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Secobarbital Addiction Treatment

Secobarbital is a prescription barbiturate prescribed primarily as a short-term treatment for insomnia or as an anxiety reliever prior to surgery. Secobarbital is safe if taken for a period of up to two weeks under a doctor’s care. Addiction may occur after two weeks. However, with secobarbital addiction, treatment is necessary to wean the user safely from the use of the drug.

When taken, secobarbital slows down the user’s brain activity. This slow-down leads to a state of relaxation that provides the drug user with a sense of contentment and euphoria. Use of the drug recreationally can lead to a build-up of tolerance in the user’s body to the presence of the drug within the user’s system. The increase in the body’s tolerance to the drug means that increasingly larger doses of secobarbital are necessary to achieve the same effects. Each additional dose raises the chances of developing a physical or psychological dependence on the drug, making it more difficult to stop its use. Unfortunately, the difference between a safe dosage and an overdose is a small one.

To avoid an eventual overdose, beginning secobarbital addiction treatment as soon as possible after developing a dependence on the drug is necessary. If an overdose does result from use, it can cause serious health complications in the user. Visible signs of an overdose include slowed breathing and a low body temperature.

Secobarbital Addiction and Withdrawal

Use of secobarbital produces several outwardly noticeable effects in the user that are similar to those resulting from intoxication due to alcohol use. The effects of the drug begin quickly after oral ingestion, starting within 15 to 40 minutes of taking the dose. Once the drug begins to affect the user, the high can last for up to six hours. The outward signs of secobarbital use include:

  • Slurred speech
  • Dizziness
  • Unsteady gait
  • Confusion
  • Impaired judgment
  • Respiratory arrest

Secobarbital drug pills on a tableSecobarbital addiction treatment is often needed for recreational users. Dependence upon secobarbital can occur quickly after the short-term usage period recommended by a physician, or soon after the user begins using the drug in higher doses than those prescribed. Daily use of more than 400 mg of the drug for 90 days or more is likely to lead to a physical dependence. Once the user’s body becomes dependent, daily doses of as much as 1.5 grams are common due to the user’s increasing tolerance level. For more information on secobarbital addiction and treatment, call or click here to contact us.

Secobarbital withdrawal is the result of the user’s system suddenly lacking the levels of secobarbital that the user has become accustomed to having. When going through the withdrawal process without secobarbital addiction treatment, the user will experience several uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms, some so severe that the user may prefer to continue usage of the drug rather than continuing through the withdrawal process. Symptoms of secobarbital withdrawal include:

  • Insomnia
  • Anxiety
  • Irritability
  • Weakness
  • Muscle twitching
  • Visual distortions
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Hand tremors
  • Seizures
  • Delirium

Minor withdrawal symptoms tend to begin within eight to 12 hours of the last dose of secobarbital. Early symptoms may include anxiety, muscle twitching, and hand tremors. These symptoms are shortly followed by general feelings of weakness, nausea, vomiting, and insomnia. Within about 16 hours of the last dose, more serious symptoms may develop, such as convulsions and delirium. These symptoms generally last at peak levels for up to five days, becoming less severe over the subsequent 15 days.

 

Secobarbital Addiction Treatment

Secobarbital addiction treatment consists of a period of secobarbital detox followed by a stay in an addiction rehabilitation center. During the detoxification process, the patient is given decreasing doses of barbiturates. This process, known as tapering off, weans the patient slowly off the drug in stages, avoiding severe withdrawal symptoms when the use of the drug is finally suspended. After detox, the patient spends 30 days or more at a secobarbital rehab center going through intensive therapy to build the skills needed to avoid relapsing into further drug use.

“Secobarbital detox uses a substitute barbiturate…”
Secobarbital detox uses a substitute barbiturate for the secobarbital the user is accustomed to taking during the tapering off phase of the secobarbital addiction treatment program. Phenobarbital is given to the patient in doses equal to 30 mg. for every 100 to 200 mg. dose of secobarbital normally taken by the patient, with up to 600 mg. of phenobarbital used daily. This substitution dose is intended to keep the presence of a barbiturate within the user’s system to stop the withdrawal process from beginning. The substitution drug is given to the user three or four times daily in equal doses to keep withdrawal symptoms at bay. If withdrawal begins anyway, the dose is raised temporarily by an additional 100 to 200 mg. to provide the patient’s body with enough barbiturates to stave off the withdrawal symptoms.

Tapering off the phenobarbital amount begins immediately, with the dosage being reduced by 30 mg. the day after starting the secobarbital addiction treatment program. Each day that follows, the dosage is reduced by an additional 30 mg. With each reduction, the patient’s body readjusts to the lessening amount of barbiturate in the patient’s system. This reduces the body’s dependence on the substance, minimizing the effects of withdrawal when the dosage is low enough to stop completely. Once the lowest dosage is stopped, the withdrawal symptoms should be significantly lessened, if they occur at all.

