Lorazepam Rehab Treatment | What to Expect

Lorazepam is a strong benzodiazepine that is often prescribed to help with anxiety, sleep problems or seizures. But lorazepam can be very addictive, especially if you start using it more than your doctor says or if you’re taking it without any prescription at all. Lorazepam addiction can make your anxiety even worse and can even slow down your breathing until it stops completely. The safest and most effective way to avoid these dangers is through professional lorazepam addiction treatment. This gives you a recovery plan delivered by a team of experts who will help you take control of your future.

Lorazepam-tablets

What is lorazepam addiction treatment?

Lorazepam addiction treatment is a full support system that helps you deal with drug addiction and all the harm it is doing to your life. In the UK, lorazepam addiction treatment usually involves three phases that work together:

  1. Lorazepam detox is where you stop taking the drug and let your body clean it out while experienced medical staff support you physically and emotionally.
  2. Lorazepam rehab involves different therapy sessions to look into your past and learn new life skills. These can make a big difference in how you handle the pressures that you have been using lorazepam to manage.
  3. Lorazepam aftercare is a set of services that carry on after you leave treatment. The goal is to help you begin a post-rehab life which can be a scary adjustment.

Worried about your lorazepam use but not sure if you need professional help. Ask yourself these important questions:

  • Are you needing bigger doses of lorazepam to sleep or manage your anxiety?
  • Do you feel like your brain’s a bit foggy or like you’re not fully present?
  • Have people you care about started asking if you’re okay?
  • Does quitting lorazepam feel impossible, even though using isn’t working for you anymore?
  • Are you pretending you’re fine even when you’re really not?

If those questions hit a bit close to home, here’s what you need to know about lorazepam addiction treatment:

Stage one: Lorazepam detox

Before anything else, you have to let your body reset. Detox means getting all the lorazepam out so your brain can stop depending on it to stay calm or sleep and start running on its own again.

But this isn’t something you want to rush. Quitting lorazepam too fast can produce withdrawal symptoms that hit you hard. This can cause a relapse and in the most serious cases, can cause dangerous physical and mental emergencies.

The safer way is to taper down slowly, according to a personalised detox plan. You will have 24/7 care from a medical and therapy team who will look after all your needs. Once lorazepam detox is done, you will be fitter, fresher and ready to throw yourself into the next treatment stage.

Lorazepam withdrawal symptoms and detox timeline

Because lorazepam has a short half-life, your body starts reacting pretty soon after your last dose. The early part of lorazepam detox can be intense but knowing the timeline makes it a little easier to manage:

The first 6 – 48 hours
This initial stage can feel jumpy, restless and uncomfortable as your brain starts to react to the sudden drop of lorazepam levels. Early lorazepam withdrawal symptoms include:

  • Rebound anxiety
  • Feeling restless or irritable all the time
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Sweating or hot flushes
  • Feeling sick
  • Sudden, powerful cravings
Days 3 – 7
This is usually the hardest stretch. Your nervous system is doing its best to reset but that can cause intense symptoms that come in waves:

  • Panic attacks
  • Shaking hands or twitching muscles
  • Nausea, diarrhoea and an upset stomach
  • Feeling spaced out or confused
  • Trouble focusing or remembering things
  • Sensitivity to noise or bright lights
Week 2
Things often start to settle physically by this point but emotions can still be all over the place. Throughout this second week, you may experience gradually lessening symptoms such as:

  • Feeling down or teary for no reason
  • Exhausting sleep problems
  • Foggy brain
  • No motivation to do anything
  • Ongoing cravings for lorazepam
Post-acute withdrawal symptoms (PAWS)
Even after the worst is over, some symptoms can stick around or pop back up when you’re stressed. This is called post-acute withdrawal and it’s really common with benzos like lorazepam. PAWS may include:

  • Weird sleep patterns
  • Random anxiety spikes
  • Feeling emotionally numb or super sensitive
  • Struggling to focus
  • Low energy or no motivation

All of this might sound like a lot but you’ll have help at every stage of withdrawal. And if anything still feels off after detox, the next part of your care is designed to help you deal with it.

Stage two: Lorazepam rehab

Stage two of recovery is lorazepam rehab, which usually kicks in right after detox. It helps a lot to stay in the same place with the same people, so it’s smart to choose a treatment centre that does both parts.

In rehab, you will start looking at what instigated your lorazepam addiction in the first place. That might be a prescription that escalated, stress you couldn’t handle or just life piling on until it felt like too much. You will work through all that with trained therapists and supportive staff who have seen it all and know how to help.

Rehab also gives you the chance to think about what you want from life and how to take care of your mental health without numbing yourself with lorazepam. This is not always easy but it may be the first time in a long time that you’re giving yourself real, healthy attention.

What to expect from lorazepam rehab

 

A solid lorazepam rehab programme is about helping every part of you heal. When deciding between centres, check for these therapies because they can make a real difference:

  • Private therapy to work through your personal story and develop important life skills.
  • Group therapy sessions to hear from other people who get it and realise you’re not as alone as you thought.
  • Family therapy to help everyone talk it out with a professional guiding the conversation.
  • Behavioural therapy to help you spot your own thinking traps and learn new ways to respond when things get tough.
  • Holistic art, meditation and sound therapy sessions to help you relax, reflect and process what’s going on inside.
  • Motivational Interviewing so you can keep your eyes on the prize, even when progress may feel slow.

man-taking-Lorazepam-tablets

Stage three: Aftercare services for lorazepam relapse prevention

Getting out of rehab can feel exciting but also a little nerve-wracking. Aftercare is a support system that keeps you going when you’re back in your world and things get tricky again. Here is what a top aftercare programme involves:

Lorazepam relapse prevention planning
Before you go home, your team will sit down with you to talk through the stuff that could throw you off. You can then make a plan to deal with stress, conflict, sleep and anxiety issues.

Post-rehab therapy
Some treatment centres keep offering therapy sessions after you leave and they’re worth sticking with. They help you keep your head clear and deal with things before they build up.
Alumni programme
Alumni groups give you a chance to keep the rehab connections alive through messaging groups, expert talks and fun social events.

Begin lorazepam addiction treatment today

Feeling stuck or scared is totally normal when you’re facing addiction but support is closer than you think. Addiction Helper will help match you with a lorazepam treatment centre that fits what you need from day one. Contact us today and we will be ready to guide you.

Reclaim Your Life Today

Our compassionate team are ready and available to take your call, and guide you towards lasting the lasting addiction recovery you deserve.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the UK options for lorazepam addiction treatment?
In the UK, you have three main options: private lorazepam rehab, NHS services and local support groups. Private rehab is quick to access and gives you a full-on programme with detox and therapy under one roof. NHS treatment is free, though it sometimes means waiting a while or getting a referral. Lots of people also join groups like Narcotics Anonymous for extra support during and after treatment. They are free and welcoming and can be excellent for relapse prevention.
How long should I spend in lorazepam addiction treatment?
The length of lorazepam addiction treatment is different for everyone, based on how long you have been using and how you’re feeling during recovery. Lorazepam detox normally takes a week or two to lower your dose safely. After that, most people spend around a month in rehab but some stay longer if it helps.
Is a home lorazepam detox safe?
Trying to come off lorazepam by yourself at home is never a great idea. Lorazepam withdrawal symptoms can go from uncomfortable to dangerous incredibly fast. Doing it in a proper detox centre means you’re surrounded by people who know how to help and keep you safe from start to finish.

(Click here to see works cited)