There is a fine line to walk when you are trying to treat symptoms of mental health with medication. On the one hand, medication could be very beneficial to easing your symptoms enough for you to work toward a full recovery. But on the other side of things, mental health and addiction struggles frequently go hand-in-hand, making it hard to detect the fact that you might need more help than originally planned.
One of these medications that hangs in the balance between helpful and harmful is called Xanax. Here, we’ll discuss the differences between real vs. fake Xanax so that you can find the treatment method that works best for you without putting your life at risk.
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What Is Xanax?
Nearly 20 percent of all adults in the United States have an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders usually come with the symptoms of persistent worries, panic attacks, phobias, and other signs of anxiety. Naturally, people who constantly struggle with the symptoms of anxiety or other mental health concerns need a way to get through each day. This is where anxiety medications like Xanax come into the picture.
Xanax belongs to a group of medications called benzodiazepines. Benzodiazepines increase the brain’s availability of GABA—a neurotransmitter that calms the nervous system—in order to help the body feel more relaxed and capable of handling stressful situations. Xanax is one of the name brands of this type of drug and mental health professionals often prescribe Xanax to help patients who have severe anxiety.
While Xanax can be extremely beneficial to people who need relief from the symptoms of their anxiety disorders, it is also a risky medication in some cases. The FDA gives Xanax and other benzodiazepines a warning on the box to show that this category of medications are highly addictive. Xanax should always be used under the supervision of a health care professional. If you have prescription Xanax, be aware of the common symptoms of addiction, including:
- Taking more than the prescribed dose
- Finding other doctors to get you more of the medication
- Feeling withdrawal symptoms when you aren’t taking it
- Turning to Xanax whenever you feel any sign of mental health distress
- Seeking out illegal or fake Xanax when you can’t get a prescription
When prescribed legally, Xanax comes in the form of a white pill. On this pill, you can usually see the letters of this medication on one side as well as a number that represents the specific dosage. But in many situations, Xanax is sold illegally on the streets. And fake Xanax is actually becoming more common in the United States and it has caused a significant increase in overdoses and deaths related to this drug.
Is Fake Xanax Dangerous?
Fake Xanax is extremely dangerous for a number of reasons. First, this medication in its real, legal form is meant to be used alongside therapies such as individualized counseling or group therapy in order to treat the main cause of the symptoms. When used without any mental health support, the risk for physical and emotional dependency greatly increases.
Secondly, real Xanax has a very specific dosage that is meant to help ease mental health symptoms. It’s nearly impossible to know how much of the medication is actually in counterfeit Xanax. Too much or too little of the dosage could actually worsen your mental health and leave you with serious withdrawal symptoms.
Lastly, fake Xanax is usually laced with substances that are even more addictive and can be deadly. In fact, law enforcement agents have been coming across many more cases of people who become seriously ill or even who lose their lives because the fake Xanax they purchased was mixed with a high dose of fentanyl.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is easy and cheap to produce, which is why it is usually the substance of choice to mix with fake Xanax and other street drugs such as cocaine and heroin. What’s important to know is that many people who buy fake Xanax cannot even tell that it is fake—and not knowing how to spot fake Xanax bars comes with serious consequences.
How to Tell if a Xanax Bar Is Fake
There are fake white Xanax bars and fake blue Xanax bars depending on the batch that is going around. Usually, people try to differentiate between real vs. fake Xanax by looking at the letters pressed into the pill. Counterfeit Xanax will have the letters pressed into the pill that look almost identical to the real deal, but might be slightly off.
Unfortunately, to the human eye, spotting fake Xanax bars or any other counterfeit drug is a challenging—if not impossible—task. This is especially true when you are struggling with addiction. Seeking out Xanax through illegal means or taking advantage of legally prescribed medications can put your life at risk. Furthermore, having an addiction to Xanax defeats the whole purpose as to why you started it in the first place: to soothe anxieties and allow you to work through any mental health concerns.
If you are hoping to learn how to tell if a Xanax bar is fake, you should reach out to a treatment center immediately to get more assistance on how to beat the symptoms of addiction. Additionally, you might think that quitting Xanax without medical supervision will solve the problem of encountering fake Xanax bars.
However, abruptly stopping all use of Xanax at once could send your mind and body into shock. The withdrawal symptoms could very well take your life, especially if you have become dependent on fake Xanax. This is why it is essential for you to get the right kind of help to combat your Xanax addiction.
Recovery from Addiction to Fake Xanax is Right Around the Corner
If you are feeling unsure about your own relationship to Xanax and whether or not you have been taking real or fake Xanax bars, it might be time to get professional mental health support. At the Blackberry Center, recovery is right around the corner. We work to address any and all concerns about addiction, co-occurring disorders, and getting your life back on track.
We know what it’s like to live day-to-day with severe anxiety and we recognize that Xanax and other medications can take the edge off of these symptoms. This is why we offer medication evaluation and management services. Our licensed medical staff will work closely with you in order to develop a treatment plan that’s meant to help you find your own unique path to recovery.
In addition to this, we offer dual diagnosis care for those who have mental health and addiction concerns. In dual diagnosis treatment, you will have the opportunity to heal fully through services such as:
- Medical detox
- Nutritional consultations
- Group therapy
- 12-step programs
- After-treatment care
You no longer have to rely on your own instincts to tell the difference between real and fake Xanax. During your time in treatment, you will have the opportunity to work on your mental health without the risk of making it harder to handle. It is only through support and dedicated treatment that you will find your way back to your real self again.
If you’re ready to start your recovery journey or if you have further questions about fake Xanax, addiction recovery, or our services, give us a call at 888-512-9802 or fill out a confidential form to contact us safely today.
The post Identifying Fake Xanax Bars: Treating Anxiety Safely appeared first on The Blackberry Center of Central Florida.
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Original Author: The Blackberry Center
