WHAT WE TREAT
At Paracelsus Recovery, we can help you overcome your Ambien addiction, no matter how challenging that may feel. Our holistic and pragmatic treatment programmes are designed to support you through a safe detox from Ambien, address each underlying cause of the addiction and restore your health.
Ambien is a powerful sedative that is commonly prescribed to treat insomnia and sleep problems. While often believed to be less addictive than benzodiazepines such as Xanax, when Ambien is taken at high doses or for an extended period of time, users can develop an addiction. Often referred to as ‘sleeping pills’, ambien is classed as a soporific drug, which falls into a category of drugs known as sedative-hypnotics. All sedative-hypnotic drugs are referred to as ‘z-drugs’ because they induce sleep.
Even though sleeping-pills like Ambien are non-benzodiazepine hypnotics, they have very similar biochemical effects on the brain as benzodiazepines but with fewer side effects. Ambien works by enhancing the effects of the neurotransmitter GABA in our brain. GABA is a tranquilising neurotransmitter, and billions of brain cells respond to its signals. When someone feels overly anxious, the brain becomes excited and over-active. Ambien contains chemicals that can counteract these over-active chemical messengers, and keep the brain in a more tranquilised state. However, as a result, Ambien is highly addictive and can lead to severe physical and psychological dependence as well as many psychological issues.
At high doses, Ambien can make the user feel drowsy, euphoric and even produce hallucinations if the individual who has taken the drug is fighting the urge to sleep. There is also the danger of dying in your sleep, or blacking out and putting yourself and others in dangers while you sleep. If you take the drug over an extended period, the brain will adapt, and the individual will need higher doses to get the same sleep-inducing effect, while also being increasingly unable to sleep without the drug. These are effects known as tolerance and dependence. For example, an individual recovering from a sleeping-pill dependency often experiences ‘rebound insomnia’.
When sedatives such as Ambien are mixed with other central nervous system depressants, like alcohol, the CNS becomes severely depressed. The CNS is the subconscious part of the body that works to regulate breathing and heart rates. If it becomes too depressed, it has the potential to stop or ‘forget’ to function altogether. This can result in someone struggling to breathe or stopping breathing and a dangerously slowed heart rate.
If you have developed an Ambien addiction, you can overcome it. However, it can be extremely challenging to detox from Ambien without professional, structured support. Often, the only way to do this is to undergo a medical detox to manage the physical withdrawal symptoms and to work with mental health experts to manage the psychological withdrawal.
Through our combination of medical, psychological and personal care, we are proud to be the only clinic in the world that addresses co-occurring conditions and every possible root-cause of Ambien addiction. In so doing, we can help you recover in a matter of weeks, rather than years or months.
bespoke treatment
How we treat Ambien addiction
We can’t tell you exactly what your four-week stay will involve, as each individual’s experience with Ambien addiction is unique. Therefore, we curate a bespoke treatment plan for everyone who comes to stay at Paracelsus Recovery; there is no pre-defined treatment path. It is also important to emphasise that we do not adopt a specific treatment model. Instead, we advocate for a completely pragmatic approach to addiction; whatever works best for you to achieve your goals.
Each of your days with us is thoughtfully structured to include handpicked therapeutic elements designed to help you overcome your Ambien addiction and create healthier coping mechanisms. From withdrawal to intensive therapy, every step is tailored to you. All the therapies we use are designed to work in harmony with one another, restoring every aspect of your physical, emotional, and psychological health and regain control of your life. See below for more details.
Our approach considers the whole person: mind, body and soul
We understand that everyone’s journey is different, which is why we never take a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. Instead, we carefully tailor each programme to meet your unique needs. While we prioritise the latest treatment methods and holistic care, it’s your individual circumstances that ultimately shape how we work with you.
As part of your recovery from Ambien, we provide a carefully managed withdrawal process supported by medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and IVs to ease withdrawal symptoms. Another central feature of treatment is extensive testing to uncover the underlying reasons for your dependency. This understanding allows us to create a personalised treatment plan designed to help you overcome it for good. Your bespoke programme will feature a variety of therapies such as biofeedback, nutritional therapy, Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), sleep therapies, personal training, acupuncture and art therapy.
Beyond addressing the root causes of addiction, we also assess its wider impact, treating any neurological or physical damage caused by your Ambien abuse in parallel to the underlying issues involved. Our treatments typically feature intensive psychotherapy, biochemical restoration, and complementary therapies, all aimed at reducing stress and supporting a robust, sustainable recovery.
15+ team members, all dedicated to your health and well-being
We are the only residential drug treatment centre in the world to provide a minimum of 15 dedicated professionals to each client.
Our team is made up of world-renowned doctors, therapists, and addiction specialists, including a Nobel Prize-winning board member. With an unparalleled team to client ratio of 15:1, our team provides around-the-clock support to manage your withdrawal and get you on the road to recovery. A live-in therapist will also be available for 24/7 emotional support. No matter the unique blend of treatments you receive, they will be delivered with the Swiss medical excellence we are known for.
Comprehensive programmes as unique as you are
At Paracelsus Recovery, we curate a comprehensive and intensive treatment programme that works for you. Driven by our core principles of pragmatism and empathy, we design a treatment programme based on your unique needs. Those needs may be physical and psychological, e.g. if our team identifies nutritional deficiencies or signs of other addictions during the assessment period, your programme would be shaped with these in mind. However, those needs can be practical too, such as when a client needs to work or travel during their stay with us.
We can provide treatment for Ambien addiction and any co-occurring dependencies and mental health conditions at our discrete addiction treatment centre in Zurich.
FURTHER READING
