Valium Addiction

Valium, or diazepam, was first sold as an over-the-counter medication to relieve anxiety and insomnia. Its addictive potential is high, however, and now it is a prescription-only drug used for a wide range of legitimate ailments. Unfortunately, it is also a favorite for substance abusers who deliberately abuse it to boost the effect of illegal street drugs. Far from being the province of the accidental addict, Valium addiction is often the result of thrill-seeking and old-fashioned stupidity.

Addiction Recovery

For many, however, Valium addiction is a slow and insidious process that comes about through over-use of a drug prescribed for short-term relief of a particular medical problem. Insomnia, anxiety, stress, tension—Valium is good for relieving them all, for relaxing tight muscles and helping someone through a difficult day. Users quickly build up tolerance to its effects, however, so that achieving relief requires more and more of the drug. Even at therapeutic dosages, Valium is estimated to create dependency in about half of users who take it for six months or longer.

However a person arrives at Valium addiction, the result is a real problem requiring a careful course of treatment, usually through a drug rehabilitation center or other drug treatment program. Prolonged Valium use not only leads to dependence, but mental impairment and confusion, risk of respiratory distress, and other side effects with potentially lethal consequences. The drug lingers in the person’s system, so that mental cloudiness lasts long after they take it. Valium addiction will show up at work in poor performance, often before work in the form of deadly traffic accidents, and at home in the shape of strained relationships, estranged spouses, and bewildered children.

Sudden stoppage of the drug can lead to acute anxiety, depression, heart palpitations, and hypertension, symptoms which need to be managed by professionals trained to deal with drug withdrawal. Simply weaning the addict off the drug over a long period of time may not result in permanent correction of their dependence on it. Because Valium is used so often to treat anxiety disorders, appropriate and effective drug treatment for Valium addiction requires addressing the root cause of the reason the drug was administered in the first place.

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People seeking help for Valium addiction should look to a specialized clinic or center for drug abuse, one that is staffed with people experienced in drug treatment and counseling. No addiction, to Valium or anything else, can be overcome without modifying both the desire for the drug and the behavior that led to the dependency. Counseling and cognitive behavior therapy will help addicts understand their problem and emotional need for the drug as well as the factors that triggered a reach for the pill bottle. Without this comprehensive approach to the problem, treatment for Valium abuse is likely to be unsuccessful over the long term.

There are many drug programs and treatment centers with experience in treating Valium addiction. Ask specifically if the one you are interested in understands Valium abuse. If it doesn’t, find one that does.