Rohypnol is not manufactured or sold legally in the United States but is available by prescription in Europe and Latin America. It is similar to Valium but is up to 10 times more potent. The drug is used as a sedative and muscle relaxant, and also to reduce anxiety.1 It is abused by college students, rave party attendees, gang members and drug addicts to intensify the feeling of intoxication, boost the effects of heroin, and modulate the effects of cocaine.2
Chronic use of Rohypnol can result in dependence and withdrawal. Withdrawal is used to describe the group of symptoms that occur when there is an abrupt discontinuation or decrease in the intake of a drug. When you stop taking Rohypnol, you may experience symptoms similar to those of alcohol withdrawal, such as tremors, hallucinations, and convulsions.
Rohypnol withdrawal symptoms may also include:
Withdrawal from Rohypnol can also cause seizures, which may occur for up to more than a week after the drug is stopped.
Safe Rohypnol Withdrawal
If you or a loved one struggles with Rohypnol addiction, it is important that you work with your doctor or a professional drug rehab counselor on a strategy for withdrawal. Withdrawal symptoms can be very severe, which is why the safest way to go through the process is at a rehab facility that offers medically-supervised detox.
Medically-supervised detox allows the patient to withdraw from Rohypnol in a safe environment under the watchful eye of trained rehab personnel. Round-the-clock medical monitoring and management of withdrawal symptoms are just two of the many reasons medically-supervised detox is the safest choice.
Statistics prove that when an addict attempts to stop using the drug on his or her own, the results do not last long. That’s why inpatient treatment in a rehab facility following detox is the best way to break the cycle of addiction to Rohypnol. Spending time in a safe and structured environment, surrounded by the support of therapists and other rehab personnel, allows you or your loved one the opportunity to fully focus on getting better.
Rohypnol Treatment
After withdrawing from Rohypnol in a facility that offers medically-supervised detox, the next step in the treatment process is the diagnosis of any underlying mental health issues. Addiction to any drug can often be caused by or contributed to by a personal or family history of mental illness. Once a diagnosis is reached, an appropriate treatment plan is designed to simultaneously treat both issues.
With or without co-occurring disorders, treatment for addiction usually involves a combination of the following:
Once treatment has ended, appropriate aftercare is essential for continued recovery. Your rehab facility will help connect you with support groups, accountability partners, sponsors and ongoing counseling services to keep you on the road to a drug-free life.
Getting Help for Rohypnol Addiction
Withdrawal can be a painful part of breaking an addiction, but it is necessary in order to begin your road to recovery. Entering a treatment center could be the best decision you’ve ever made. There is hope. Addiction treatment can help you get your life back.
Call our toll-free number, 760.548.4032, today to speak with an admissions coordinator about available treatment options. We are available 24 hours a day, so call us now.
By Patti Richards, Contributing Writer
Sources
1 “Rohypnol: Effects, Hazards & Methods of Abuse.” Drugs.com. Accessed Oct. 1, 2018.
2 “Rohypnol.” Where Families Find Answers on Substance Use | Partnership for Drug-Free Kids. Oct. 1, 2018.
3 “Treatment Approaches for Drug Addiction.” National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIDA, Jan. 2018.