Clonazepam Addiction and Abuse

Clonazepam Info

• Clonazepam Addiction and Abuse
• Clonazepam Symptoms and Warning Signs
• Clonazepam Treatment and Rehab
• Clonazepam Withdrawal and Detox

Benzodiazepines like clonazepam (known by the brand name Klonopin) act as depressants on the central nervous system (CNS). They reduce excited impulses in the brain, causing a person’s mental and physical processes to slow down.

Because of its sedative properties, physicians prescribe clonazepam for therapeutic functions such as anti-anxiety medication, anti-convulsant, and muscle-relaxant. The drug is also known to have hypnotic effects for overly-agitated patients.

However, users tend to build a physical addiction quickly, because of its effect on the pleasure pathways in the brain. Doctors advise patients to use the drug as guided to avoid forming tolerance and dependence.

Unfortunately, there are non-medical users who abuse Clonazepam just to get ‘high’. They capitalise on its ability to diminish worry and anxiety. Using any drug without a doctor’s recommendation is considered abuse and the consequences can be dangerous. Besides developing an addiction, it can ruin your health, as well as other aspects of your life.

What Is Clonazepam?

Demystifying an addictive drug has been known to help patients change their orientation towards it and work on building a resistance to abuse.

Clonazepam is a prescription benzodiazepine, usually sold under the brand name Klonopin. After alprazolam (Xanax) and lorazepam (Ativan), it is the third most commonly prescribed benzodiazepine in the UK. While these medicines have similar properties, they differ in speed of interaction and duration of effects.

Clonazepam is primarily used to treat the following anxiety disorders:

Besides its mental health uses, clonazepam is also used to treat spasticity and seizure disorders. Some detox clinics use it to manage acute alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Sometimes it is applied as an induction agent before administering anaesthesia, prior to surgery.

History of Clonazepam

Under the UK’s Misuse of Drugs Act (1971), clonazepam is a Class C drug and unauthorised possession (or sales) is subject to prosecution by the law.

Introduction to Clonazepam Abuse and Addiction

Most clonazepam-dependent users don’t start out abusing the drug. In fact, some people become addicted without knowing it. Because clonazepam is strongly addictive, users tend to develop tolerance if they use it every day for a prolonged period.

The drug exists as a pill and is usually taken orally. Its strength ranges from 0.125mg to 0.25mg, 0.5mg, 1mg and 2mg. Depending on your age and severity of disorder, a doctor may prescribe two 0.5mg tablets per day.

When a person feels the regular dosage doesn’t have the same effect, they are likely to increase the dosage on their own. If this works, they will automatically continue with the new amount.

This kind of tolerance is formed when the brain adjusts itself to the standard prescription. Eventually, tolerance can lead to dependence. You are advised to see your doctor from time to time to avoid such changes. For people who use clonazepam recreationally, tolerance is built quicker, because their prime objective is to get intoxicated and they tend to use much more of the drug that would be prescribed.

Without the drug in the bloodstream, certain withdrawal symptoms might manifest.

Causes and Risk Factors for Clonazepam Addiction and Abuse

For unwitting addicts, clonazepam dependence can be attributed to developing tolerance after a prolonged period of use. Physicians will often advise patients to taper their medication after some time to avoid becoming dependent on the drug. However, those who fail to do so find themselves abusing the drug eventually.

Conversely, people who deliberately take clonazepam for non-medical reasons become addicted after an extended period of abuse. If they snort the powdered form or inject the liquid, they tend to develop addiction faster.

Certain risk factors are responsible for this addiction-forming behaviour:

• Genetics. If a person has a history of substance abuse in their ancestry, they are more likely to exhibit addictive behaviour than people who haven’t. Scientists are studying the possibility of an addiction gene.
• Biological factors. Certain birth defects or brain injuries that affect the pleasure pathway can trigger pleasure-seeking behaviour in some individuals. This tends to cause substance abuse amongst users.
• Environmental factors. People who have easy access to clonazepam are at high risk of abuse. For instance, teenagers who can access their parents’ medication, or neighbourhoods where the drug can easily be bought without a prescription will have a high prevalence of abuse.
• Social factors. Social factors such as peer pressure, employment status and similar exposures can affect drug use behaviour. If you regularly attend drug-fuelled parties or have friends who abuse clonazepam, the risk of indulging will be higher than if you don’t.

Common clonazepam interactions and their effects include

• Alcohol. Since they are both depressants, a mixture of alcohol and clonazepam can cause slow reflexes, dizziness, drowsiness, and respiratory depression.
• Other benzodiazepines. Mixing clonazepam with benzos such as triazolam, lorazepam and midazolam can result in heavy sedation and drowsiness.
• Opioids. Taking clonazepam with opioids such as codeine or hydrocodone is very dangerous. The effects may cause severe drowsiness, depressed respiration, coma or even death.
• Cocaine. Since cocaine is a stimulant and clonazepam is a depressant, this combination can send the body into chemical conflict. While one substance acts to stimulate the CNS, the other seeks to depress it. The result can cause seizures, as well as mental disturbances.

What is Clonazepam Addiction?

When you develop physical dependence on clonazepam, it is described as an addiction. This means the brain has grown so accustomed to its effects that it is unable to function without the substance.

