Klonopin and Alcohol Withdrawal
Learn the Facts About Klonopin and Alcohol Withdrawal
Klonopin and alcohol withdrawal is a set of symptoms that typically occur when habituated use of these substances are abruptly halted. Over the years, scientific research outcomes have clearly demonstrated that there is a neurobiological component to habituated drug use that responds to both psychological and pharmacologic interventions. In many instances, an integrated approach that entails the use of both treatment modalities often makes it easier for people in recovery to stay sober.
A dependence on alcohol has been shown to be the most difficult to overcome due to the propensity to relapse and the danger of alcohol withdrawals. As a legal and socially accepted substance, the ease of access and frequency of exposure create a problem for many people recovering from an addiction to alcohol. But the most problematic aspect of abuse is by far the potentially life threatening alcohol withdrawal symptoms that occur when normal levels of consumption is reduced or halted. In most people, the sudden cessation triggers a hyper-excitable response by the central nervous system that often result in seizures and a dangerous series of symptoms known as delirium tremens.
Alcohol Withdrawal symptoms may include agitation, hallucination, sweating and confusion to name a few. These usually commence after waking up. Their occurrence is due in part to a drop-in blood alcohol levels during sleep. As such, few will dispute the fact that finding the right treatment to mitigate potentially life-threatening alcohol withdrawal symptoms is critical to achieving long term sobriety.
The use of substitution medication such as Klonopin during the alcohol withdrawal process is a common approach to alleviating severe discomfort. This intervention has been shown, in some cases to be useful in patients with addictions to sedative-hypnotics substances, alcohol, opioids and nicotine. While withdrawal symptoms from opioids or nicotine is unlikely to cause death, there are documented cases in which unsupervised withdrawal from alcohol has resulted in a significant number of mortality.
Klonopin (clonazepam) is an anti-anxiety agent from the benzodiazepine family of drugs. While Klonopin does not target any specific psychiatric disorder, when used appropriately and under medical supervision, it is less toxic to the human body and act on receptor systems in the brain that are the focus of alcohol. As a result, Klonopin is used in some instances to ameliorate the acute effects of alcohol withdrawals, including deadly delirium tremens. Nevertheless, clinicians have found that people in general, including alcoholics can become “addicted” to Klonopin if drug use is inappropriately dispensed or consumed. This drug should therefore only be used with medical supervision and not as a do-it-yourself soothing mechanism for alcohol withdrawal symptoms.
How Does alcohol rehab work?
The primary objective of any alcohol rehab program is to stop habituated use of alcohol and provide the tools that support and enable long term abstinence. In addition to the psychological and pharmacological interventions, the core component of alcohol rehab is education.
The education process help the person battling addiction to understand the….
- Contributing factors to chronic use of alcohol
- Reasons for failed attempts to stop drinking
- The dangers of going cold-turkey without access to medical care
- How substitution drugs like Klonopin can result in dependence
- The brain/body effects of alcohol abuse
- Why abstinence rather than controlled use is necessary to prevent a relapse
Studies show pairing education with appropriate treatment interventions helps patients to stay in treatment longer and are more motivated to implement relapse prevention tools after rehab. Additionally, completed rehab programs coupled with addiction support and greater understanding of the alcohol addiction condition effect changes in lifestyle and negative pattern of behavior.
If you or a loved one needs help with abuse and/or treatment, please call the WhiteSands Treatment at (877) 855-3470. Our addiction specialists can assess your recovery needs and help you get the addiction treatment that provides the best chance for your long-term recovery.
About the Author
Mark is a proud alumni member of WhiteSands Treatment. After living a life of chaos, destruction and constant let downs, Mark was able to make a complete turnaround that sparked a new way of life. He is serious about his recovery along with helping others. At WhiteSands Treatment, we offer support to you in your homes or when you are out living in your daily lives.