Librium Addiction Treatment In New Jersey
Librium is the commercial name of Chlordiazepoxide, a sedative with hypnotic properties belonging to the benzodiazepine group of substances. It is primarily used in the treatment of insomnia and select instances of anxiety. Incidentally, it is also used in treating the withdrawal symptoms of alcohol and other substances.
As a substance, chlordiazepoxide has proven to have numerous other properties, including being an anticonvulsant, anxiolytic, amnesic, and skeletal muscle relaxant as well. Combined with clidinium bromide as a fixed dose medication, it could also be used to ease the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.
To answer the question “is Librium addictive”, this substance is a central nervous system (CNS) depressant, meaning it is potent in effect and is delivered straight to the brain. As such, the action of this substance is quick, felt quite soon after being introduced into the body.
How Does Librium Addiction Develop?
The addiction typically occurs because many build a tolerance to Librium after repeated use. To continue to feel the effect of this medication, people tend to take it well above the prescribed dosage and frequency. Some use it in combination with other substances for greater effect, which also comes with a greater risk of complications and even overdose as well.
People who abuse Librium often combine it with either opioids or alcohol. Substances belonging to the benzodiazepine group, or benzos, are popularly taken with other drugs as the result is reportedly an intense, albeit brief, high. Combining Librium with other substances, however, particularly other depressants could be immensely dangerous as the sedative effect is greatly intensified.
Even those who use Librium legitimately are in danger of developing a dependency on it, as a 2021 report on substance abuse in the United States reveals at least 20% of Americans who suffer from depression or anxiety disorders are believed to also have a substance abuse disorder as well. It is also worth noting that Librium is only prescribed for short-term use, as the danger of developing a habit of it is quite high.
Although there are several determiners of just how long Librium could stay in the system, such as age, liver health, body mass, dosage, frequency, threshold, and the presence of other substances in the body, Librium tends to stay in the body anywhere between 24 and 48 hours.
Since Librium is a potent substance, it could be detected by substance tests done on the body long after most other substances have already been metabolized to undetectable levels. The estimated detection window for the following type of tests are as follows:
- Blood 6 – 48 hours
- Saliva 1 – 10 days
- Urine 1 – 6 weeks
- Hair follicle sampling up to 90 days
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Librium Abuse?
As with most other dependencies, Librium abuse will inevitably manifest on the user by way of signs and symptoms. Most of these are quite difficult to hide because Librium affects the central nervous system, meaning it will not only have physical manifestations, but also behavioral and psychological manifestations as well.
The more common symptoms of Librium abuse include:
- Confusion
- Dry mouth
- Unsteady gait or loss of balance
- Constipation or diarrhea
- Upset stomach
- Uncontrolled eye movements
- Appetite loss
- Hypotension (low blood pressure)
- Disrupted sleeping patterns
- Stupor
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Slowed heart rate
- Muscle spasms
- Impaired coordination
- Drowsiness
- Menstrual cycle irregularities
- Ataxia and other bowel movement disorders
- Decreased libido
- Edema
- Slurred speech
- Impaired cognitive functions
- Depression
- Suicidal tendencies
Some behavioral manifestations may also become quite pronounced, including
- Irritability
- Uncharacteristic aggression
- Increased risk-taking
- Poor judgment
- Preference for self-isolation
- Mood swings
- Erratic behavior
- Lack of impulse control
Librium Withdrawal Symptoms
Just as there are numerous side effects and manifestations of Librium abuse, there are also multiple withdrawal symptoms to be expected when a person is being treated for it.
Professional medical attention is particularly important during Librium abuse treatment as many withdrawal symptoms are quite serious. This is because the brain itself was largely affected during addiction, and a sudden stop in usage could be dangerous for some people.
Some of the more common withdrawal symptoms of Librium abuse include:
- Increased heart rate
- Sensory hypersensitivity
- Loss of appetite
- Vomiting
- Profuse sweating
- Hallucinations
- Seizures
- Bouts of psychosis
- Insomnia
- Memory loss
- Tremors
- Agitation
- Irritability
- Depression
- Anxiety
On top of these, people who took Librium to deal with some other concerns before they got hooked may experience a resurgence of the previous symptoms that they were taking the Librium for. This is called the rebound effect, and resurgence could be more severe than when they were while being treated with Librium.
People may experience different durations of the withdrawal symptoms, although the physical symptoms tend to last between a couple of weeks to a few months. The psychological symptoms, however, do tend to last several months and even a few years, depending on the recovery rate of the person undergoing rehabilitation.
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Treatment For Librium Addiction
Since the brain was directly affected by Librium addiction, there is a need for neurological and psychological care to be included in the treatment. These include:
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Many who undergo rehabilitation from particularly potent substances such as Librium develop thought patterns and behavior that are not helpful to the person at all, let alone the rehabilitation. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) helps in identifying these thought and behavioral patterns so that they may be singled out and avoided, so as not to hamper rehabilitation and recovery.
Some of the more harmful thoughts and emotions are fear and doubt, leading people undergoing rehabilitation to question their ability to complete the process and also become immensely fearful of what life might be if they fail to complete their treatment, or even if they do complete it.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
Many people who fall into addiction do so because they did not have the necessary coping skills and cognitive reasoning to figure out what to do when faced with a crisis, stress, or trauma. Substance abuse becomes the easiest solution for these people because it’s as easy as popping a pill, shoving a needle up their arm, or snorting something up their nose.
Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) helps in building better-coping skills and helpful responses to situations that would normally drive these people to substance abuse. Some components of DBT include:
- Mindfulness of the situations
- Distress tolerance to negative emotions and thoughts
- Emotional regulation to manage feelings and how they react to it
- Interpersonal effectiveness to enhance communication skills and self-confidence
Experiential Therapy
Some people can respond to treatment better by being able to overcome specific barriers. These barriers, however, could be difficult to deal with because conventional communication might not be enough, or effective enough to get through to the patient and initiate a breakthrough for treatment.
Sometimes what is needed is to find an experience that the patient could resonate with so that their barriers could be overcome and they could open themselves up enough for treatment. The premise of this therapy is to get the patient to express themselves enough to release their negative emotions or anything else that could be hindering a better response to treatment.
Let Discovery Institute Help You Fight Librium Addiction
Are you or a loved one suffering from Librium addiction or other types of drugs? At Discovery Institute in New Jersey, our treatment center gives our patients access to the care they need to recover. Contact us today to get started on your journey to a healthier life.
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Dr. Joseph Ranieri D.O. earned his BS in Pharmacy at Temple University School of Pharmacy in 1981 and His Doctorate Degree in Osteopathic Medicine at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1991. He is Board Certified by the American Board of Family Medicine and a Diplomate of the American Board of Preventive Medicine Addiction Certification. Dr. Ranieri has lectured extensively to physicians, nurses, counselors and laypeople about the Disease of Addiction throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania since 2012.
