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Nearly 93% of Indians are sleep-deprived, and there is a high chance of them taking sleeping pills to treat sleeping disorders and calm their anxiety and panic attacks.
Sleeping pills can help with individuals' sleeping problems, but like most medications, they can become addictive without supervision. Thus, it's crucial to seek professional help to manage your sleeping patterns.
What is a Sleeping Pill?
Sleeping pills are used to treat sleeping problems like insomnia and hypersomnia. And are often classified as sedative-hypnotics.
Sleeping pills include benzodiazepines, a class of medications that act as central nervous system depressants. Diazepam, alprazolam, lorazepam, nitrazepam, and triazolam are some of the types.
They can increase drowsiness or disable the part of the brain that keeps you awake. They help individuals fall or stay asleep effectively, but it is essential to know that they are short-term medications and can develop addiction with or without prescription.
Some sleeping pills are also used as anesthesia. However, if not careful, a single dose can be fatal. Many underlying health conditions can impact your sleep cycle, but many people are unaware of this and try to self-treat with sleeping pills which is extremely dangerous.
Effects of Sleeping Pills Addiction on the Body
If there are any pre-existing medical conditions, sleeping pills can further exacerbate. While all types of sleeping pills have different purposes, they are no exception when it comes to side effects. The effect might differ for each individual. However, there are a few common effects of Sleeping Pills addiction on an individual's body.
Short-Term Effects of Sleeping Pills Addiction
Short-term use of sleeping pills can lead to various immediate effects on the body, highlighting the effects of sleeping pill addiction:
- Improved sleep quality.
- Daytime drowsiness.
- Dizziness and balance problems.
- Dry mouth or throat.
- Upset stomach and gas.
- Mood and appetite change.
Long-Term Effects of Sleeping Pills Addiction
Continuous use of sleeping pills can bring about more complicated and potentially dangerous outcomes:
- Tolerance and dependence.
- Increased risk of falls and injuries.
- Extreme mood changes.
- Disrupt the natural sleep cycle.
- Unreliable memory.
- Lack of concentration.
Risks of Sleeping Pills Use
Long-term use of sleeping pills can disrupt the natural sleep cycle, leading to various physical, mental, and emotional risks. Over time, it may become difficult or even impossible to fall asleep without the aid of these medications.
Physical Risks
Some of the common physical risks are impaired breathing, increased risks of accidents and injury due to daytime drowsiness, a higher chance of dangerous interaction with other medications, being prone to accidental overdose, and a lack of coordination.
Mental and Emotional Risks
Mood disorders, impaired judgement, suicidal thoughts, being emotionally numb or detached, exacerbating other mental health conditions, parasomnia, and rebound insomnia are some of the typical mental and emotional risks of sleeping pills.
How Sleeping Pills Addiction Develops
The most common mistake is using sleeping pills as a band-aid solution for sleep problems rather than addressing the root cause. Sleeping pills increase drowsiness in a person and help people sleep. However, you can develop tolerance when used for a long time.
As tolerance develops, many people discover that they need to take bigger doses to achieve the same effect, creating a vicious cycle of dependency.
Many individuals remain unaware of their addiction to sleeping pills until they discontinue their usage. They started to experience extreme withdrawal syndrome.
Doctors typically recommend sleeping pills for short durations and severe cases of insomnia rather than prescribing them on a set dosage schedule. They prioritise limited usage and advise alternatives for the long-term management of sleep issues.
How is Sleeping Pills Addiction Diagnosed
Typically, comprehensive assessments are required by professionals to diagnose sleeping pill addiction. The tests might depend on the individual's severity level. The professionals will ask about your history of sleeping pill use and your family's history of addiction.
They might suggest physical examinations and psychological evaluations to identify sleeping pill addiction and health issues associated with it to rule out misdiagnosing other medical conditions.
When to Seek Help for Sleeping Pills Addiction?
Each person's experience with sleeping pill addiction is unique. However, there are a few signs that a sleeping pill addiction has to be treated if a person experiences confusion or difficulties with memory, parasomnia behaviours, chronic fatigue, unable to focus or finish tasks, severe stomach pain, and a decline in physical and mental health.
Treatment Options for Sleeping Pills Addiction
There is no one-size-fits-all treatment for sleeping pills. Mental health professionals usually combine different treatment options to help individuals free from sleeping pill addiction. The results may vary depending on a person's severity level.
