Although staging a benzodiazepine intervention for your loved one can be a difficult decision to make, it is important to remember that intervention may mean the difference between life and death. It is also important to remember that a drug intervention is not just for the wellbeing of the addict, but also for the wellbeing of you and everyone in your loved one’s life.

Another important thing to understand is that every intervention will differ, contingent on what substance(s) your loved one is abusing, length and severity of the addiction, and -most importantly- their openness and willingness to commit to making a change – with deference to discretion and choosing the right approach for the individual.

Often times, your loved ones are using/ abusing more than one substance, often leading to dangerous synergistic effect. This classification of addiction – aptly identified as polysubstance use disorder – is much more common. It is common that is addition to abusing benzodiazepines, he/she also enjoys “partying” with alcohol, opiates, cocaine or marijuana. In these instances, the individual may not be classified as a “benzo addict” as there may be a series of underlying addictions in play that will need to be addressed and confronted.

Two of the most common type of benzodiazepine addicts we receive requests for help with are those that combine benzodiazepines with alcohol and those that combine benzodiazepines with opiates. Those that combine benzodiazepines and alcohol typically become dependent and then addicted to benzos because the combination of the drug with alcohol increases the desired effects. Additionally – like alcoholics – many benzo addicts, become addicted to the drug first in attempt to treat anxiety or depression, then developing physical and psychological dependence. Oftentimes anxiety is misrepresented to doctors as an underlying factor, rather than a side effect of alcohol withdrawal.

Those that blend benzodiazepines and opiates are the next most common group we encounter. Patients who have become addicted to opiate-based drugs, especially heroin, are often prescribed Suboxone or Subutex as a method for MAT – Medication Assisted Treatment. MAT agents often contain an opiate-blocker, which makes it difficult for the user to get high while on opiates; however, taking benzos in addition to MAT agents provides the user an enhanced/high effect. Staging an intervention for a benzodiazepine and opiate addict often requires confronting not the solutions (benzodiazepine and opiate), but the underlying problems.

Regardless of the type of drug(s) your loved one is abusing, like any intervention, timing is the most important factor. Benzodiazepine users typically struggle with intense anxiety, can being impulsive and have maladaptive stress responses to stressful situations. This is why it is important to have a clinically trained interventionist on your team hand to maintain decorum and smooth transition to treatment.

If the intervention is successful and the addict agrees to accept treatment, they will be transported to the predetermined treatment center as soon as possible. If your loved one refuses to seek treatment, those involved will have no choice but to accept their refusal, and follow through on boundaries established during the intervention process.