Halcion Addiction

Halcion is a brand name for triazolam, a powerful benzodiazepine developed in the 1980s. After its release, Halcion became one of the world’s most popular sleeping pills, helping patients suffering from severe insomnia fall asleep quickly without any grogginess the following morning.

While its effectiveness was undoubted, as Halcion use became more widespread, many people started to report serious Halcion side effects. These included memory loss, blackouts and extreme paranoia and anxiety.

Another issue that started to emerge was that of Halcion addiction which was particularly worrying as over 800,000 people in the UK were using the drug. All of these issues prompted the government to ban its sale and prescription altogether, which has been in place ever since.

Halcion addiction is a potentially devastating form of benzodiazepine addiction. There are various definitions for drug addiction but it means that you lose all control over Halcion use and are compelled to take it despite the problems Halcion causes.

Halcion addiction can begin in various ways. Before the ban in many countries, including the UK, most people began taking Halcion on prescription for sleep issues. Others may use it to get high or tranquilise themselves while some self-medicate with Halcion for stress or mental health problems.

Tolerance and dependence

However your Halcion use starts, your body can rapidly develop a tolerance for it. This means that before long, you will need to increase your doses to sleep or get the desired effects. Increasing your Halcion intake like this means that the drug concentrations in your system reach significant heights. In fact, there can be so much Halcion that your brain starts to rely on it to do all its natural processes. This is known as physical dependence, and once it has been established, if you stop or reduce Halcion intake, you will go into withdrawal. Halcion withdrawal symptoms can be very dangerous and unpredictable and often include:

• Feeling very anxious all the time
• Severe rebound insomnia
• Getting easily annoyed or upset.
• Excessive sweating
• Shaking or trembling, especially in the hands.
• Persistent headaches or migraines
• Nausea and vomiting
• Muscle aches or cramps.
• Feeling disoriented or having trouble thinking clearly
• Seizures (in severe cases)

As well as physical dependence, Halcion addiction also has a strong emotional and psychological hold. This means you can become reliant on it to cope with personal issues, start using all your time and energy to get more of it and begin to believe you need it for everyday life.

If you are worried about your own Halcion use, here are different signs and symptoms of Halcion addiction to look out for:

• Upping your Halcion dose because you no longer get the same level of effects
• Thinking about Halcion all the time which makes it difficult to focus on anything else
• Taking more Halcion than you initially planned or for longer than you wanted to.
• Skipping school, work and your hobbies because you are under the effects of Halcion or recovering from it.
• Doing dangerous things while using Halcion, like driving when you’re not fully alert.
• Experiencing unpredictable mood changes and getting irritated or upset easily.
• Isolating yourself from friends and family and spending more time alone with Halcion.
• Denying there is a problem, even if your loved ones are worried about your Halcion use.

While anyone who takes Halcion can quickly become physically dependent, there are usually some underlying personal factors which lead to full-blown Halcion addiction. Here are some of those factors which scientific research has identified:

Family history and environment

You may have noticed that addiction and substance abuse often seem to run in families. This is because your genetics can increase the risk of addiction as can growing up in a home environment where alcohol and drug use is common.

Tough times

If you’ve had hard experiences like trauma or you are currently under a lot of stress, you might use Halcion to feel better, which can quickly become a Halcion addiction.

Mental health problems

Some people use Halcion to cope with depression or anxiety which can quickly create a psychological and emotional reliance.

Your Halcion use patterns

Taking Halcion for a long time or in high doses greatly increases the chance of addiction.

Personality traits

If you are someone who is impulsive or enjoys intense experiences, you may be more likely to use drugs like Halcion and become addicted.

While anyone who takes Halcion can quickly become physically dependent, there are usually some underlying personal factors which lead to full-blown Halcion addiction. Here are some of those factors which scientific research has identified:

Family history and environment

You may have noticed that addiction and substance abuse often seem to run in families. This is because your genetics can increase the risk of addiction as can growing up in a home environment where alcohol and drug use is common.

Tough times

If you’ve had hard experiences like trauma or you are currently under a lot of stress, you might use Halcion to feel better, which can quickly become a Halcion addiction.

Mental health problems

Some people use Halcion to cope with depression or anxiety which can quickly create a psychological and emotional reliance.

Your Halcion use patterns

Taking Halcion for a long time or in high doses greatly increases the chance of addiction.

Personality traits

If you are someone who is impulsive or enjoys intense experiences, you may be more likely to use drugs like Halcion and become addicted.

The dangers of Halcion abuse and addiction

Halcion abuse and addiction can put your health at risk and can also disrupt other important things in your life. Some of the most serious dangers are:

Mental health issues

Halcion addiction can make you feel very depressed and anxious, especially if you stop taking the drug suddenly after becoming dependent.

Physical health issues

Taking Halcion for a long time can make you drowsy, forgetful and uncoordinated. These issues can lead to accidents and make it hard to get through everyday life productively.

Halcion overdose

Taking too much Halcion can be very dangerous and can even be fatal as it can stop your breathing. Signs of Halcion overdose include extreme drowsiness, confusion, weakness and loss of consciousness, and they require immediate medical help.

Relationship problems

Halcion can ruin your relationships with all your friends and family. You might pull away from people who care about you or get into fights because of your Halcion abuse.

Money troubles

Keeping up with a Halcion addiction can be very expensive, and you can cause yourself serious financial problems. These can be made worse by the impact of Halcion addiction on your work life.

Legal issues

Halcion is illegal in the UK and if you are caught using or supplying it, you can go to prison for a long time.

Treating Halcion addiction involves a few key steps: detox to stop using Halcion safely, rehab to learn how to live without it and relapse prevention to stay off it for good:

Halcion detox

Drug detox is when you stop taking the drug to clear your body, but it needs to be done with a doctor’s guidance because stopping suddenly can be dangerous. The doctor will help you slowly reduce your dose to prevent Halcion withdrawal symptoms and will keep a close eye on you to make sure you’re okay.

Halcion rehab treatment

Drug rehab helps you learn how to live without Halcion and understand why you started using it. During Halcion rehab treatment, you will take part in therapy and counselling to learn more about yourself and find new ways to manage your challenges without Halcion.

Relapse prevention

Relapse prevention helps you stay off Halcion after you’ve stopped using it. This includes continuing therapy to deal with stress and triggers, joining support groups like Narcotics Anonymous (NA) and avoiding people and places that make you want to use Halcion.

Halcion addiction can take over your life but with Oasis Bradford’s help, you can take back control. We provide you with all the treatment and support you need to break Halcion addiction and build a new life in recovery. Contact us today and let’s get started!