Detoxification
Detox or detoxification is the first step in the sleeping pills addiction treatment process. It helps individuals clear any sleeping pills from their system and attempts to restore normal functioning in a medically supervised setting.
The effectiveness of detox programs to ease withdrawal syndrome can vary depending on several factors, including the dosage, duration of use, potential interactions with medications, and underlying health conditions of an individual.
A few common withdrawal syndromes include excess sweating and shivering, circulation problems, restlessness, anxiety, tremors, extreme cravings, and vomiting.
Therapy and Counseling
Cognitive behavioural therapy, motivational enhancement therapy (MET), and family counselling are proven to be effective in helping individuals battling with sleeping pill addiction.
CBT improves sleep by navigating thinking patterns that are responsible for staying awake, and individuals can learn healthy sleep habits without drug use. A therapist also allows them to challenge their negative habits in a safe environment and equips them with effective skills to help prevent relapse.
The goal of MET is to encourage the individual to transform their unhealthy habits and behaviours that fuel dependency on sleeping pills into healthier ones. They will be more confident and keener to change their lifestyle.
Unlike individual therapy, family counselling brings your loved one into session, fostering a collaborative approach. A therapist will educate everyone involved about addiction and will teach them skills to deal not only with everyday challenges but also to manage emergencies.
Medication-Assisted Treatment
As of right now, there are no FDA-approved drugs intended to address the addiction to sleeping tablets. However, a few medications might lessen the effects of Sleeping Pills addiction.
Professionals may use anti-anxiety medications to reduce anxiety and agitation, which are the most common withdrawal symptoms, antidepressants to improve mood, stimulants to reduce cravings or anticonvulsants to manage withdrawal syndromes.
Typically, medications are never the first choice of treatment for sleeping pill addiction. Therefore, it is best to consult professionals to determine the best course of action for treating addiction.
Rehabilitation
Inpatient rehab is for severe sleeping pill addiction problems that need to reside within the facility to be managed, while outpatient rehab is for those with milder symptoms who can receive treatments while maintaining their work or other responsibilities.
Regardless of the choice, both offer treatment and care that tries to improve every aspect of well-being in a safe environment.
The professionals will assess individuals thoroughly and provide individualised treatment plans that cater to each of their unique conditions. Moreover, they develop coping skills to manage triggers and prevent relapse.
The treatment plans and the rehab option may be influenced by medical and psychiatric needs, the individual's severity level, personal and pre-professional obligations, treatment durations, past treatment history and confidentiality.
What Type of Doctors Can Treat Sleeping Pills Addiction?
Addiction to sleeping pills must be treated by certified medical specialists, such as a primary care physician, who is vital in recognising the warning signs of addiction. They can suggest an addiction specialist and conduct preliminary evaluations.
Addiction psychiatrists have expertise in diagnosing and treating sleeping pill addiction and can offer a range of sleeping pills addiction treatments that include both therapy and medications. They are particularly skilled at providing comprehensive care to help individuals overcome their dependency.
Clinical psychologists, therapists, and counsellors can provide behavioural therapy in one-on-one and family settings, as well as essential interventions and useful and healthy techniques for increasing confidence and managing symptoms.
What are the Effects of Sleeping Pills Withdrawal?
Withdrawal symptoms from sleeping pills can begin on the day you stop taking them or in the following days. These symptoms can cause discomfort and pain but are often short-term and can disappear with professional help.
Some of the common effects of sleeping pill withdrawal are:
- Extreme sweating and shivering
- Increased heart rate and tremors
- Anxiety and depression
- Vomiting and nausea
- Restlessness and itching
- Insomnia
- Fatigue and muscle pain
Regardless of the selected sleeping pills addiction treatment option, getting professional support can make the withdrawal process much easier.
How Cadabam's Rehabilitation Center Can Help
Cadabam's have more than 30 years of experience and provides holistic services and care through a team of experts specialising in treating addiction with state-of-the-art facilities.
Every sleeping pills addiction treatment program is designed to offer a personalised plan that effectively works for each individual's condition. We foster a supportive and non-judgmental space where everyone deserves to grow and heal at their own pace.
If you are searching for a solution to your problem, Cadabam's Anunitha’s De-Addiction Centre can help you with its team of specialised experts. We have been helping thousands of people live healthier and happier lives for 30+ years. We leverage evidence-based approaches and holistic sleeping pills addiction treatment.
Methods to help individuals effectively sleeping pills addiction. Get in touch with us today. You can call us at +91 96111 94949.