Table of Contents
What is Klonopin?
Klonopin is a benzodiazepine, most commonly used to treat anxiety-related disorders. Klonopin works by blocking receptors in the brain, leading to an overall reduction of stress and anxiety. The drug is also used as a muscle relaxant in some circumstances. The substance itself is highly habit-forming, and people can get addicted to Klonopin even when they are taking it as prescribed (if other factors are present, like a predisposition towards drug abuse or an undiagnosed mental health disorder, this risk increases significantly).
Once the brain becomes chemically dependent on the substance, it will be unable to send signals of stress-reduction relaxation through the central nervous system. Essentially, this means that the brain and body will begin believing that the substance is required in order for the body to function properly.
Symptoms of Klonopin Addiction
Those that are struggling with Klonopin addiction will typically exhibit a specific set of signs and symptoms. The first signs usually involve a compulsion to use the drug coupled with increased tolerance. This means that greater amounts of the drug will need to be used in order to achieve the desired results. Other symptoms of Klonopin addiction include:
- Intense cravings. When you aren’t using the drug, you will be fixated on obtaining and using it. This is the intense mental obsession that goes hand-in-hand with chemical dependency.
- Losing interest in activities that were once enjoyed. A telltale sign of addiction is becoming so preoccupied with your drug of choice that you start stepping away from other, healthier activities that you used to enjoy.
- A lack of motivation. When active in addiction, you won’t feel motivated to fulfill your obligations or take care of responsibilities. For example, those struggling with Klonopin addiction might opt to stay in bed all day rather than go to work.
- Looking for Klonopin. Those addicted to Klonopin might experience feelings of uneasiness and anxiety when the drug isn’t available.
- Continued use despite consequences. No matter what the consequences – legal, interpersonal, health-related – those struggling with substance dependency will justify continued use.
What is Xanax?
Xanax is also a benzodiazepine, used to treat anxiety disorders, panic attacks, and insomnia. As it stands, Xanax is the most frequently prescribed psychiatric pharmaceutical in the country. This is a dangerous fact, seeing as an estimated 70 percent of young adults that abuse Xanax took it from the medicine cabinet of a friend or family member. Like Klonopin, this drug can be extremely addictive. Tolerance builds up quickly, and the user will take more and more of the drug to achieve the initial effect.
Additionally, abruptly ceased use will lead to severe withdrawal effects. The symptoms of Xanax addiction are very similar to the symptoms of Klonopin addiction because the chemical makeup of the drugs is very similar. These symptoms include cravings, withdrawal symptoms with discontinued use, decreased motivation, drug-seeking behaviors, and continued use despite negative consequences.
Mixing Klonopin and Xanax
Mixing drugs of any kind can be extremely dangerous, but taking Klonopin and Xanax together can prove to be lethal. Because the effects of the drugs are so similar, the interaction will enhance the symptoms of each drug individually, leading to a host of serious side effects. People who abuse benzodiazepines are usually seeking a tranquilizing, tension-relieving effect. Xanax has a shorter half-life and produces effects quickly, while Klonopin lasts longer. If someone has been abusing one of the drugs, then they might reach for the other as their tolerance increases.
People might also abuse the drug to enhance the “high” or to make the sensation last longer. If you or someone close to you has been struggling with abuse of one drug – or both – reach out for help. All it takes to get started on the road to addiction recovery is one phone call.