Estazolam addiction is a very serious mental health issue and therefore requires professional treatment.
Table of Contents
- What is Estazolam and What is it Used For?
- Brand and Street Names for Estazolam
- Estazolam Addiction Symptoms
- Estazolam Side Effects and Dangers of Misuse
- Understanding Detox for Estazolam Addiction
- How Long Does Estazolam Stay in your System?
- What are the Estazolam Withdrawal Symptoms?
- What are the Risks of Estazolam Withdrawal Side Effects?
- Estazolam Addiction Treatment – What to Expect
- Choosing the Right Rehab for Your Estazolam Dependence
The symptoms of Estazolam addiction include misusing this benzodiazepine drug, being unable to control how much you use it, and continuing to use the drug in spite of negative consequences. If you or someone you care about is struggling with estazolam, look into the many rehab options you have for treatment and recovery.
What is Estazolam and What is it Used For?
Estazolam is a benzodiazepine, a type of drug that acts as a central nervous system depressant. It slows down activity in the brain, causing relaxation, sleepiness, and lowered heart rate, breathing and blood pressure. It is prescribed to treat insomnia and is intended only for short-term use, up to about 10 days. While insomnia management is the only officially approved use for estazolam, doctors may prescribe it for other uses at their discretion.
One reason that estazolam is not supposed to be used for longer than 10 days is that it is habit forming, or in other words can be addictive. It is classified as a schedule IV controlled substance for this reason. Long-term use or any kind of misuse of estazolam can lead to dependence and addiction.
Brand and Street Names for Estazolam
Estazolam is a generic name for this particular benzodiazepine. It has been sold under the brand names ProSom and Eurodin. People may abuse estazolam because of the way it induces a sense of relaxation and calm, as well as for the feeling of euphoria. Abuse of this drug includes taking estazolam without a prescription and misusing a prescription by taking more or higher doses, or taking it for a longer period of time than recommended. Sold illicitly, estazolam pills may be called:
- Bars
- Benzos
- Chill pills
- Downers
- Footballs
- Ladders
- Nerve pills
- School bus
- Sleeping pills
- Totem poles
- Tranks
Estazolam Addiction Symptoms
Any misuse of estazolam can lead to addiction. Even if you are only using estazolam as prescribed, there is a risk of becoming dependent on it. This is why it is never supposed to be used for longer than a week to 10 days. If you or someone you care about has been misusing this drug, there are some important symptoms of estazolam addiction you should watch for:
- Trying and failing to stop using or to use estazolam less
- Consistently using the drug more often or in larger doses than you meant to
- Experiencing cravings for estazolam
- Spending more and more time using estazolam or trying to get more of it
- Giving up other activities because of all this time spent on the drug
- Being unable to meet all responsibilities because of drug use
- Using estazolam even though it is causing relationship difficulties
- Using estazolam in spite of physical or psychological health problems it is causing or worsening
- Continuing to use estazolam even in situations that are risky or dangerous
- Developing a tolerance to the drug and needing more to get the desired effects
- Going through estazolam withdrawal effects when not using
If you are misusing estazolam and you think you may have an addiction, it is important to get a diagnosis by a professional mental healthcare worker. This is the first step to recovery, but you first have to reach out and get help. Even if you aren’t sure you meet the criteria for estazolam addiction, get help to stop misusing this potentially dangerous drug.
Estazolam Side Effects and Dangers of Misuse
This drug can be useful for people struggling with insomnia, but it can also cause side effects. If you misuse estazolam, your risk of experiencing side effects is increased and they may be more intense. The most common side effects include slowed body movements, dizziness, clumsiness, and sleepiness. Less commonly you may have headaches, dry mouth, nausea, and vomiting.
Some of the potential side effects of estazolam can be very serious and dangerous: delusions, mood swings, dementia, aggression, hallucinations, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. If you are misusing this drug or combining it with similar drugs, your risk of experiencing these harmful side effects is higher.
Another danger of misusing estazolam is the risk of an overdose. Signs of overdose include excessive sleepiness, confusion, loss of coordination, slurred speech, slowed breathing, and coma. These can ultimately be fatal. The risk of overdose is increased if you combine estazolam with other benzodiazepines, any opioid drug, or alcohol.
