875k Arizonans living in Maricopa County were prescribed a benzodiazepine in 2024. Prescriptions of Xanax in particular rose over 11% from the year before, indicating that it is still a prominent part of many people’s lives.
Just taking Xanax isn’t bad – but when does taking it turn into physical dependence, and then turn into a Xanax use disorder? What do you do if you know you have an addiction to Xanax?
When in doubt, it’s always a good idea to get help. Pinnacle Peak Recovery has a nationally-recognized track record of empowering people with substance use disorders to heal. If you feel like Xanax is taking over your life, we can help you regain control. Let us tell you more about what we do.
Between 2022 and 2023 in Arizona, more than 1.2 million residents aged 12 and older admitted to illicit drug use at least once a month.
Life with Xanax use disorder is painful. It probably all started as a way to manage your anxiety. Now, when you don’t take Xanax regularly, the anxiety likely gets worse, paired with painful withdrawal symptoms and distressing dips in your mental health. The medication acts quickly and wears off quickly. It might feel like you’re always searching for how to get your next bottle so you can manage to survive another month, or week, or a few days.
Thankfully, there is a whole life waiting for you beyond Xanax misuse. Getting treatment and committing to recovery isn’t easy, but it’s worth it, and Pinnacle Peak is ready to help.
Every prospective client has an intake counselor available at Pinnacle Peak. They’ll listen to your story and consider your experiences carefully and without judgment. Then, they’ll refer you to one of our three primary programs. People who need treatment for Xanax use disorder tend to start in our detox program, but after that, recovery isn’t linear. Some people will benefit more from inpatient, some from outpatient, and some will find themselves switching between programs as they find the right fit. This is all perfectly fine! The most important thing is taking that first step to getting help. We’ll navigate the rest of your recovery journey together.
One of the most difficult parts of taking Xanax is the withdrawal symptoms you can develop when you become physically dependent on it. These withdrawal symptoms can be devastating and are a significant reason why many people continue to take Xanax and end up stuck in the cycle of a substance use disorder.
Withdrawal is one reason why our benzodiazepine detox is so important. It’s dangerous to try to cut back on Xanax without medical support. In our detox program, medical professionals will monitor you and help you taper off your Xanax safely, providing all the support you need to start your journey to recovery. Once you complete our detox program, you’ll proceed to our inpatient or outpatient program.
Pinnacle Peak’s inpatient program is built for people who need intensive, structured care as they recover from their Xanax use disorder. During inpatient, you’ll stay at Pinnacle Peak full-time as you focus on various therapy options and learning the skills you need to get back on track. Some of the therapy options available in our inpatient program are:
Our outpatient program is a great choice for individuals who want to receive treatment but don’t want to or aren’t able to spend all their time at our facility. In our outpatient program, you still receive therapy and a customized treatment plan, but you only come to our facility a few times a week. Outpatient is often more accessible to parents and people who can’t put their jobs and lives on hold to focus entirely on recovery. Despite being lower-intensity than inpatient, our outpatient program changes lives.
After successfully completing inpatient treatment, you are often referred to an intensive outpatient program (IOP). This type of treatment program provides a great “check-in” atmosphere where you can share your triumphs and struggles while getting the support from qualified professionals and individuals in similar situations.
Completing these levels of treatment gives you a much better chance at success compared to quitting the drug alone. Addiction is a very powerful disease. The changes heroin creates in your brain can have lasting effects. Luckily, with prolonged support, you can once again enjoy a heroin-free life.
The best heroin addiction treatment centers offer a comfortable setting where you find support, information, and strategies for remaining drug free. Pinnacle Peak Recovery provides many of the above-mentioned resources and more. Whether you live in the Scottsdale area or anywhere in the world, we are ready to help you.
Xanax, also known as alprazolam, is part of the benzodiazepine medication class. They’re often prescribed to help manage anxiety and panic attacks. Xanax is fast-acting, so it’s useful for quick relief from intense anxiety – at least in theory.
Recent research found that Xanax might not be as effective as we think. This is an important discovery, because taking Xanax long-term can severely impact your body and brain.
Even when you take Xanax as your doctor prescribes it, developing a physical dependence is likely if you take it long-term. Physical dependence is different than a substance use disorder, but it is often a key component of it. Physical dependence is when your brain starts to rely on a substance to feel normal. A key sign of this is your regular dose of Xanax no longer helping with your symptoms. This is known as tolerance, and can easily lead to taking more and more Xanax to try to find relief.
With dependency comes withdrawal symptoms when you stop taking Xanax. These can feel awful, ranging from headaches and nausea to seizures and hallucinations. It’s very difficult, and even dangerous, to get off Xanax by yourself once you develop a physical dependence. This is why we highly recommend a detox program.
Dependency is often part of a Xanax addiction, but not all people who develop a physical dependency develop a Xanax use disorder.
Substance use disorders occur because of a need to escape from some type of pain, usually psychological. Because people take Xanax to relieve their anxiety symptoms, they may become reliant on it to feel better. It then becomes an unhealthy coping mechanism to deal with their distress, and is often the first thing they fall back on when their anxiety starts flaring up.
Unfortunately, Xanax wearing off can cause “rebound anxiety,” which might be even worse than the anxiety someone started taking Xanax to treat. Paired with painful withdrawal symptoms, taking Xanax can become a cycle that leads to a substance use disorder.
These factors also tend to make developing Xanax use disorder more likely:
If you’re prescribed Xanax and experiencing unpleasant symptoms when you don’t take it, it’s a good idea to get in touch with your doctor. Even though it isn’t a Xanax use disorder, physical dependence can still have a huge impact on people’s lives, and it’s worth addressing.
Sometimes the line between physical dependence and addiction isn’t as clear, though. That’s when it’s time to ask yourself these questions:
If the answer to any of these questions is “Yes,” it’s a good idea to seek help. The more questions that apply to you, the more important it is to seek treatment.
Sometimes, you’re asking this question for a loved one instead. It’s hard to answer the above questions for someone else, so it’s helpful to know other signs of Xanax use disorder your loved one might exhibit:
All of these signs together paint a clearer picture of someone who needs help.
If the signs above apply to you or your loved one, it can be overwhelming. Maybe you didn’t realize the harmful role Xanax has in your life before now, or this confirmed a suspicion you had that your loved one might be misusing Xanax. That anxious feeling is completely natural and understandable.
Remember, misusing Xanax doesn’t make someone weak, and it isn’t a moral failing. It’s a condition that changes your brain, and it requires treatment just like any other health condition. Thankfully, help for Xanax addiction is available and accessible. The next step is to reach out.
Pinnacle Peak Recovery is an addiction recovery center located in Scottsdale, Arizona. We offer the full continuum of care – detox, residential, intensive outpatient, and outpatient – and mental health treatment programs to ensure every person who trusts us with their care receives the help they need. We recognize that substance use disorders impact every area of people’s lives, so we make sure our treatment does, too. We offer nutrition programs, supportive housing, and more, so your family can get back on their feet, recover comprehensively, and build the healthy life it deserves. Contact us through our website or call (866) 377-4761 to get started.
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