If you abuse clonazepam consistently over a long period of time, you’re likely to become dependent on it. When this happens, sudden discontinuation of the drug can trigger violent reactions such as intense shaking and seizures. Such acute withdrawal symptoms are a sign of addiction.

How Clonazepam Addiction Starts

Clonazepam is a benzodiazepine. This class of drugs are known for their depressant effects on the central nervous system. Clonazepam works by stimulating production of gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA), a chemical that works by sending calming signals to the CNS.

If the quantity of GABA in your system is low, your body will be in an excited state. So, by increasing its levels, clonazepam causes you to feel a relaxing, subdued sensation. This is an effective treatment for people who are agitated or experiencing panic attacks.

However, clonazepam also triggers pleasurable sensations, because it blocks the reuptake of ‘happy hormones’ serotonin and dopamine by their receptors in the brain. This causes abusers to keep taking the drug for the prolonged pleasurable effect. This continued abuse builds tolerance until the brain becomes fixated on the presence of clonazepam in the bloodstream.

When this occurs, the individual is unable to function normally without the drug. Since the body now recognises clonazepam as part of its normal functions, it will react negatively in its absence. The addicted individual tends to experience a series of uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms.

Why is Clonazepam So Addictive?

Signs, Symptoms and Effects of Clonazepam Abuse and Addiction

One of the best ways of preventing abuse leading to dependence is to recognise the signs early on. If you’re in denial of an abusive habit, knowing what signs to look for should make you seek professional help immediately.

Similarly, if someone you know is abusing clonazepam, you can identify the signs and act straight away. Avoid enabling a loved one or relative, as this won’t help them get better. In fact, you could be making it even worse for them.

Short-Term Effects of Clonazepam on the Body

The desirable effects of clonazepam can be felt within one hour of taking the drug orally. Depending on the severity of the symptoms the drug is treating, the effects may last for six to 24 hours.

Ironically, clonazepam-dependent users who suddenly discontinue the drug tend to suffer a rebound of the ailment the drug was treating – for example, seizures and agitation.

Long-Term Effects of Using Clonazepam

Most benzodiazepine medications are meant to be used for short-periods of about three to five months. However, people use them for longer periods of time. When this happens, they often build tolerance or dependence on the drug. Some long-term effects include:

It is not uncommon for long-term clonazepam abusers to develop an associated mental health disorder (dual-diagnosis). Many substance abusers like to combine benzos with alcohol for a more heightened effect.

Physical Signs and Symptoms of Clonazepam Abuse and Addiction

You can tell when a person is abusing a prescription drug by certain changes in their behaviour and physical appearance. For one, they might appear dehydrated much of the time due to vomiting and diarrhoea.

Other physical symptoms include:

Is a loved one taking more than the recommended dose of clonazepam? Are they more interested in obtaining the drug than the actual treatment? If so, there’s a high chance they could be abusing it.

Psychological Signs and Symptoms of Clonazepam Abuse and Addiction

If someone you know is abusing clonazepam or any other prescription drug, they will often complain about how ineffective the standard dose has become. Many prescription drug abusers visit several doctors for multiple opportunities to source the drug.

Psychological signs include:

While clonazepam addiction is typically a physically-dependent drug, people who frequently abuse it will experience some psychological symptoms during withdrawal.

Signs of Clonazepam Withdrawal and Overdose

Withdrawal occurs when you suddenly stop taking a drug on which your body has become dependent. In the case of clonazepam, this may occur within 24 to 72 hours of your last dose. Since the brain regards the chemical as vital to its functions, it will trigger negative reactions when levels in the bloodstream are low.

The negative reaction occurs in stages and consists of both physical and psychological symptoms.

Physical symptoms of withdrawal include:

In most cases, the affected person will sweat profusely, even if the room isn’t hot.

Psychological symptoms include:

There is usually a rebound of the ailment the drug was originally used to treat. For instance, if you were initially taking clonazepam to treat anxiety, the symptoms might well return, forcing you to use the drug again.

Undergoing withdrawal on your own brings the risk of relapse and a high chance of overdosing. An unsupervised withdrawal patient may feel forced to take large quantities of the drug for instant relief. Unfortunately, this can lead to an overdose. Signs of overdosing include severe seizure, respiratory depression, vomiting, high temperature, coma and (in worst-case scenarios) death.

Therapy, Treatment and Rehab for Clonazepam Abuse and Addiction

After successful detox, rehabilitation therapy follows. An addiction psychiatrist will help you uncover the root cause of your addiction and teach you how to overcome cravings by adopting various abstinence techniques. Rehab may last 30 days or more, depending on the progress of recovery. During this time, you will be taught how to build support groups and maintain sobriety after rehab.

Staying off Clonazepam/Individual Counselling

Leaving rehab does not signify automatic immunity to clonazepam cravings. In fact, some of your biggest challenges might come during this period. An aftercare programme provided by most of our rehab centres can help you maintain contact with various support groups, including a therapist. Individual counselling sessions with a therapist can help you establish yourself as a mentally-resilient, abstinent person.

Family Therapy

The family is a primary part of your support group. Since they have known you the longest, it’s likely that they might understand the origin of your drug abuse. A therapist can conduct family sessions to help you resolve any lingering family issues and start sobriety on a clean slate. It is not only therapeutic, but also builds resolve against cravings.

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