Treatment Options for Valium Addiction

Valium, a brand-name version of the prescription benzodiazepine diazepam, amends chemical signals within the brain. With consistent use, you won’t feel well without the drug. 

Those withdrawal symptoms can make quitting on your own almost impossible. But with the right help, you can leave Valium abuse behind.

How Is Valium Addiction Treated?

Valium can change both your brain and body in persistent ways. Your treatment program will address several types of damage, allowing you to make a full recovery. These are a few options that might be included in your plan:

Medical Detox 

A medical detox program is made to help you achieve sobriety in a safe and controlled manner. For people with a longstanding Valium habit, tapering off the drug is required. 

A taper’s pace should be individualized, based on your lifestyle, personality, stressors, and more. Doctors determine how much you’re taking now and how quickly you can transition to taking none. Each week, your dose gets smaller and smaller. 

Researchers say benzodiazepines sold in the illicit market by dealers often contain other drugs, including opioids. These medications also cause persistent changes, addressable through prescriptions like buprenorphine. If you’re using contaminated drugs, these therapies could be helpful.

Psychotherapy

While prescriptions can ease your cravings and withdrawal symptoms, they can’t help you develop coping skills. Psychotherapy can do that.

Multiple therapy options exist, including the following:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): This form of therapy is designed to help you recognize and avoid destructive behaviors that could lead to relapse. You might learn to identify your triggers and how to avoid or manage them.
• Motivational interviewing: This form of therapy stiffens your resolve to stay sober. You’ll consider how your life is changed by drugs and how things could be different when you’re sober. 
• Contingency management: In this form of therapy, your doctor gives you small rewards for sticking to your treatment plan. Many people find these small awards can keep them on track. 

Some people use only one form of therapy in their recovery, while others use several. The therapeutic approach that works for you may change throughout your recovery journey. For many people, treatment adapts as they progress in recovery.

Support Groups 

While trained professionals conduct therapy sessions, support groups are different. These meetings are administered by people in recovery for people in recovery. 

Support groups come in many forms. Some follow a 12-step format, while others are more relaxed. Some are made for people who use a specific drug (like alcohol), while others are effective for those who use almost any kind of substance. Since Valium is a common substance of abuse, it’s likely that people in general substance abuse meetings have misused it.

Most support groups involve a one-on-one component. You’re matched with a peer who is available for conversation and added support as needed. And as your recovery deepens, you may support someone else. This is often referred to as the sponsor/sponsee relationship, and it can be a crucial part of your recovery process.

Some people are introduced to support groups during their formal addiction treatment program, and they continue to attend meetings in the community when they’re discharged. 

Others use support groups to help them feel more comfortable with the idea of recovery. Only then do they enroll in formal treatment. 

Support groups rarely come with a fee, so they can be an effective and low-cost option for people to use over the long term. Many people continue to attend peer support group meetings for years or even for the rest of their lives.

Researchers aren’t sure why support groups work (or if they do). But thousands of people have used these programs with success in the past. 

Complementary Therapy 

Addictions can harm both your body and your spirit. Alternative therapies can help you find new ways to relax, spend your free time, and calm your mind. 

Some addiction treatment programs use meditation or yoga to help people gain control of their moods and destructive thoughts. Others hold exercise programs to help people stretch their muscles and ligaments. And still others use animal therapy, art therapy, or music therapy to help. 

While structured programs can help, people can also use complementary therapy techniques on their own at home. Lessons in most of the techniques mentioned are often available within the community.

Life After Rehabilitation 

Researchers say of those who struggle with addiction, 75 percent are in recovery. People can and do overcome addictions to Valium and all sorts of other substances. Treatment works, and the steps you take after rehabilitation matter a great deal.

You can support your recovery by taking the following steps:

• Find a community. Surround yourself with people who know you’re in recovery and are ready to help you heal. 
• Manage your physical and mental health. Hunger, exhaustion, stress, and anxiety are all powerful relapse triggers. Do your part to preserve your health. 
• Find new hobbies. Pick up a language, learn to knit, or volunteer with animals. Find a new way to fill up your free time. You may gain a gratifying pastime in the process.
• Continue your connection. Keep your appointments with your therapist and head to your support group meetings right on schedule. Maintaining your therapy and aftercare schedule ensures you get help with new challenges. 

Life after rehabilitation can be joyful and filled with new experiences. But you may need support to stay on course. 

Get the support you need with the following ideas:

• Ask your therapist about support groups. Your professional may know about meetings in your area you could join. They can suggest the group that they feel would be a good fit for you.
• Search for online support groups. Many organizations advertise their support group meetings online. And others hold virtual meetings for people who prefer to discuss addiction from home. 
• Connect with therapy. Don’t feel like you must stop psychotherapy when your official program ends. Some people continue working with a professional for months or years. 

Your recovery can be both effective and ongoing. You’re not on a set schedule with a specific timeframe. Just keep working on your recovery, and you’ll be done with Valium abuse for good.