Barbiturate Addiction

Stress can make people do things that are not natural to them, sometimes ending with addiction, perhaps barbiturate addiction. Some people are able to deal with stress by engaging in stress reducing activities and relaxing. They manage to take the time to clear their minds and refocus. Others may deal with stress by turning to unhealthy vices and there are some people that rely on barbiturates to handle stress.

What is barbiturate addiction?

Barbiturate addiction occurs when someone is trying to escape too much stress and feeling constantly pressured. Barbiturates are drugs that bring a sense of calm by depressing the nervous system. They have the exact same effects as taking a sedative and being under anesthesia. Individuals taking barbiturates often become a lot more sedated and mellow. The effects may last a few minutes or a few days, depending on the type and quantity of drug taken.

People often take barbiturates because they have trouble getting rest and falling asleep. They are prescribed medication to help them get to sleep, to address disturbed sleep patterns, or to relieve anxiety and pressure in our fast-moving world. Their minds are normally racing a mile a minute and their heart rates are higher than normal so carefully supervised use of barbiturates can ease them through a particularly tense or difficult time.

But barbiturates are tricky drugs to use and monitor properly – it is easy for a barbiturate addiction to occur because they are habit forming. Users quickly become addicted and find that they are taking them not just to get to sleep, or to get through a trying time or to calm down in periods of extreme anxiety – they start taking more and more just to get through the day. As with any drug, the body develops a tolerance to barbiturates and the circle of addiction is completed as the addict begins to find ways that they can get more of what the addiction tells them they need.

Effects of barbiturate addiction

Here are a few of the effects and withdrawal symptoms that barbiturate addiction can cause:

• Chronic Fatigue
• Anxiety
• Hallucinations
• Anger
• Depression
• Vision Problems
• Memory Lapses
• Respiratory problems
• Sexual Dysfunction

Barbiturates are so dangerous because prolonged use can lead to excessive sedation and cause the user to fall into a coma. There have been many cases of death from users that overdosed – musician Jimi Hendrix died from an overdose of barbiturates. Barbiturate addiction is a serious problem if it goes untreated. Many users want to break the chains of addiction but have a difficult time doing so for a variety of reasons.

Treating barbiturate addiction

The road to recovery starts when the drug abuser admits that they have a problem and is willing to seek help from people equipped with the proper knowledge and resources to help them. Barbiturate users need to seek help from a licensed professional. There are no in home or out patient treatment options that are viable. There are however a number of drug treatment facilities that have trained and experienced professionals who can deal with not only the immediate difficulties of detox, but also the aftermath, including rehab and planning for a sustained recovery when the addict returns to the outside world. These professionals can help barbiturate abusers successfully navigate withdrawal, detox, rehab and recovery. Sometimes the professionals will work not only with the addict, but also with their family, friends and colleagues.

A holistic approach tends to work the best in addressing barbiturate addiction. It is imperative that the user learns different methods to cope with pressures and stresses as they arise, rather than retreating to the cotton-wool world of barbiturate habit. Learning new tactics and strategies to deal with internal and external pressures will help the individual in recovery deal with these problems without resorting to barbiturate use. It is important that the user gets help and assistance from people that are able and willing to provide love and support throughout the entire recovery process. A strong support system being in place can make the recovery process smoother and easier for everyone involved.

Recovering from barbiturate addiction

Lots of people overcome barbiturate addiction every single day. The key is to take a holistic approach and deal with all aspects of the person, their lives and the situations that drove them to barbiturate abuse. Here are a few of the changes that can aid effective recovery:

• Modifying the behavior and actions of the addict and their interactions with those around them
• Addressing misunderstandings of family or home-life dynamics
• Changing expectations
• Making goals and targets achievable
• Adjusting thinking processes
• Gaining skills and strategies for managing stress
• Learning how to cope with the everyday challenges of normal life

With these tools at their disposal a recovering barbiturate addict is better equipped to lead a more focused and useful existence. After detox and a programme of rehab in a residential environment the chances of a sustained recovery for barbiturate addiction are much higher and more like to succeed long-term.