Ambien Addiction Treatment

Reaching out for help with an Ambien addiction can feel intimidating. Fortunately, Ambien addiction treatment is available with support from professionals who can help you pursue recovery–there’s hope for a positive change in your life.

Realizing you have a problematic relationship with Ambien is disheartening. Perhaps you started using the medication to reduce overthinking and anxiety at bedtime. Over time, maybe you started feeling dependent on the medication, thinking you needed more of it to sustain sleep or feel relaxed.

Ambien is a prescription sedative primarily used to treat insomnia. While it can be effective for short-term use, it has addictive potential due to its effects on the brain and body. Some users experience mild euphoria when taking larger-than-prescribed doses, increasing the potential for addiction to develop.

How Does Ambien Addiction Start?

Ambien enhances the activity of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter that inhibits brain activity and promotes sleep. This sedative effect can cause a feeling of calm and relaxation, which may lead users to seek the drug repeatedly, especially if they struggle with anxiety or insomnia.

With continued use, the body builds up a tolerance to Ambien, and higher doses are required to achieve the same effects. At this stage, users may escalate their dosage, increasing the risk of dependence and addiction.

Abruptly stopping Ambien can cause rebound insomnia, where the user’s insomnia returns more intensely than before. This withdrawal symptom often leads individuals to restart the medication, perpetuating a cycle of use and, eventually, addiction.

Signs You May Need Ambien Addiction Treatment

Recognizing the signs of Ambien addiction can help identify misuse patterns. This type of addiction can develop over time, particularly when you use Ambien outside prescribed guidelines. Seeking help may be crucial to your health.

Signs of Ambien addiction can include:

Taking higher doses than prescribed or using Ambien more frequently to achieve the same effects
Having intense cravings for Ambien
“Doctor shopping” to get more prescriptions or lying to healthcare providers about symptoms
Using Ambien for non-sleep-related reasons
Engaging in risky behaviors due to impaired functioning
Neglecting work or family obligations because of daytime grogginess
Social withdrawal
Developing increasing tolerance to Ambien
Memory issues or brain fog
Fatigue and drowsiness during the day
Unpredictable mood changes and irritability
Paranoia or hallucinations.

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Dangers and Risks Associated With Ambien

Ambien is intended for short-term use, typically 1-2 weeks. However, people may take it for much longer, either without consulting their doctor or because of dependence, which increases the risk of addiction.

Ambien can cause various side effects, mainly if not used as prescribed. These side effects vary in intensity depending on the dose and duration of use and include the following:

Daytime drowsiness or grogginess
Dizziness
Headache
Nausea
Dry mouth
Muscle weakness
Memory loss
Sleepwalking and other unusual sleep behaviors
Depression or anxiety
Possible overdose

Prolonged use of Ambien can lead to dependence, both psychological and physical, primarily when used outside prescribed guidelines. Withdrawal symptoms are common with Ambien, particularly when stopping use “cold turkey” after chronic use. Withdrawal symptoms, without medical supervision, have the potential to become dangerous.

Ambien Withdrawal Symptoms

Withdrawal from Ambien isn’t pleasant, even when the medication was used as prescribed, but is particularly brutal after long-term or high-dose use. The severity of withdrawal symptoms can vary depending on the dosage, duration of use, and individual factors like body mass and metabolic rate.

Common Ambien withdrawal symptoms include:

Rebound insomnia
Extreme fatigue
Nausea and vomiting
Excessive sweating, particularly at night
Persistent headaches
Rapid heart rate (Tachycardia)
Tremors
Painful muscle cramping
Mental health distress (anxiety, depression, and mood instability)
Irritability and agitation
Panic attacks
Difficulty concentrating
Hallucinations
Confusion or feeling disoriented
Seizures (not as common but a significant risk, especially if the person has a seizure disorder)

Acute Withdrawal

Withdrawal symptoms typically begin within 48 hours of stopping Ambien and may last for a few days to a week. Symptoms like insomnia and anxiety tend to peak within the first few days.

Protracted Withdrawal

In some cases, particularly with long-term use, withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, insomnia, and mood disturbances can persist for weeks or even months (known as protracted withdrawal).

Medical Detox

Misusing Ambien can have a substantial impact on your physical and psychological well-being. Additionally, Ambien withdrawal symptoms are uncomfortable and often lead to continued use or relapse.

The first step in Ambien addiction recovery is eliminating the substance from your body with a supported medical detox, where medical professionals are with you 24/7 to help alleviate intense symptoms. Following detox, you will attend an inpatient or outpatient addiction rehab program to help you explore triggers and learn healthy coping skills.

Quitting Ambien with specialized support helps your body adjust gradually and reduces cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Over time, your body will adapt to not relying on Ambien, and you can pursue safer sleep intervention methods.

How Do You Treat Ambien Addiction?

After detox is completed, you can begin a rehab program to address an Ambien addiction. Addressing the reasons behind drug and alcohol use and learning healthy coping skills are necessary for long-term recovery.

Depending on the severity of your addiction, there are several levels of care available:

Inpatient Treatment

Inpatient or residential Ambien addiction treatment is an ideal setting for successful recovery. With 24/7 access to behavioral health and medical professionals, this setting provides space away from triggers. A residential treatment setting may be appropriate for individuals with more intense addiction.

Outpatient Treatment

Outpatient options are available as a “step down” after inpatient rehab is completed successfully or if inpatient treatment is not feasible:

Partial hospitalization programs (PHP) allow you to stay at your home while attending treatment for most of the day.
Intensive outpatient programs (IOP) offer programming during daytime or nighttime hours for 1-3 hours per session, allowing participants to continue to live at home and go to work.

Relapse Prevention and Aftercare

The risk of relapse is often most significant at times of transitioning home or away from the treatment center. Aftercare planning is a crucial part of rehab and critical for relapse prevention.

Your treatment team will help you with an aftercare plan about two weeks before discharge. Components of continuing care include:

Individual therapy sessions
Family therapy
Psychiatric appointments
12-step programs
Participation in your addiction treatment center’s alumni meetings and events
Ongoing drug testing
Transitioning to a sober living home