After the detox period is over, the patient is held over for medical observation lasting between 24 to 48 hours. This observation period is to ensure that there are no side effects from ending the detox period. Medical personnel are available to deal with any situation that may occur, including an unexpectedly severe withdrawal reaction to the ending of the drug administration. After the observation period, the patient is then released for additional secobarbital addiction treatment at a rehab center. Call , 24 hours a day, seven days a week to locate a private rehab center in your area.

Secobarbital Rehab

The period of time spent at a secobarbital rehab center generally follows the secobarbital detox process. Detox removes the drug from the user’s system, alleviating the body’s physical dependence on the drug. What detox does not do is remove the underlying causes that led to the use of the barbiturate. Detox also doesn’t end the cravings for secobarbital that can continue long after ceasing the drug use. To help deal with the psychological causes and effects of dependence, the patient needs the aid of the medically trained staff at a rehab center. With the addition of rehab after detox, the patient’s chances of remaining drug-free increase significantly.

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During secobarbital addiction treatment rehab, the patient takes part in a program of intensive therapy. This therapy is provided in two forms. The first form is private one-on-one therapy where the patient and a therapist work on determining the reasons for the patient’s drug use. During these sessions, the patient looks for the underlying causes of his or her addiction. These are the motivators that ultimately trigger the drug use. Finding these triggers can be a long and drawn out process. It requires looking at the basic emotional drives the patient possesses, and determining what actions and pressures in the patient’s life triggers the drug use.

Identifying the triggers behind a user’s drug use is only the beginning of the process. Once each trigger is found, the patient must look for ways to alter the reaction to the trigger that in the past resulted in taking secobarbital. During the secobarbital addiction treatment therapy process, the therapist and patient look for ways to develop coping mechanisms to deal with each trigger in a healthier manner.

Along with the one-on-one therapy process, the patient also becomes involved in group therapy sessions. Group therapy occurs with a group of the patient’s peers, individuals who are going through the rehab process at the same time as the patient. These peers share their drug and rehabilitation related experiences in an effort to help one another glean useful information for getting through the rehab process and continuing through life clean and sober.

The secobarbital addiction treatment rehab process is not one that can be set to a certain time schedule. Each patient is different, with different reasons behind their drug use and differing treatment needs. What works with one patient may not work as well, if at all, with another. Because of this, the treatment process for each patient is individualized to fit those needs. Most secobarbital rehab centers begin with a rehab stay of 30 days. This stay is then extended as necessary until the secobarbital addiction treatment process is complete, lasting for 60 or 90 days if necessary. After treatment in the facility, the patient is released, but the work of recovery does not end there. For further information on rehabilitation treatment, contact a treatment advisor at for answers to your questions.

Recovery

Once a patient has developed a dependence on secobarbital, it is easy for the patient to return to the use of the drug unless a conscious effort is made to avoid doing so. The cravings for the drug are strong during the beginning of the recovery process. Resisting these cravings requires both the skills learned during the rehab process and a measure of continual support after leaving the rehab center. This support is often found in a group setting, much like the group therapy sessions held while going through rehab.

“Most of the secobarbital addiction treatment support groups available are made up of former users of secobarbital and other addictive substances.”
Most of the secobarbital addiction treatment support groups available are made up of former users of secobarbital and other addictive substances. The ex-users in these support groups interact with one another in a similar way to how peers in therapy groups found in rehab centers interact. Members meet on a consistent basis and share their experiences with drug use and dependency, as well as their struggles with recovery. Success stories often provide tips for clean and sober living that the other members can use in their own recovery processes, and tales of failure to resist a relapse serve as warnings about those areas of life that the users should view with alertness. This sharing is a motivational tool for members, who gain strength from the one another’s experiences in the continual recovery process.

In addition to support groups, former secobarbital addiction treatment center patients can continue with one-on-one therapy sessions. Patients can choose a therapist from the treatment center or select another therapist who is familiar with the secobarbital recovery process. These continued sessions can help to build upon the drug avoidance and resistance skills learned during the rehab process, or may concentrate further on continuing the search for the underlying causes behind the patient’s drug use. A number of continuing treatment options are available after completing a rehabilitation program, with each option adding to the chances of continued recovery.

Recovery from secobarbital addiction is a life-long process. The time spent in secobarbital addiction treatment at a secobarbital rehab center is only the beginning of that process. The treatment given at the center breaks physical dependence on the drug and gives the user the skills he or she needs to deal with any psychological dependence that may remain. Former addicts also learn to live a clean and sober lifestyle. By using those skills and making a continual effort, staying clean and sober is a distinct possibility.

The process of finding a secobarbital addiction treatment program that works takes time and effort that could be better spent in the actual recovery process. To save yourself time and begin a program as soon as possible, you can call a free 24-hour hotline at . Once connected, you can speak to someone who can answer any questions you may have concerning secobarbital addiction treatment programs in your area, including locations and availability. Every call is confidential, and a referral to a program that is best suited to your needs is available.

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