Klonopin Addiction Treatment In New Jersey
Discovery Institute works with each of our clients to create a strong drug and alcohol relapse prevention plan that lasts throughout treatment.
How Addictive is Klonopin and What are the Side Effects?
As this benzodiazepine-class medication is widely known as a reliable anti-seizure and anti-anxiety medication, for those wondering is Klonopin addictive in the way that other benzos are? The answer is yes, as practically all types of benzos have the same potential to be an addictive substance.
Klonopin is known to actually induce addiction in people who have been taking it even for only a few weeks, and even while taking it only in the dosage prescribed by their physician. Benzodiazepine-class substances block the natural receptors of the brain that are associated with stress and anxiety, and this causes the person to feel extremely calm and relaxed soon after taking it. The immediate action of Klonopin, combined with how it makes a person feel, makes dependency on this substance a high possibility.
What are the Side Effects of Klonopin?
Klonopin is intended to reduce specific brain activities that are associated with seizures or with feelings related to anxiety disorders. As both of these concerns come with a measure of increased activity, the effects of Klonopin bring about the opposite, and cause sedation and feeling or elation and euphoria.
The feelings of calmness and euphoria, however, also come with varied side effects, as the medication itself affects the nervous system, and as such, affects the whole body as well.
Short-term effects:
Relaxation and Reduction of Worries
The general effect of benzodiazepine-class medications on the central nervous system is that of slowing it down, as this is the most effective way to lower the tension and apprehension caused by anxiety. This is why people who take benzos feel an immense sense of calm and sedation.
Slowed Response and Cognitive Functions
As the brain activity is forcefully made slower by Klonopin, so does movement and understanding. In many cases, people experience some slight difficulty in concentrating, and this also translates into slowed response time and comprehension.
Euphoria and Drowsiness
Different people tend to equate pleasurable feelings with different things. In the case of Klonopin, however, being relieved of anxiety, tension, and worries could be the best feeling in the world, and combined with chemically-induced euphoria, this could be immensely pleasurable for anyone. The immense relaxation that Klonopin gives, however, could also leave a person constantly drowsy.
Long-term effects:
Using Klonopin, or any kind of benzo, for an extended time is sure to create long-lasting issues with how people think, feel, and do things. The central nervous system was never intended to be slowed artificially, and doing so for a long time will definitely have serious consequences.
These are some of the effects of long-term Klonopin use:
- Vertigo
- Constant dizziness
- Fainting spells
- Feeling of heaviness or numbness of extremities
- Impaired cognition
- Inability to form new memories
- Confusion
- Impaired judgment
- Severely slowed reaction time
- Reduced libido
- Slurred speech
- Impaired muscular coordination
- Delirium
- Respiratory depression
- Episodic memory loss
- Aggression
- Emotional blunting
- Disruption of sleep patterns
- Blurred vision
- Frequent urination
- Unsteadiness
- Hallucinations
- Tachycardia (increased heart rate)
- Nausea
- Vomiting
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How is Klonopin Addiction Treated?
Any person with a severe dependency of any benzodiazepine-class medication needs to undergo a thorough assessment of the damage already incurred through the addiction, and also the type of therapy that would be best for the person.
Following detoxification and withdrawal management, a therapist may suggest the use of treatment programs that involve psychotherapy as an approach, as there are many psychological effects that need to be addressed when someone is hooked on substances that target the central nervous system
These approaches include:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
After being hooked on a substance that drastically alters how a person’s brain works, there is definitely a need to address the skewed perceptions developed during the time the person was taking the substance. This includes the thinking that the only thing that could help them with anything is the substance that they are addicted to. Other harmful thought patterns also need to be addressed, so that the person recognizes their way of thinking is directly related to why they were addicted in the first place.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy
As Klonopin is a medication also used to treat anxiety disorders, there is a need to evaluate how a person reacts to certain stimuli, such as anxiety, and if this reaction is tied in with substance abuse, then there is a need to develop a reaction that does not involve using drugs. Dialectical behavior treatment helps people develop better coping mechanisms so that they bahev better ways of dealing with issues such as anxiety and stress, that don’t include taking substances.
Find Help Now with Klonopin Addiction Treatment at The Discovery Institute
Klonopin addiction is immensely difficult to get over, requiring expert care, professional therapy, and a deep insight of the human element that suffers from it.
Having helped people with their substance abuse issues for a very long time gives a deeper and more meaningful perspective as to why people do it. We here at The Discovery Institute understand this better than anyone else, because we’ve been doing it longer than anyone else.
Let us help you now.
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Dr. Joseph Ranieri D.O. earned his BS in Pharmacy at Temple University School of Pharmacy in 1981 and His Doctorate Degree in Osteopathic Medicine at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1991. He is Board Certified by the American Board of Family Medicine and a Diplomate of the American Board of Preventive Medicine Addiction Certification. Dr. Ranieri has lectured extensively to physicians, nurses, counselors and laypeople about the Disease of Addiction throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania since 2012.
