How Xanax Abuse Affects the Brain
Xanax is often prescribed for managing anxiety, but a prescription is required because of the significant risk of abuse and addiction. Some people have a greater chance of forming substance use disorder (addiction) based on their development, environment, and biology, with biological factors accounting for roughly 50 percent of common risk factors.
When Xanax abuse or misuse occurs, the drug inhibits anxiety-related brain signals while triggering the brain’s reward systems. The repeated abuse of Xanax has spiraling adverse effects as the brain is pushed out of balance resulting in memory loss, difficulty concentrating, brain function damage, spatial awareness problems, and addiction.
For more information on how our addiction treatment programs can help heal drug or alcohol dependence, please give The River Source a call at 866-294-9331.
Long-Term Side Effects of Xanax
The cycle of drug abuse is one of the biggest long-term side effects of Xanax abuse because it serves to amplify any negative effect. After all, the addiction drives the person to keep using the drug even though negative problems are mounting. The effects on consciousness, muscular coordination, memory, emotional responses, and thought processes progressively worsen over time.
Long-term effects include aggression, hostility, and even violent behavior. Weight loss can also occur, fatigue and lethargy, and it can cause many problems in your work and social life due to constantly forgetting about important things. Preventing the long-term abuse of Xanax is essential, and when you start to see problems in your life or fear that you are addicted to the substance, then professional help should be found.
How Xanax Addiction Develops
Physically addictive drugs lead to a drug dependence that can be difficult to break alone. The maximum time for the drug to be taken through a prescription is around six weeks. Addiction can quickly form when a person takes more than their prescription advises or continues to misuse the drug after it is filled.
Xanax relaxes you because it affects your GABA and glutamate system, stimulates the GABA receptors, and reduces anxiety, among other positive medical benefits. Still, with repeated abuse, this critical system starts to develop a dependence on Xanax to keep the new balance sustained. Eventually, if you don’t take more of the drug, the imbalance in your GABA and glutamate system leads to intense and dangerous withdrawal symptoms as your system is entirely out of balance. You experience a rebound effect where anxiety and many other symptoms take over.
At this point, you will feel as if you can’t function without more of the drug, and the only way to overcome the dependence safely is through professional intervention. Xanax is one of the few substances that can be fatal during unassisted detox, so medical help should always be found before attempting to stop alone.
Xanax Addiction Treatment at The River Source
The River Source is a Joint Commission accredited addiction treatment center that offers drug and alcohol addiction treatment plans. Our personalized treatment plans for Xanax addiction give you all of the professional care needed, from medical detox to inpatient rehab and outpatient rehab. We have robust aftercare services that will help you maintain your sobriety and support you as you transition into long-term recovery.
Our comprehensive rehab program for Xanax abuse can help you to overcome your substance abuse and addiction in a safe, controlled way that utilizes holistic and traditional evidence-based behavioral therapies. Give The River Source a call at 866-294-9331 today to take advantage of our Xanax addiction treatment programs.
