Valium, Xanax, Klonopin and Ativan are common anti-anxiety medications that are frequently abused. They have been called “a martini in a pill”. Taken by prescription or borrowed from family or friends, the “benzos” become dependency creating. People begin to need them and quitting becomes impossible. Also, when used in combination with alcohol or opiates, they become quite dangerous.
At Lifeline Addiction Treatment Center, two main approaches are used to detox from these pills. One approach involves methodically following a unique, staggered interval process, decreasing the dosage by 10% every two to four weeks. A second, rapid approach utilizes the medication, Neurontin, to substitute for the benzodiazepine over a period of four days, effectively eliminating the benzo and neutralizing symptoms of withdrawal. Then, Neurontin may be slowly tapered without any difficulty, as it is not addicting.
