- Dec 23
- Addiction
Addiction is a heartbreaking disease, especially when you’re addicted to a substance that’s supposed to support your health and wellbeing. Trazadone is a medication that helps people struggling with depression or difficulties sleeping. Unfortunately, prescription trazodone can be abused. Some people take advantage of the drug’s calming properties for recreational use. Other people don’t follow their doctor’s directions. When you misuse it, you can become dependent or addicted to trazodone.
What Is Trazodone?
Trazodone is a prescription sedative and antidepressant that’s considered both safe and effective when taken as directed. This medication can help those with major depressive disorder, insomnia or other sleep disorders. Sometimes, it’s prescribed to individuals in recovery from addiction who have difficulties sleeping.
Trazodone works by restoring the brain’s natural balance of serotonin. Serotonin is often called the happy chemical because it contributes to feelings of well-being and happiness. Trazadone’s ability to boost serotonin levels can help combat anxiety and depression, improve overall mood, restore appetite and revive energy levels.
Trazodone is sold in tablet form under the brand names Desyrel, Oleptro and several others internationally.
Trazodone Recreational Use
Sadly, the recreational use of trazodone is on the rise. Although it doesn’t cause euphoria, the drug produces a relaxing, calming effect that users find desirable. Recreationally, trazodone is called by the street name “sleepeasy.” It’s often taken with other substances, like alcohol, ecstasy or meth, to enhance its effects. Taking the drug in this way puts users at a high risk of overdose and other harmful side effects.
Trazadone is misused recreationally in many ways to get high, such as:
- Crushing tablets and snorting trazodone powder
- Adding crushed trazodone to marijuana and smoking it
- Adding crushed trazodone to alcohol and drinking it
Is Trazodone Addictive?
When taken under the supervision of a medical professional, trazodone is considered generally safe. When misused, however, dependency and addiction can occur. Although it’s not always considered habit-forming, the drug can cause physical dependence and psychological addiction. After extended dosing, withdrawal symptoms are highly common when users attempt to stop.
Signs of Trazodone Addiction
The first signs that users are abusing trazodone are the short term physical side effects, such as dizziness, nausea, blurred vision and feeling hungover after use. If individuals ignore these symptoms and continue to misuse trazodone, the drug can lead to physical dependence and addiction. Common signs that you or someone you know has a trazodone addiction include:
- Neglecting personal or professional responsibilities because of trazodone use
- Visiting multiple doctors to get trazodone prescriptions
- Obtaining more trazodone even when it’s no longer needed
- Faking symptoms to get trazodone
- Buying or stealing trazodone from friends or family members
- Obtaining trazodone from a drug dealer
- Needing to up your trazodone dosage to feel the same sedating effects it originally provided
- Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when not using trazodone
Symptoms of Trazodone Withdrawal
If you stop taking trazodone after dosing with it for an extended time, you’ll experience uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms. Even those who want to quit using often feel trapped in an abuse cycle because they want to avoid the discomfort of these intense side effects. Withdrawal leaves users vulnerable to relapse, which could cause a fatal overdose if they go back to using trazodone.
The longer individuals abuse tramadol, the more severe the withdrawal symptoms. Unless users enter a medical detox program, some people experience tramadol withdrawal anywhere from one to two weeks up to several months after quitting.
Common side effects of trazodone withdrawal include:
- Headache
- Stomach pain
- Sweating
- Weakness
- Dizziness
- Disorientation
- Fatigue
- Muscle pain
- Tightness in the chest
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Insomnia
Start Your Addiction Recovery Journey Today
Don’t Struggle With Trazodone Addiction Alone
If you or someone you care about is addicted to trazodone, it’s essential to seek treatment right away. Comprehensive care, like the treatment programs at Gateway Foundation, saves lives. We are proud to provide highly individualized treatment programs for substance use disorder. Your care may consist of several treatment options based on your unique needs, including:
- Withdrawal management to help you overcome your physical dependence on trazodone
- Dual-diagnosis services to help manage any underlying mental health issues, such as depression or anxiety
- Group and individual counseling services to help you address addiction’s underlying causes and learn recovery skills for future success
If you’re ready to break the bonds of addiction, contact Gateway Foundation today.
