Focus on Valium - Narconon Fresh Start

Valium is a popularly used prescription benzodiazepine, which is prescribed liberally for the treatment of anxiety and disorders associated with anxiety such as insomnia. Benzodiazepines such as Valium account for 20% of the total number of prescriptions written annually in the U.S., to highlight the popularity of these drugs and their use in medicine. One of the problems with Valium is that while it may produce a sense of calm and euphoria users are looking for when taking the drug, it is extremely easy to become dependent to these effects and hence dependent to Valium even after short-term use. This isn’t just a problem when individuals abuse Valium non-medically, but can also occur through legitimate use if someone has a prescription for the drug.

Many individuals are under the assumption that Valium is safe to use non-medically for recreational purposes because it is a legal medical drug used by so many people every day. When used as prescribed there is little danger, except for the fact that most users become dependent to Valium and have trouble getting off of the drug without intervention. When abused non-medically however, many users don’t use the drug as prescribed and in many cases use Valium in conjunction with other drugs or alcohol. Doing so greatly increases the risks associated with serious side effects and even overdose. The risks associated with experiencing serious side effects and overdose are particularly greater when consuming Valium in conjunction with alcohol, as both are depressants and an individual experiencing an overdose because of this may go to sleep and never wake up.

Because Valium causes dependence so quickly in both legitimate and non-medical users, individuals who use Valium will experience withdrawal syndrome if they suddenly stop taking the drug. While most drug withdrawal isn’t typically life threatening, this isn’t the case with benzodiazepines. Because seizures and other serious symptoms are common with benzodiazepine withdrawal, individuals will need to receive professional detox services when coming off of Valium abruptly once dependence has developed at a hospital, detox facility or drug rehab program who can deliver such services. In such facilities, individuals are typically weaned off Valium slowly to avoid symptoms which could be life threatening.

In instances where someone has become dependent to Valium, there are usually underlying reasons why this occurred and underlying causes for their stress and anxiety which prompted them to want to take Valium in the first place. This is why any detox services should always be followed up with a comprehensive treatment plan such as that offered at Narconon Fresh Start. At Narconon Fresh Start, we can help clients identify the stressors in their life, which could be certain situation from the past or present and even people in their lives which cause anxiety. Once identified, treatment counselors at Narconon Fresh Start can them help clients develop better coping skills to use in their lives so that they can handle stress and anxiety better, and not turn to any type of drugs as an escape or remedy.

Focus on Ativan - Narconon Fresh Start

Ativan is a prescription benzodiazepine most often prescribed to treat conditions such as anxiety and anxiety related disorders such as insomnia. As a benzodiazepine, Ativan has a depressant effect in the central nervous system which is what produces what users would claim to be a calming effect if they were experiencing stress or anxiety or the like. Because Ativan is a fast-acting drug, not only are the effects of the drug desirable but rapid so individuals can become dependent to the effects of the drug very quickly. Dependency means that someone who is taking Ativan may not want to stop taking the drug when they’re supposed to because they will find it hard to readjust to normal function in their lives without it. They have become dependent to the calming effects and rely on Ativan to be at ease and to relieve stress, rather than take normal measures in their lives to make this possible. This is a well-known outcome, which is why the FDA recommends that benzodiazepines such as Ativan only be used for a very short time period, and for no longer than a month at the most.

The problem is when someone can’t stop taking Ativan, even when they know they should. This might happen with a legitimate user or even with someone who abuses prescription drugs non-medically. The prescription drug abuse problem, in either regard, has reached epidemic proportions and drug rehab programs across the country are now accustomed to addressing such issues with clients. Whereas illicit drug abuse used to be the main problem people were checking into rehab for over a decade ago, individuals are now finding their way to rehab more often than not for problems regarding prescription drug abuse including problems with misuse and abuse of Ativan.

Because long-term use, even legitimate use, of Ativan can cause so many significant consequences in the person’s life it is important that anyone having trouble stopping use seeks help right away in a drug rehab program. If someone is having trouble getting Ativan this isn’t something they should even try to do on their own, because there are also risks involved with benzodiazepine withdrawal which could include seizures and other symptoms which could be life threatening. In a detox facility or drug rehab program, individuals will very likely be weaned off of Ativan and safely detoxed. At Narconon Fresh Start, we have among the most experienced detox professionals who are prepared to help individuals get off of Ativan and possibly other drugs as needed smoothly and safely. 

After an individual has safely stopped taking Ativan, it is important that they find other ways to cope with stress and anxiety so that they don’t end up right back in the same situation. No one needs to be dependent on any type of drug for their happiness or for stress relief, and at Narconon Fresh Start counselors help clients develop new ways of dealing with stress and everyday life to prevent this from happening in the future.

The Facts About Hashish

Hashish

Hashish is derived from the flower of the female cannabis plant, the same plant from which marijuana is derived. The resin glands of the cannabis plant contain THC, the main active cannabinoid which produces the effects of feeling high when someone uses both marijuana and hashish. Hashish however contains higher concentrations of THC than marijuana, and looks very different because of the way it is manufactured and prepared. Hashish will either be a brown bricklike substance or a darker tarlike resin. People who use Hashish typically smoke it in a pipe, bong, or vaporizer, although it can also be rolled into a joint or mixed in tobacco.

THC in marijuana and Hashish is a very powerful chemical which produces extreme feelings of reward and pleasure, and like any other drug this can become addictive. And because Hashish is even more potent than marijuana in many cases, meaning it contains higher concentrations of THC, it can be even more addictive. Because it is habit-forming, hashish users who regularly use the drug will experience withdrawal symptoms if they suddenly stop taking it. Depression and anxiety are the types of symptoms which prompt someone who has become addicted to Hashish to use the drug even if they want to quit. Using the drug again of course quickly alleviates such symptoms, a tell-tale sign of addiction and dependence. There are further dangers and risks as well, beyond the risk of addiction and dependence to Hashish, and research indicates that using THC over an extended period of time may lead to personality disorders and serious mental health related issues such as schizophrenia.

Another important factor to consider is that drugs such as marijuana and hashish, as seemingly harmless as they may seem, are actually gateway drugs to other more hardcore drugs of abuse. This isn’t just an opinion, and research confirms that marijuana users are 8 times more likely to use cocaine and 15 times more likely to use heroin. When considering that hashish is basically the same drug in many respects and actually more potent than marijuana, it is understandable why so many hashish users transition to other more hardcore drugs of abuse.

For someone who has already started using Hashish and wants help trying to quit, there are many programs available like Narconon Fresh Start to help them put an end to the problem before it gets any worse. Because any type of substance abuse issue, including Hashish, can significantly impact one’s quality of life it is important to address the problem before there are any serious long-term consequences. Because this can progress to an even worse and bigger problem in very short order, early intervention is key and rehab is the best option in terms of helping the person be able to remain off of the drug and other drugs for good. In many cases, there are underlying problems and issues in the person’s life which prompted them to use Hashish and possibly other drugs, and this can all be effectively sorted out in a quality drug rehab program.