Xanax and Alcohol: Where to Find Treatment

There’s a belief that world-class service has to be priced exorbitantly. Sivana Bali does not adhere to that belief. We offer personalised substance abuse treatment at our resort-like treatment center in beautiful Canggu, Bali. Our team is comprised of certified rehab specialists. Our goal is to infuse joy into the rehab process. We always look to provide our patients with the care and attention that they need, so we limit ourselves to 9 clients at a given time.

An Overview of Xanax

Xanax is the brand name for the drug alprazolam. It’s part of a category of drugs known as benzodiazepines, which calm the central nervous system. People who need to take Xanax are prescribed it to treat anxiety disorders, panic disorders, and, in the short term, insomnia.

Xanax works by enhancing the effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter. This helps to reduce activity in the brain, which can lead to anxiety and insomnia. Xanax is generally considered safe, but it can be addictive and should only be taken under the guidance of a medical professional.

Common Effects of Xanax

While prescription drug abuse can be common with a substance such as alprazolam, Xanax still has real therapeutic and medical value, particularly for people who suffer from anxiety-related mental health disorders. Taking Xanax allows people to function in the world without constantly worrying over everything, even things that are impossible or not likely to come to pass. Medications like Xanax give those people a chance at living without their brains constantly screaming at them that something bad is about to happen.

Some of the common side effects of Xanax are:

• Increased feelings of calm and relaxation
• Sedation
• A feeling of detachment
• Muscle relaxation
• Euphoria (in large doses)

The Dangers of Mixing Xanax and Alcohol

Xanax and alcohol are both depressants, which means they both impair brain activity and produce a sedative effect. Taking both together can enhance the other’s effects and increase the risk of an overdose. If a person were to mix Xanax and alcohol, they put themselves at greater risk for physical and mental consequences, up to and including an overdose.

Side Effects of Mixing Alcohol and Xanax

It’s generally not recommended to combine alcohol and Xanax. In fact, you shouldn’t drink alcohol with any prescription medication, period, let alone a medication where mixing it with alcohol enhances the effects of both substances. Some of the dangerous side effects of mixing alcohol and Xanax include:

• Increased sedation: As alcohol and Xanax are both central nervous system depressants, taking both together can increase their sedative effects. This means that if you take them together, you might get drowsy, dizzy, or experience bouts of confusion.
• Impaired Coordination and Function: Taking Xanax and alcohol together can impair your motor function and coordination. This can make it hard for you to drive or even walk and can lead to situations where you could hurt yourself.
• Memory Loss and Blackouts: Xanax and alcohol can both affect your memory. Taking them together can worsen this effect, and you may find it difficult to recall events or conversations you had while under their influence. Another of the dangers of mixing alcohol with Xanax is that taking both together can put you at an increased risk of blackouts. This is when you have absolutely no memory of events that occurred while you were intoxicated. This isn’t just having a hard time remembering something. This is a complete and total gap in your memory.
• Respiratory Depression: Xanax and alcohol individually suppress the respiratory system. Mixing them together can exacerbate this side effect, leading to difficulty breathing.
• Impaired Judgment: When you combine a dose of Xanax with alcohol use, you’re taking something that could potentially impair your judgment. This can lead to impulsive, risky behaviours such as drunk driving or engaging in other dangerous activities.
• Stomach Problems: Taking alcohol with Xanax can irritate your gastrointestinal tract. This can result in vomiting, nausea, and stomachache.
• Psychological Effects: One of the effects of alcohol being combined with Xanax is that a person can become more irritable and agitated. They can also experience mood swings and other changes to their behaviour.
• Increased Risk for Addiction: Not everyone who takes Xanax and alcohol together is an addict, but taking the two together can increase the risk of addiction. Using both regularly can lead to physical and psychological dependence, which can form a pattern of behaviour that is hard to break.

Xanax’s Role in Medical Detox for Alcohol

For people who suffer from alcohol addiction, one of the first parts of treatment is to detox. This is when they go through a medically supervised withdrawal. Detox can come with several withdrawal symptoms, which can be managed by medication. While other benzodiazepines, such as Valium or Librium, would be more likely to be used because they last longer, Xanax’s short half-life means that it can be taken more frequently to manage some alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

Xanax and Alcohol Addiction Treatment at Sivana Bali

If you want to find help for an addiction to alcohol, Xanax, or both, Sivana Bali will craft an individualised treatment program for you. We employ evidence-based modalities along with holistic treatment options to lay a foundation for long-term addiction recovery.

Alcohol Rehab

We understand that alcohol consumption is generally accepted in our society, and it’s not uncommon for people to indulge in a glass of wine or champagne at social gatherings. However, we also acknowledge that some individuals struggle with alcohol addiction and require specialized treatment to overcome their dependency. At Sivana Bali, we are committed to providing our patients with a personalized approach to treatment that is comprehensive and effective. We take great care to develop treatment plans that are tailored to the unique needs of each patient, so they can receive the support and guidance they need to overcome their addiction and reclaim their lives.

Prescription Drug Rehab

Addiction to prescription drugs like Xanax starts out innocuously enough. The medication alleviates pain, manages anxiety, or helps you sleep. But, over time, you find yourself developing a tolerance for your medication and needing to take a larger amount of Xanax or your drug of choice to achieve the effect it once had. 

This leads to a dependence on the drug, both physical and mental. At this point, you’ll need the drug just to keep functioning.

An addiction to prescription medication can affect anyone. But help is available, and Sivana Bali is providing the highest standard of care for prescription drug addiction.

Dual Diagnosis Treatment

At Sivana Bali, we recognise that substance abuse and mental health go hand-in-hand. All too often, people with mental illness turn to substances like drugs and alcohol as a form of self-medication. It’s also very common for people with substance abuse disorders to either exacerbate an existing mental illness or develop one over the course of their addiction.

This is why Sivana Bali offers Dual Diagnosis Treatment to address a patient’s mental health concerns and treat their addiction at the same time. Treating one without addressing the other could increase the chance of a relapse occurring. 

Dual diagnosis can be particularly important for someone who has gotten in the habit of mixing Xanax and alcohol. They likely have an underlying mental illness that required them to use Xanax in the first place, and addressing it is going to be vital to breaking through a substance abuse disorder.

Aftercare Program

The road to addiction recovery is long and is fraught with temptations. Sivana Bali understands, that for our patients, relapsing is a very real possibility they’ll have to contend with when they leave inpatient treatment. This is why we offer extensive aftercare services to identify and provide the tools a patient will need to lower the risk of relapse.

Addiction Does Not Define You – Get Help Today

Becoming addicted to a prescription can feel like a betrayal. You get a medication that’s supposed to help you, and it does. Your quality of life improves because of the medication. But then you find yourself dependent on that medication, and then that thing that was supposed to save is what’s dragging you down. It’s like if you were drowning and someone threw you a lifeline, but then that lifeline became a noose.

Alcohol abuse is something that can go unnoticed. Drinking is so normalised in a society that it can be hard to spot anything wrong when someone goes from one glass of wine to the whole bottle. It’s the kind of addiction that can sneak up on a person.

Whether you’re addicted to prescription drugs, alcohol, or some other substance, Sivana Bali wants to give you the tools that you need to help you break your addictions. Contact us now to get help, and our expert team will help you get started on the path to recovery.