Castle Detox From?
We can detox people from any drugs whether they are illegal drugs such as cocaine, heroin, ketamine; or prescription drugs such as benzodiazepines or zopiclone, oxycodone, zolpidem, klonopin, methadone, cannabis; and legal drugs such as alcohol.
- How Long Is the Treatment Programme?
Our treatment programme starts at 4 weeks and is flexible in length, giving you the opportunity to extend for a longer period if you need it.
- Do You Treat Dual Diagnosis?
All patients are reviewed by a consultant psychiatrist in the first week and we can diagnose and provide treatment for a number of co-occurring mental health conditions.
- Do I Need to Be Abstinent Before Admission?
Our medically managed detoxification with 24/7 medical cover means that we can perform complete and complex detoxes at Smarmore Castle. You don’t need to be abstinent before arrival.
- How Do I Get To Rehab Safely?
Smarmore Castle is one hour north of Dublin international airport and we can arrange a driver to collect you and bring you straight to us for free.
We can also arrange a ‘sober transport’ service with a trusted driver, from anywhere in Ireland or Northern Ireland, at an additional cost.