Sleeping Pill Rehab
While sleeping pills can be miracle-workers for those who struggle with insomnia, these drugs come with a hidden danger; that of addiction.
As sleep aids affect deeply brain chemistry, prolonged use can lead to a physical dependence on these substances to sleep and get by day-to-day. If you think you might be becoming reliant, it's important to act early before your use develops into something more sinister.
At New Leaf Recovery, our rehab clinic delivers sleeping pill addiction treatment programmes that aim to cure this dependency at its core. Through a range of rehabilitative therapies, we empower individuals to conquer their addictive habits and quit sleep aids for good.
What Is Sleeping Pill Rehab?
Sleeping pill rehab is a structured treatment programme designed to help people overcome their dependency on prescription drugs or over-the-counter medications. It provides the expert medical and therapeutic support individuals need to recover both physically and psychologically from a drug dependency, placing them on the pathway towards lasting recovery.
There are two main types of rehab:
Inpatient Rehab
Inpatient centres like New Leaf Recovery provide addiction treatment in private settings where clients stay on-site for the duration of their programme.
Inpatient clinics offers a supportive and structured environment, allowing individuals to get into a consistent routine. They will also have access to medical and therapeutic support 24/7.
Outpatient Rehab
Outpatient clinics however allows clients to stay at home while attending scheduled therapy sessions.
This can be more difficult, as people must balance recovery with their everyday life responsibilities. It also means they are more exposed to outside stresses and triggers that can lead to a relapse.
Because of this, many people choose inpatient rehab for the structure and intensive support it provides, allowing individual to fully focus on their recovery journey, which often leads to higher recovery success rates.
How Do I Know if I Need Sleeping Pill Rehab?
Sleeping pill rehab might be required if you experience any of the following signs and symptoms:
- You have become reliant on sleeping pills to get to sleep or to feel normal day-to-day
- You have started taking them above the recommended dose. This may mean that you have built up a tolerance.
- You experience strong cravings for prescription or over-the-counter sleep aids.
- You have tried to cut down or stop taking but haven’t been able to.
- Your finances, work life, or relationships have been negatively impacted by your use.
- You spend a large amount of time thinking about getting hold of and using your medication.
- You experience physical and mental withdrawal symptoms when you stop or limit your intake, such as nausea, drowsiness, anxiety, or generally feeling unwell.
All of these are signs that you may be becoming dependent on sleep aids, and this can quickly spiral into addiction. Spotting these signs early and getting help as soon as possible is key to long-term recovery. This is because addiction becomes harder to treat the longer it goes on.
It’s also important to remember that dependence on sleeping pills can develop even when they are taken exactly as prescribed by your GP. Because of this, you should never put off reaching out for support if any of the above sounds familiar to you.
You don’t need to have “hit rock bottom” or wait until your problem becomes severe before asking for help. In fact, many people choose rehab when their dependency is still mild. This is because they understand that early intervention can make a huge difference.
How Does Sleeping Pill Addiction Develop?
Sleeping pill addiction often develops gradually, without the user even being aware of it. What started out as an innocent intention to get a better night's sleep can quickly spiral into a dependency that the user feels powerless to control. The user may feel as though they are incapable of sleeping without these medications, and feel as though they cannot live without the drug. To understand why this happens, we must look at how these drugs affect the human body:
How Sleeping Pills Affect The Brain
Sleep aids serve to boost the neurotransmitter GABA - the chemical responsible for calm and relaxation. However, over time, the brain can get used to this additional sedation, and start to produce less of its own GABA naturally. As a result, a shortage of GABA is leftover if the user was to suddenly stop taking sleep aids, leading to the user struggling to get to sleep without the drug. This is a clear indication that the body has become physically dependent.
Tolerance
Because sleeping pills, especially benzodiazepines, can be especially potent, the brain can also rapidly adjust to their effects. Over time, this can lead to tolerance, meaning the person needs higher doses to achieve the same level of sedation, and developing tolerance is an early indicator of dependence. As tolerance increases, users may take larger amounts of the medication, which only strengthens the physical dependence.
Psychological Dependence
Over time, users may also experience strong cravings for sleep aids, feeling as though they cannot live without their sedative effects. As soon as drug consumption no longer feels like a choice, and starts to resemble that of a compulsive need, this is a sign that a psychological dependence has set in. At this point, the user may feel completely helpless over their substance consumption, and professional intervention is vital.
A Complete Recovery Journey. From your initial enquiry, all the way through treatment and beyond with ongoing support, New Leaf Recovery are there to guide and support you.
