Signs of Klonopin Addiction: Helping a Sibling Recognize When They Need Help

No matter what the early months or years of Klonopin use looked like or how much benefit your sibling got from it in the past, what matters is their relationship with their prescription now. What began as a solution may, as it has for so many others, have since turned into a crutch, or worse.

Although it’s considered one of the safer benzodiazepines, long-term use and abuse of Klonopin can take its toll on the brain and body. Some of the most common signs of Klonopin addiction and abuse include:

• Difficulty remembering things
• Mood swings
• Impaired reflexes
• Irrational and angry outbursts
• Disorientation
• Impaired judgment
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea

To make things more frustrating, many doctors are content to keep patients on benzodiazepines because they don’t know the dangers or simply don’t have the time to conduct a taper.

For Liam, part of the problem was rooted in the fact that his prescribing doctor simply was not knowledgeable enough about benzodiazepines and the effects of withdrawal to be qualified to properly advise Liam on his Klonopin use. This is why residential treatment facilities are so key to both the treatment of mental disorders and addiction recovery—the medical teams at such facilities are specifically trained in such areas and can expertly monitor both prescriptions and, if necessary, medical detox.

Of course, by the time Liam acknowledged his own addiction, he felt it was hopeless to seek help. After all, he’d already been to one doctor who had unwittingly steered him wrong. Just as Karen struggled to see how she could convince him otherwise, so, too, may you be wondering how to help your sibling see past their doubts to recognize the benefits of seeking professional help with their addiction. The good news is, there is still hope—both for you and for your brother or sister.

When many people hear the word “treatment,” they think of a rigidly structured clinical environment. And even if they don’t, the fear of experiencing withdrawal can be enough to keep people struggling with Klonopin addiction attached to their pattern of use, even when they are aware of the toll that it’s taking on their health.

However, as a member of their family, you are uniquely suited to helping your sibling come to grips with the importance of addressing their addiction in a residential setting. Being an addict is often lonely and isolating, but you have the opportunity to reach into this world and show them a better alternative to using and continuing the cycle of addiction. You can give them the courage and motivation needed to take that vital first step, which is often the hardest.

Emphasize the personalized nature of treatment centers, the safety of medical detox, and paint a picture that breaks any preconceptions of mental health treatment that might be holding them back. Remember: given the tough nature of benzodiazepine withdrawal, knowing that they will have medical professionals helping them slowly taper off of their medication is a huge comfort. In fact, it can be the difference between resigning to continue down the path of addiction and making the choice to face withdrawal in order to detox.

After medically supervised detox, your sibling will enter long-term treatment. What happens then is largely dependent on their needs and situations. While steps like psychological testing and basic therapies are a given, the right program will adapt and change along the way to ensure that treatment addresses every problem and challenge that arises.

Like Liam, many people take Klonopin for mental health reasons, sometimes alongside other medications. After long enough, these issues end up going unaddressed in the face of addiction, even if the Klonopin was initially prescribed to address them. A comprehensive residential treatment program will treat any underlying conditions concurrently, taking care to do so in a way that makes it possible for your sibling to also address and take control of their addiction.

The treatment process is a learning experience that will give your sibling insight into their addiction (and themselves) that they never thought possible. That’s not to say treatment is easy—like any healing process, it will have its ups and downs. Nevertheless, the process of learning and growing will help give your sibling a forward momentum that will guide them down a positive path of recovery at long last.