Ambien Addition Treatment in Asheville
Recover From Drug Addiction in Asheville, NC
Everyone has endured a sleepless night at some point, but resorting to sleeping pills to finally catch some satisfying “zzz”s can be a slippery slope into addiction. What was once taken to treat insomnia becomes a crutch. Although the idea of swallowing one pill for in the effort to sleep 8 hours a night may seem like the magic bullet to solve your insomnia woes, Ambien (sold under the generic “zolpidem”) is highly prone to abuse. For those who would rather not suffer with sleepless nights on end, there are other options available.
What Is Ambien?
Unlike other tranquilizers or anti-anxiety medications (“benzos”), Ambien is in another class of prescription medications. Ambien is sedative-hypnotic, and works by slowing down the brain’s functions to induce sleep. Many patients begin using Ambien as described, only to discover they need more pills to get to sleep and stay asleep, as their tolerance grows. They may not even feel sleepy when doubling or tripling their prescribed dose, and instead begin noticing they experience bizarre, yet pleasurable symptoms, such as visual or auditory hallucinations.
One alarming effect of chronic Ambien use is consistent memory loss. The fact is that many who take Ambien recreationally won’t fall asleep, but they will say or do things they do not remember whatsoever when they wake up. This could include anything as benign as texting every friend or family member in their contacts list at 3 a.m., to “sleep eating,” or most alarming of all, getting behind the wheel and driving. When mixed with other prescription drugs or alcohol, the effect is intensified and could cause a lethal overdose.
Breaking Free from Ambien Addiction
Ambien abuse in on the rise, and a 2013 study conducted by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that more than 250,000 individuals in the United States were misusing Ambien and/or other sedatives. Half of all emergency room visits related to Ambien involved interactions with other medications, including opioids and benzodiazepines.
Contact Silver Ridge for Lasting Sobriety
At Silver Ridge, we offer Ambien addiction treatment in Asheville for midlife adults struggling with substance abuse. The full treatment of Ambien addiction must address the patient’s mental health and take their social life into account. Once the patient has successfully been detoxed from Ambien, they will then work through individual, group, and family therapy to address any underlying psychological issues they may have.
Simply tapering off Ambien isn’t enough to achieve lasting sobriety. An addiction counselor can guide you to confront your concerns so you can deal with them in a healthy, positive way. Our Silver Ridge staff has highly experienced substance abuse and mental health licensing as well as an ASAM-certified addiction specialist. Apart from addressing the body, we also used evidence-based practices such as motivational therapy, equine therapy, horticultural therapy, trauma-sensitive yoga, and much more.
Want to learn more about Silver Ridge? Our admissions team is on call 24/7 and can be reached by dialing (855) 945-7788 today.
