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Treatment for benzodiazepine use disorder, dependence, overdose, and withdrawal are complex and require professional medical involvement and, often, medications as well as behavioral health care. Cognitive behavioral therapy and twelve-step programs offer additional support. Professionals in a variety of treatment settings and populations can be guided by the following guidance documents from the Substance Abuse And Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA):
Protracted WithdrawalSubstance Abuse Treatment Advisory, July 2010, Vol. 9, Issue 1
This advisory from defines protracted withdrawal and identifies specific withdrawal symptoms associated with alcohol, opioids, methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana, and benzodiazepines. The advisory also explains how protracted withdrawal differs from acute withdrawal and gives tips to help clients manage it in recovery.
TIP 24: A Guide to Substance Abuse Services for Primary Care Clinicians
This document gives primary care clinicians specific guidance on identifying indications of substance abuse, how to broach the subject with a patient, and what screening and assessment instruments to use. It explains how to perform an office-based brief intervention in which patient and clinician set mutually agreed-upon goals and “contract” to stop or cut back the alcohol or other drug use.
This Clinical Guide provides comprehensive, national guidance for optimal management of pregnant and parenting women with opioid use disorder and their infants. The Clinical Guide helps healthcare professionals and patients determine the most clinically appropriate action for a particular situation and informs individualized treatment decisions.
This manual offers guidelines for medication-assisted treatment for people, particularly veterans, living with post-traumatic stress disorder and co-occurring opioid use disorders. It covers screening, concomitant treatment, pharmacotherapy, and multiple misused substances.
TIP 37: Substance Abuse Treatment for Persons With HIV/AIDS
This manual helps clinicians improve care for people living with HIV/AIDS and substance use disorder conditions. It discusses prevention, assessment, and treatment of HIV/AIDS. The manual also examines mental illness, integrated services, case management, counseling, ethical and legal issues, and funding sources.
This manual offers mental health professionals models and techniques for working with people living with co-occurring disorders. It describes screening and assessment and lists five guiding principles for effective management.
TIP 48: Managing Depressive Symptoms in Substance Abuse Clients During Early Recovery
This guide helps substance use counselors treat clients with symptoms of depression and substance use conditions. Program administrators will learn how to integrate depression treatment into early drug treatment. The guidelines cover screening, assessment, treatment, counseling, cultural competence, and continuing care.
TIP 51: Substance Abuse Treatment: Addressing the Specific Needs of Women
This guide assists providers in offering treatment to women living with substance use disorders. It reviews gender-specific research and best practices, such as common patterns of initial use and specific treatment issues and strategies.
TIP 44: Substance Abuse Treatment for Adults in the Criminal Justice System
This manual offers guidelines to help counselors and administrators deliver substance use disorder treatment in criminal justice settings. It discusses aspects in providing substance use disorder treatment to people within the criminal justice system, including screening and assessment, and triage and placement in treatment services.