With the world in its current state, it’s easy to understand why anxiety disorders, stress, and insomnia are on the rise. While exercise, therapy, and changing their lifestyle will be the best option for some, others are quick to grab a pill for chemical relief to ease their most prominent symptoms without making changes to their lives. If you’re going through a hard time that can’t be solved with exercise and sunshine, it’s time to reach out to a doctor for some extra help. It could mean a benzodiazepine medication, in conjunction with a new diet and exercise, to help prevent anxiety attacks. However, while it may help some, others will enjoy the feeling and continue using it, even if they aren’t anxious.
The need for benzodiazepine treatment in Philadelphia shouldn’t come as much of a shock, especially with nationwide figures showing 18.1 percent of people suffer from anxiety disorders in the United States. Unfortunately, a significant amount of those with an anxiety condition is prescribed benzos to combat the worst of their symptoms. Yale Medicine has come out and stated that benzodiazepine use could turn into the next opioid crisis.
Unfortunately, an estimated 92 million benzodiazepine prescriptions were dispensed from pharmacies around the country, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). With such a staggering figure, it could indicate that a benzo crisis is looming. Even more, it answers why the need for benzodiazepine treatment in places like Philadelphia is growing.
The most commonly prescribed benzo is alprazolam (Xanax), with 38 percent of all prescriptions. Clonazepam (Klonopin) is a close second with 24 percent of all prescriptions. Lorazepam (Ativan) wraps up the top three most prescribed benzos with 20 percent of all prescriptions. An estimated 50 percent of people prescribed benzos in 2018 took them for longer than two months, a significant issue since benzos shouldn’t be used for more than two weeks due to the dependence and addiction potential.
Although benzodiazepines get a bad reputation for their addictive qualities, these medications are therapeutic and significantly impact the lives of those who don’t abuse them. They’re approved for treating social phobias, seizures, insomnia, generalized anxiety disorder, and panic disorder. They’re often used as premedications before select medical procedures. With that said, dosage, frequency, and how long they’re used are dependent on the severity of symptoms the individual faces. Only a doctor can determine how much you use.
Despite serving a vital purpose, these drugs are commonly misused and abused, leading to chemical dependency, addiction, and the need for benzodiazepine treatment. If you get addicted to benzos, you’ll steal and act out of character, despite the repercussions. Even worse, when you become addicted, you may use benzos with other depressants to potentiate the effects, which can be fatal.
If you’re living in Philadelphia and you’ve become dependent or addicted to benzodiazepines, it’s time that you consider treatment. Fortunately, Summit Behavioral Health can help you turn everything around and make the necessary changes to take control back of your life. Benzodiazepine detox is dangerous, and having a guiding hand will make this process much safer.
The Problem With Benzodiazepine Prescriptions in Philadelphia
The United States is rife for new crises developing. Drug overdoses reached new levels in 2020. While opioids led the way, benzodiazepines are making their mark as well. Because of the opioid crisis in Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Department of Health launched a Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PA PDMP) to increase the quality of patient care by providing prescribers, and pharmacists access to a person’s controlled substance prescription history. It included all schedule II-V prescriptions dispensed on an outpatient basis, including benzodiazepines and opioids.
The state of Pennsylvania as a whole reported 4,491 overdose deaths in 2018, translating to 35 deaths per 100,000 people. These were ruled either accidental or undetermined. Between 2015 and 2018, there was an increase of 36 percent from drug-related overdoses throughout the state. The number of benzodiazepine prescriptions was not disclosed, but these drugs will lead to addiction after a few weeks of use. Even though they treat common mental health conditions like anxiety, they can worsen symptoms in the long term and cause chemical dependency.
If you’ve become dependent on benzodiazepines, look for the following signs:
- Shakiness
- Rebound anxiety
- Mood swings
- Fatigue
- Cold sweats
- Increased heart rate
- Paranoia
- Intrusive thoughts
- Inability to focus or concentrate
The need for benzodiazepine treatment in Philadelphia continues growing. If you’ve been wanting to get help but put it off, there is no better time than the present. Below we’ll explain what you can expect if you seek help.
Benzodiazepine Treatment in Philadelphia
Fortunately, if you’re in the Philadelphia area and need benzodiazepine treatment, Summit Behavioral Health is close by to provide you with the services you need. This is how we’ll help:
Detox
If you’re going through benzodiazepine withdrawal, detox is an essential piece of the puzzle. Benzo withdrawal is dangerous, and going through detox is imperative to ensure you recover safely. Medical detox is a process where, when you check-in, you’ll be thoroughly assessed by the intake team to determine what you’ll need moving forward. They’ll evaluate your medical history and drug background. This helps them determine how long you’ll be in detox and what level of care you’ll need after.
The entire process typically lasts three to seven days. However, if you’re battling a severe substance use disorder or have other drugs in your system, it could be longer to ensure everything is out of your system. You’ll have 24-hour care from empathetic medical professionals whose primary focus is delivering you to the other side safely.
Inpatient/Residential
Once you’re considered medically stable, you’ll be moved to the next level of care. This could mean an inpatient facility, where you’ll live on-site for a period of up to 90 days. Inpatient care is perfect for those pressing medical needs or for someone who needs to get away from it all and focus on themselves to get sober. You will have 24-hour care from medical professionals and go through therapy sessions with psychologists to help find the root cause of your benzodiazepine addiction.
Partial Hospitalization
Partial hospitalization is a program that must be available at least five days each and offer its services during the day. It must also provide alternative hours, including evenings, weekends, and half-days. You cannot attend partial hospitalization unless you’ve gone through medical detox or inpatient care.
Outpatient
If you’re someone who’s found excuses not to get help because it’ll interfere with your work, school, or home obligations, outpatient care is an ideal option. You’ll be able to attend the same life-changing therapies a person in residential care would, but you have the choice to go home once it concludes. Those with mild substance use disorders and safe home environments can only be considered for this option.
Aftercare
Once you wrap up addiction treatment, you can’t expect yourself to stay sober without long-term management. Fortunately, Summit Behavioral Health will connect you to alumni programs and other 12-step programs and do whatever is necessary to keep you sober. Since addiction is a lifelong disease, it requires the right steps to maintain it.
Benzodiazepine Treatment in Philadelphia FAQ
If you’re convinced benzodiazepine treatment in Philadelphia is the right choice for you, we understand you might have some questions before committing and picking up the phone. We’ll answer some frequently asked questions for you below:
How Long is Rehab?
Everyone moves at their own pace. For that reason, treatment for one person may be shorter than it is for someone else. Some factors that influence this include how long you’ve been taking benzodiazepines, the dose, and if you’ve used other drugs in conjunction with the medication. For that reason, providing a definitive time is impossible. However, the average time is between 30 and 90 days.
Does Summit Behavioral Health Provide Transportation?
Summit Behavioral Health will provide transportation to off-site appointments and to and from major airports. We’ll also assist you with taxis, connecting flights, and ride-hailing services. With that said, this must be arranged prior to your stay.
How Much Does Benzodiazepine Treatment Cost?
Like the length of stay, benzodiazepine treatment will cost you more or less than someone else. If you need detox, inpatient care, partial hospitalization, and extended care, it’ll cost more than someone who needs outpatient care only. For that reason, it can range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. Contact your insurance company to find out what’s covered and what you can expect to pay out-of-pocket.
What Insurance Carriers Does Summit Behavioral Health Accept?
Summit Behavioral Health is in-network with the following providers:
- Compsych
- Aetna
- Cigna
- Beacon (Value Options)