Understanding Detox for Estazolam Addiction
After reaching out for help, you will need to detox from estazolam in order to receive treatment. Detox is the process of getting the drug out of your system and it will trigger withdrawal symptoms. Unlike many other drugs, benzodiazepines like estazolam can cause a very dangerous withdrawal that can even be fatal. Never attempt to detox alone.
How Long Does Estazolam Stay in your System?
Detox with withdrawal symptoms will generally last as long as the drug remains in your body. How long that will be depends on several factors, including how much you have been using estazolam and for how long, the dose you last took, and individual factors related to your health. For mild cases of dependence, it may take just a few days. But if you have been using estazolam long enough to develop benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome, it can take up to two weeks to get the drug out of your system.
What are the Estazolam Withdrawal Symptoms?
Estazolam withdrawal syndrome may result if you have developed a serious dependence on the drug. This may cause nausea, dry retching, insomnia, anxiety and panic attacks, tremors, excessive sweating, weight loss, difficulty thinking, muscle aches, headaches, and heart palpitations. The number and degree to which you experience withdrawal symptoms depends on the severity of your addiction.
What are the Risks of Estazolam Withdrawal Side Effects?
More severe addiction can lead to more symptoms, more severe symptoms, and effects that can be dangerous and even fatal. You may experience psychotic symptoms, like changes in perceptions or delusions, and this can lead to a mental health crisis. Estazolam withdrawal can also cause seizures and can be fatal. You should never try to detox from estazolam alone, and experts strongly recommend you do it under medical supervision.
Estazolam Addiction Treatment – What to Expect
Addiction treatment for estazolam has to begin with detox. You must stop using the drug first and let it leave your system. Therapy will not be effective or useful until you have recovered from withdrawal. You may find a treatment center that includes detox, but if not, it is important that you first undergo supervised detox.
The process of detox from estazolam if medically supervised may include a controlled reduction of your intake. This will help minimize withdrawal symptoms and reduce the risk of serious side effects and potentially deadly symptoms, like seizures.
Once you have gone through detox, you can begin treatment for estazolam addiction. Your first treatment decision will be outpatient or inpatient rehab. Outpatient care allows you to stay at home while you get therapy. This is an option for anyone with a safe place to stay and supportive family. It is also a good choice if you need to work while you recover.
Inpatient treatment is better than outpatient if you are concerned that your home environment will lead to a relapse. A residential facility provides a safe place, time to focus on treatment, a staff of experts, 24-hour care, and a wider variety of services.
Treatment for estazolam addiction revolves around therapy. Aside from general medical care for wellness or to manage withdrawal symptoms, there is no approved medical treatment or drug for benzodiazepine addiction.
Therapy comes in many different forms, but expect to benefit most from behavioral therapies. These, mostly based on cognitive behavioral therapy, will help you make practical, positive changes, learn to cope with negative feelings in healthy ways, and develop better relationships with friends and family.
Choosing the Right Rehab for Your Estazolam Dependence
There are so many options when it comes to seeking treatment for estazolam and ProSom addiction, including some of the best facilities in the country like Talbott Recovery in Columbus, Georgia. These and other locations are staffed by dedicated experts in addiction and recovery. One of the most important things to consider when choosing your rehab facility is the staff. The best treatment is administered by experts in the field.
Also consider practical factors, like a treatment program you can afford. Locations are also important to consider if you cannot travel or want to stay near family. When you have your possibilities narrowed down, make site visits and ask for tours to meet staff and to get to know the details of the programs. Some things to look for include:
- A thorough diagnosis at intake
- An individualized treatment plan
- Your input in the treatment plan
- A staff of experts in various areas of treatment, including medical, psychiatry, and therapy staff
- Varied options for therapy
- Support services, like recreation, nutrition, social skills training, group support, job assistance, and alternative therapies
- Aftercare services for a smoother transition after treatment and a focus on relapse prevention
If you can afford it, or your insurance can cover it, a luxury rehab is a great option. This kind of facility will provide additional services to help you heal, as well as top-notch food and accommodations. Most are in beautiful settings with opportunities to spend time outdoors and for recreation.
The most important thing you can do if you have become dependent on estazolam is to reach out and get help. Ask a friend or family member, your doctor, or anyone else you trust to help you take that first step. Rehab is available and treatments for drug addiction are effective. By choosing the right rehab for your needs and committing to therapy, you are taking your first successful steps to recovery and freedom from addiction.
