Klonopin® Addiction Treatment

Detoxing from Klonopin® can be uncomfortable and, in some cases, dangerous. Withdrawal symptoms can deter a person from seeking treatment. Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) programs allow you to detox safely and comfortably so you can focus on other aspects of your treatment. 

MAT programs use medications to stabilize brain chemistry and reduce cravings for drugs. MAT programs can also be used to prevent relapse.

Before starting a MAT program, an addiction professional will give you an assessment to determine what medication would work best for your unique situation. You’ll also be under constant supervision and provided guidance to ensure you don’t develop a secondary addiction to these medications. 

Regardless of when you start a MAT program, you’ll participate in other forms of treatment to ensure you find success in your recovery. 

One type of treatment people can seek with Klonopin® addiction is inpatient care. A residential inpatient treatment program allows you to stay at the rehabilitation facility overnight, where staff members can monitor you 24/7 and where you’ll have no access to the drug during your treatment. 

Inpatient care is ideal for people who don’t live in a sober environment or lack a support system at home. During an inpatient treatment program, you’ll spend most of your day engaging in therapies to help speed your recovery. Inpatient care lasts anywhere between 30 to 90 days, depending on the severity of your addiction. 

Outpatient care programs provide you with the flexibility to seek treatment while still staying on top of your responsibilities. Some people can’t stay at an inpatient center because they have things outside of therapy to take care of, such as children, family members, work responsibilities or school.

You’ll still have access to the same treatments as an individual in an inpatient program. You’ll also be able to choose the frequency of your treatment. Some people attend outpatient care for the entire day and return home in the evening. Others will participate in the meetings after work or school for a few hours a day a couple of times a week.

Outpatient care can also be a transitional step between inpatient care and independent living. Those who live in a sober and supportive environment are ideal candidates for outpatient care. If you can manage your triggers and cravings at home at the end of each treatment day, then outpatient care can be an excellent option to help you overcome your addiction while participating in sober society. 

Addiction is a lifelong disease that requires constant diligence to sustain long-term recovery. Once you reenter sober society, life stress can become a trigger, tempting you to start using Klonopin® again to cope. Being around friends or family members who use substances or in an environment where substance use is expected can also trigger a relapse. 

Relapse prevention programs are an essential part of the treatment process to ensure you can sustain your sobriety long after treatment. 

When you participate in a relapse prevention program, an addiction specialist will conduct an assessment to determine your history of substance use, looking for triggers in your life that could cause cravings. Once you’ve identified these triggers, you’ll create an action plan to gauge how you should react in these situations. 

For example, if stress at work drove you to use Klonopin® before you sought treatment, then you’ll identify healthy methods to cope with this stress rather than turning to the drug or other substances. These methods might include calling a friend to talk, exercising to relieve stress or meeting with a support group to discuss your challenges and seek advice. Your relapse prevention plan will also include the contact information of people from your support group, such as your sponsor, family members or trusted friends. 

As you create this plan with an addiction specialist, they’ll provide you with the tools necessary to prevent a relapse. These coping skills include engaging in other activities rather than using substances to cope with stress or uncomfortable feelings. Common activities include:

• Yoga or meditation
• Journaling
• Hiking or exercise
• Painting 
• Listening to music

There are various other activities you can choose from, and it’s best to pick something you enjoy so that it takes your mind off of substance use. You’ll also work on creating a routine to prevent the desire to use substances when you’re bored or lonely. A routine can also give you the structure you lacked before entering treatment. 

Before starting treatment, you’ll meet with an addiction specialist for an assessment. The addiction assessment will help you and the addiction specialist determine the right course of action for your treatment. The specialist will ask you questions to assess the severity of your addiction, such as:

• When did you start using Klonopin®?
• What’s your typical dose?
• What situations make you want to use Klonopin®?
• Are you experiencing withdrawal symptoms? If so, what are they?
• Are you currently intoxicated?
• Have you been treated for addiction before?
• Are you using any other substances?

The answers to these questions will help the addiction specialist make the appropriate recommendations for your treatment.

You’ll also undergo a physical and mental health assessment simultaneously. The physical evaluation will determine the toll that addiction has had on your body. They’ll also look for substances in your system to see if medically-assisted detox is necessary. 

The mental assessment will look for any underlying mental health conditions that need additional treatment. Many people start using substances like Klonopin® to cope with their mental health symptoms and uncomfortable feelings, but they can worsen many of these conditions. If the assessment determines that you have an underlying condition, the addiction specialist will recommend simultaneous treatment to get to the root cause of your prescription drug abuse and prevent a relapse after treatment. 

The addiction specialist may also ask questions about your personal life to determine what level of treatment would be right for you. For example, suppose you have an unsafe home environment or someone in your home uses substances. In that case, they may recommend you participate in an inpatient treatment program to prevent a relapse once you start treatment. 

At the end of the assessment, the addiction specialist will provide you with a diagnosis. It’s essential to be honest during the evaluation to get the level of care you need, even though it may be uncomfortable to share personal details about your addiction.

The first step of treatment is to detox from Klonopin® so you can focus on the rest of your treatment. In severe cases, Klonopin® withdrawal can be fatal, so seeking professional treatment can keep you safe rather than managing the withdrawals on your own. 

If you’ve been taking Konopin® for a long time, you might be a good candidate for a MAT program. The medications used in these programs can help trick your body into thinking you’re still taking drugs so you can detox safely and focus on your treatment. 

