Sleep is a basic human need,but we often take it for granted. The National Sleep Foundation suggests that 58 percent of adults in the United States have at least one symptom of insomnia. Some people may be unable to sleep at all, tossing and turning all night. Others might fall asleep quickly, only to awaken multiple times throughout the night.[1]
It’s distressing. Some people may look their doctor to solve a sleeping problem. However, if they are given a prescription for Lunesta, addiction may soon follow.Thankfully, with the proper treatment, an addiction to Lunesta can be addressed so the original sleep problem can be handled as well.
Tapping Into the Brain
When Lunesta was released, researchers thought the drug could be safely used without causing addiction. Later studies found Lunesta worked much like benzodiazepines and led to compulsive use. A study from 1983 found that monkeys given Lunesta were likely to take the drug frequently when given a choice. The monkeys even experienced withdrawal when they stopped taking the drug.[2]
After these studies, medical professionals exercised caution in prescribing Lunesta. Most doctors required that patients stop Lunesta use after just a few weeks. Unfortunately, not all medical professionals followed these guidelines. Those who want to abuse Lunesta found it easy to get the medication. Some people experienced severe consequences such as overdose and even death.
Lunesta sedates the brain by affecting the GABA receptors and slowing down this system. This drug keeps the brain from firing at a rapid rate, and sleep might quickly come. When the GABA system changes, a feeling of happiness and euphoria follows. If the individual combines Lunesta with alcohol, the euphoric feeling lasts even longer.
Overcoming Withdrawal
People who are addicted to Lunesta may experience a variety of unpleasant symptoms when they attempt to stop taking the drug.
Those symptoms include:
- Anxiety
- Abnormal dreams
- Nausea
- Increased sensitivity to sensory stimulus
These symptoms can last for days on end. In some cases, they can even drive people back to continued drug use. After all, one dose of Lunesta can make these feelings disappear. This fact is why it is important to enroll in a formal treatment program for Lunesta addiction. In a treatment program, people do not have access to the drug and this helps to avoid relapse.
Learning to Sleep Again
People who develop an insomnia-related addiction may have trouble sleeping when in recovery. Insomnia can even work as a trigger for a relapse to Lunesta abuse. As these people learn how to deal with their insomnia, the odds of relapse can fade away completely.
Sleep hygiene is often an important part of healing. Therapists may teach clients how to meditate as a way to calm busy minds for sleep. Medical interventions can also be helpful. While many addiction rehab programs do not have sleep specialists on hand, clients are encouraged to speak with their doctors about any health issues.
While some people develop a Lunesta addiction due to a sleep disorders, others develop addictions as a result of mixing Lunesta with other drugs of abuse.
Research suggests that some people even revert to previous addictions they had thought were conquered, as Lunesta seems to awaken old addictions.[3] Unfortunately, drugs can cause changes in brain chemistry that can make symptoms of mental illness much more severe.
Using Therapy
There is no specific therapy technique to treat a Lunesta addiction issue. However, there are multiple therapy techniques to assist people that have proven track records.
Some of these techniques include:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy allows people to determine their risk factors for relapse and also develop tools that can keep a relapse at bay
- Family therapy allows the whole family unit to come together and discuss how an addiction might form and how it can be handled
- Contingency management gives people the opportunity to work toward rewards by providing urine samples free of drugs
- Motivational interviewing pinpoints the specific reasons individual want to stop using drugs
Settings for Treatment
Some addiction treatment programs allow people to live at home while they tend to their addiction issues. This option can seem like an attractive option for people who are addicted, especially if they’re concerned about leaving their children or their jobs behind. However, not everyone who is addicted to Lunesta will succeed in an outpatient program.
Inpatient care is ideal for people who have addictions to multiple drugs. People who are addicted to Lunesta or other similar drugs are commonly addicted to other substances.[5] This fact seems to suggest that people who are addicted to Lunesta might have other issues that would merit treatment in an inpatient program. While stepping away from home can be difficult, it truly might be the best option for those in recovery from an addiction to Lunesta.
How To Find Out More
It is never a good idea to stop using Lunesta without the help of a medical professional. If you’d like to know more about the treatment process for Lunesta addiction, we’d like to talk with you. At Michael’s House, we provide you with drug addiction treatment and treat any mental illnesses that can underlie drug abuse and addiction. We have counselors available via telephone who are happy to answer any questions you might have. Please call now to find out more. Start living a life without drug abuse today.
Sources
[1] “Myths and Facts About Sleep.” National Sleep Foundation. Web. Accessed 1 June 2017.
[2] Yanagita, T. “Dependence Potential of Zopiclone Studied in Monkeys.” NCBI. Web. Accessed 2 June 2017.
[3] Monti, Jaime, et.al. “Eszopiclone: Its use in the Treatment of Insomnia.” August 2007. Web Accessed 2 June 2017.
[4] “Zopiclone: Is it a Pharmacologic Agent for Abuse? Canadian Family Physician. December 2007. Web. Accessed 2 June 2017.
[5] Tasman, Allan, et.al. “Substance Abuse: Sedative, Hypnotic, or Anxiolytic Use Disorders.” 8 August 2008. Psychiatry. 3rd Edition. Web. Accessed 2 June 2017.
