by John K. Wilson

Created on: February 19, 2009

Treating Xanax addiction can be a challenging task. Many factors must be considered in order to determine if taking a person off Xanax is even a good idea. Like any drug, people take Xanax for a reason; usually to control panic or anxiety attacks. Panic disorder and certain anxiety disorders are well documented and are serious medical conditions. If someone is taking Xanax for legitimate reasons such as these, it is probably best not to stop the usage. As long as the dosages are strictly adhered to, this person isn't really addicted to xanax. They just need it.

Anxiety and panic sufferers will usually be taking 2 to 4 milligrams of Xanax daily. These amounts will most likely cause chemical dependency, but that isn't the same as addiction. Taking a medical patient off Xanax will almost certainly require some type of replacement to continue treating the underlying medical condition. Many patients find Xanax's short duration of effectiveness inconvenient and opt for a longer acting benzo such as Valium or Klonopin. These transitions are usually well tolerated because benzodiazapenes all basically do the same thing.

If a patient wished to simply quit Xanax, then switching to a longer acting benzo like Valium is recommended, followed by a slow taper over a period of months to avoid a withdrawal syndrome. The same method is used for people who abuse and are addicted to xanax; however, as with any other drug addict, additional therapy is usually required. These people use drugs for entirely different reasons. Medical necessity isn't one of them. In high enough doses, Xanax can produce a euphoric feeling that can be compared to being drunk and stoned at the same time. This is an escape from reality for a drug addict and, even though you may be able to successfully wean them off the drug, they will need long term psychological treatment for this desire to escape.

Xanax is one of the most dangerous drugs in the world to withdraw from. Someone who is chemically dependant on Xanax is likely to have life threatening seizures if the drug is removed abruptly. They will also experience extreme anxiety, panic attacks, suicidal depression, and probably total insomnia. That is if they survive the seizures. It is simply a bad idea to force someone to quit Xanax cold turkey.

Professor Heather Ashton at the University of Newcastle in the U.K. wrote a very clear and complete guide for tapering addicts and patients off of benzodiazapenes like Xanax. It is commonly referred to as the "Ashton Manual". Following this manual strictly is by far the best method for detoxing from benzos.

One thing to consider is that benzodiazapenes are fat soluble, which means their metabolites get stuck in fatty tissues and can remain there for long periods of time. If the person in detox is overweight, an exercise regimen will likely be required in order to completely clear all metabolites of the drug from the body.

Learn more about this author, John K. Wilson.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.