New Leaf offers a complete journey of treatment, from initial detoxification and rehabilitation to ongoing support, including aftercare, family support, and beyond into long-term recovery.
Getting the right accommodation enables us to provide the right backdrop for our recovery methods. Any form of rehabilitation needs to happen in a safe, comfortable, secure and friendly environment.
How Does Sleeping Pill Rehab Help Treat Addiction?
Sleeping pill rehab is highly effective at treating addiction because it allows individuals to quit sleep aids in a safe, structured environment. Rehab allows individuals to get into a consistent routine where they can learn to live without the need for sleep aids.
Rehab also provides a range of rehabilitative therapies that aim to cure both the physical and psychological dependence on medications. In therapy, individuals will learn a range of professional tools and coping strategies that they can use to effectively manage their cravings, regulate their emotions, and get into a consistent sleep pattern free from substances. Here's how our sleeping pill addiction treatment programmes work at New Leaf Recovery:
Sleeping Pill Detoxification
The first stage of rehab is what is known as detoxification. This is the process of allowing the body to purge itself of sleep aid toxins.
This is often the most daunting part of recovery, as suddenly stopping one's intake can lead to a range of uncomfortable physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms. This is why completing detox alone or at home carries a strong risk of relapse, as users seek to stave off the negative effects. At new Leaf Recovery, our detox service involves:
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24/7 medical monitoring.
- Therapeutic support for dealing with the emotional challenges of withdrawal.
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Provision of medications if needed to ease discomfort.
- Any withdrawal symptoms that do surface are treated promptly.
Sleeping pill rehab allows individuals to navigate the detox period safely under 24/7 medical supervision, ensuring individuals see out the withdrawal successfully.
Sleeping Pill Addiction Treatment: Rehabilitative Therapies
Once detox has been completed, and clients have recovered physically, clients then move onto rehabilitative therapies. These aim to cure the psychological dependence on medications, which gives users the mental resilience to maintain their sobriety outside of rehab.
Common therapies delivered at New Leaf Recovery include:
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One-to-one counselling: 1:1 therapy sessions provide a space for clients to explore their thoughts and emotions with a dedicated counsellor. These sessions allow for a deeper dive into personal challenges where the origins of addiction can be explored and addressed.
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Group Therapy: Led by a qualified therapist, these sessions provide a more open space for clients to talk through their emotions with others who are also attending rehab. This creates a sense of community and shared progression that reinforces strength and determination.
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: CBT is a scientifically-proven addiction treatment that seeks to educate individuals on the thought patterns that are feeding their addictive habits. It aims to equip individuals with relapse prevention strategies so they can avoid falling back into a reliance on sleep aids.
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Holisitic therapies: These are treatments designed to heal mind, body and spirit. Combined with the above, these offer a more holistic approach to addiction recovery. They seek to equip individuals with healthy coping strategies and emotion-regulation techniques so they can resist their cravings for sleep aids post-rehab. Such therapies may include meditation, art therapy, movement therapy, and EFT.
These therapies are delivered as part of a structured treatment programme that are tailored to the individual. This ensures everyone receives a bespoke treatment plan that works for them and their individual recovery goals.
By treating the physical, psychological and emotional causes of addiction, sleeping pill rehab therefore offers a comprehensive approach to addiction recovery that fosters deep healing and long-term recovery.
Aftercare & Relapse Prevention
Recovery from addiction can be a lifelong journey for many. That's why rehab aftercare is a core element of our treatment programmes here at New Leaf Recovery.
Aftercare helps to reinforce the skills that that were gained during rehab so individuals can extend their sobriety into life post-rehab. At New Leaf, our aftercare service incorporates:
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Follow-up group therapy
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Follow-up one-to-one therapy
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Family mediation
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Reintegration support
These services ensure individuals feel fully supported as they make the transition back to everyday life, increasing the chances of a full and lasting recovery.
Seek Support with New Leaf Recovery Today
So if you think that you might have become reliant on sleep aids, don't delay, reach out to New Leaf Recovery today to get the professional support you need. Early intervention is crucial for maxisming positive outcomes, as it preventing you from falling into a deeper and more severe addiction that can be much more difficult to treat.
Remember, as a medical condition, addiction can affect anyone; and so there is no shame in admitting to having a problem and reaching out for support. As Birmingham’s leading private rehab clinic, we’re here to support you every step of the way along your pathway to lasting recovery from substance misuse
Give our friendly, compassionate team a call anytime for a discreet and non-judgmental chat. We're ready to help offer expert advice for your unique situation, and explain how a sleeping pill addiction treatment programme could help you to turn over a new leaf and quit prescription medications for good.
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