While the physical withdrawal symptoms will start to disappear, the psychological addiction symptoms can linger for a long time. When you’re addicted to a drug, your mind believes that it’s vital to your survival, so it takes time for your brain chemistry to rebalance to its absence. During this time, an addiction treatment center can help you with withdrawal management to help you cope with any uncomfortable feelings, such as anxiety, sleep disturbances and restlessness. 

While you detox, you’ll participate in various therapies to help you get to the root cause of your addiction and learn the necessary skills to cope with triggers and cravings. There are multiple therapies to help you with your unique circumstances, including:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): The beliefs and values you hold influence your behavior, which can contribute to your addiction. If you believe that using Klonopin® is your only way to cope with your situation or make you feel good, then you’ll continue to use the drug. Cognitive behavioral therapy helps you readjust your beliefs and values to encourage positive behaviors. You’ll also learn how to take charge of your problems and solve them. 
• Trauma-informed therapy: People with trauma sometimes rely on substances to cope with their feelings and forget their experiences. Trauma-informed therapy helps you address the source of your trauma and manage the side effects. You’ll learn the skills you need to handle challenging situations. 

• Coping skills therapy: Learning coping skills while in treatment is essential since they’re what you’ll use when you experience cravings or challenging situations. These skills can help prevent relapse and sustain your recovery. Coping skills therapy will teach you how to utilize these tools and avoid high-risk situations. If you end up in one of these environments, you’ll be able to use these skills to overcome these challenges. Coping skills include relaxation techniques, exercising or participating in healthy recreational activities. 
• Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT): People struggling with addiction sometimes have difficulty accepting their reality, whether their addiction or the steps they need to take to recover. Acceptance and commitment therapy helps patients accept their emotions and addiction to commit to recovery. Once a person is dedicated to their recovery, it becomes easier to make progress.
• Motivational interviewing: Some patients who enter treatment aren’t motivated to go through the recovery process, at least a first. They may believe that their substance use isn’t as bad as it seems or that it’s not affecting their life negatively. Motivational interviewing encourages patients to think about how substance abuse can negatively affect their life, including their relationships, education and career. The goal is to inspire patients to become more involved in their recovery and commit to long-term success. 
• Group and individual therapy: You’ll participate in group and individual therapy during treatment. Group therapy can help you connect with others who share similar experiences and challenges. The benefit of group therapy is that it makes you feel less isolated during your recovery. Hearing success stories from other people can help you feel motivated to continue your recovery path. You can also ask questions, seek advice and vent about any challenges that you experience.
• Mindfulness-based sobriety: Mindfulness-based sobriety focuses on staying grounded in the moment. Rather than thinking about your past or how your future may be affected, you focus on now. This allows you to accept where you currently are and take the steps necessary to make positive changes. Mindfulness-based sobriety can help people who feel overwhelmed during the recovery process.

During treatment, you may participate in multiple types of therapy to increase your chances of success. At the beginning of your journey, the assessment will determine what kind of therapy is best for your circumstances. 

Taking care of yourself after treatment is essential to sustain your recovery. While you’re still in treatment, you’ll work with an addiction specialist to create an aftercare plan. There are various options for an aftercare plan, including:

• 12-step support groups: When you meet with a 12-step support group, you’ll follow the 12-step facilitation model. The counselor leading these meetings will help you integrate the tools you’ve learned during treatment into your daily routine. You’ll also get the chance to connect with others in various stages of their recovery. You can attend 12-step meetings regularly and when you feel like you might be close to a relapse. Other group members can offer advice and hold you accountable for your recovery.

• Sober living homes: Many people who leave inpatient treatment aren’t ready to completely transition to independent living. Others live in an environment where they might be exposed to substances and need more time to adjust after treatment. Sober living homes allow you to adjust to a routine and live among others in a similar situation. You’ll also get to recover in privacy, reducing your stress and triggers that could result in a relapse. 
• Relapse prevention planning: You’ll work with an addiction specialist to curate a relapse prevention plan during treatment. The plan will outline how you should respond in overwhelming situations or when you encounter a trigger. You’ll also list the contact information of people you can contact when you experience a trigger or craving, allowing you to sustain your recovery.

There are many overhead costs for addiction treatment, especially with inpatient care, so patients wonder if insurance will cover the cost. The federal government created the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA), requiring all insurance providers to provide coverage for mental health and addiction treatment as they would for treatment of physical ailments. 

If you have insurance, they’ll cover some level of care. Keep in mind that if your coverage for physical conditions is limited, coverage for addiction treatment will also be limited. However, you can rest assured that you will have some form of addiction coverage if you have insurance.

Various medications are used in a MAT program, and the kind you take will depend on your individual needs. For example, Naltrexone or Disulfiram can block the effects of Klonopin®. If you happen to have a relapse, you won’t feel the same desired effects, making taking the drug less desirable.

Medications such as Methadone and Buprenorphine can be used during the detox process. They make cravings less intense and sometimes trick the brain and body into thinking you’re still taking Klonopin®. By tricking the body, your withdrawal symptoms become less severe so that you can focus on your treatment. 

The amount of time you’ll need in treatment will vary based on the severity of your addiction. If you’re in an inpatient program, your treatment length will be 30, 60 or 90 days. After inpatient treatment, you may transition to outpatient treatment.

Outpatient programs vary since the treatment schedule is more flexible. If you only attend meetings a few times a week, treatment can last for several weeks. Many people participate in outpatient care between four to six weeks, but others stay longer to ensure they’re ready to reenter sober society. An addiction specialist will help you determine how long you need treatment during your assessment.