Lexapro and alcohol are a potentially dangerous combination when mixed, as is the case with most prescription medications. Understanding the dangerous combination of these two can be a matter of life and death for many reasons mentally and physically. Here’s a complete guideline of Lexapro, its efficacy, and its potential dangers when combined with alcohol and other drugs.
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What is Lexapro?
Classified as an SSRI drug, Lexapro is an antidepressant that effectively treats a wide range of depression, anxiety, and personality disorders. SSRI drugs, short for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, specifically target the pleasure center to help improve mood. This specialized drug miraculously increases serotonin levels while simultaneously minimizing addiction risks. Lexapro is only accessible through doctor-prescribed means. But if approved, it can be a game-changer in reducing, and in some cases eliminating mental health symptoms.
Why Shouldn’t You Mix Lexapro and Alcohol?
The reason Lexapro and Alcohol are a bad mix is that alcohol’s depressive effects completely negate Lexapro’s intended function. That is to say, the presence of alcohol in conjunction with Lexapro in the bloodstream exacerbates your mental health struggle to new heights. Each intake of these substances simultaneously poses a severe risk of you taking a turn for the worst both mentally and physically. In essence, attempting to make yourself feel better by mixing ironically will only make you feel much worse in every way.
What are the Side Effects of Mixing Lexapro and Alcohol?
Mixing the potentially lethal cocktail of Lexapro and alcohol has several self-harming side effects. Having an understanding of these side effects will make you want to stop mixing or prevent you from entertaining the idea. Here are just a few of those mental and physical side effects associated with mixing alcohol and Lexapro.
The most common side effect of mixing Lexapro with alcohol use is exacerbating mental health symptoms. Symptoms such as depression and anxiety are intensified to dangerous levels. Not only does this defeat the purpose of Lexapro. It also poses a high risk of suicidal tendencies and death. Be sure you’re open with your doctor about your alcohol habits before getting prescribed an SSRI medication.
Lexapro doses alone can help you manage and minimize your mental health struggles. However, mixing alcohol and Lexapro has such harmful effects on your mental psyche that it’s known to induce suicidal thoughts and tendencies. This is the end result of worsening mental health symptoms that makes the combination so dangerous. If you have any form of alcohol problems, tell your doctor right away before being prescribed any SSRI medications
Infusing Alcohol’s constriction of blood vessels and Lexapro’s stimulation of dopamine results in abnormally high blood pressure. High blood pressure, in turn, takes a toll on your other vital organs and bodily functions over time. This toll results in numerous respiratory, cardiovascular, and other permanent health problems. If you struggle with alcohol in addition to mental health disorders, there are dual-diagnosis programs meant just for you.
Your body can only handle so much processing of alcohol in conjunction with Lexapro use before it causes irreparable damage. These permanent conditions can range from liver disease to even liver failure. Don’t become part of the statistics that suffer from permanent liver damage due to mixing medications and alcohol. Stopping right now can preserve your liver health and prevent further damage.
Nothing saps your energy more than alcohol consumption. Add Lexapro to the mix and you’re likely to experience extended bouts of unexplainable extreme fatigue. This can affect your everyday life by impacting work performance and other routine tasks. It can even negatively impact your relationships through the sudden lack of desire for social interaction.
Alcohol alone takes enough of a toll on your heart and vital organ functions without adding medication to the mix. Combining Lexapro and alcohol puts additional strain on your heart which can have long-term consequences on heart health. These consequences include, but are not limited to heart disease, heart valve deficiencies, and even heart attacks. Don’t let the lethal combination of alcohol and Lexapro be your demise. Seek help now to prevent long-term and potentially lethal consequences.
Is Mixing Alcohol and Lexapro a Sign of Addiction?
The inability to refrain from indulging in any substance is a sure sign of addiction. This dangerous behavior becomes more worrisome when Lexapro is involved because of potential coexisting mental conditions. This means you may require dual-diagnosis treatment for two or more disorders. These preexisting conditions, combined with the inability to stop drinking, are a major concern considering the miserable side effects of mixing the two substances.
However, thanks to top-notch treatment at Northern Illinois Recovery you don’t have to suffer. We have all the tools you need to enjoy the journey of alcohol rehab Illinois while thriving in mental health therapy. Reach out to a caring receptionist for further details about our wide range of personalized treatment options today.
How Does Northern Illinois Recovery Help You Defeat Alcohol and Mental Health Struggles?
Northern Illinois Recovery has the most individualized and state-of-the-art treatment methods. These methods are specifically designed to treat your personal struggle and recovery needs. Bearing that in mind, here are but a few of the many ways we help you overcome your strongholds.
At Northern Illinois Recovery, we pride ourselves on making all of our patients feel comfortable at first contact. The moment you connect with our team of dedicated professionals, you’ll have the peace of mind to open up. Beyond that, you’ll meet several like-minded individuals in therapy that show you you’re not alone in your battle with addiction and mental health struggles. All these factors collectively give you the unmatchable support, encouragement, and attention you need to overcome your strongholds. Additionally, this top-quality support is exactly what you need to maintain a healthy mental perspective.
Northern Illinois Recovery understands the only way to successfully achieve sustainable recovery is to listen to you. Our understanding team enjoys listening to your goals, needs, desires, and struggles. This enables your therapist to effectively map out a therapy program that meets all of your needs. They’ll also show you that therapy doesn’t have to be a bad thing. We can help you enjoy the journey, regardless of what stage of addiction or mental health struggles you’re in.
In line with our dedication to listening to you, our assessment experts adopt that approach throughout the assessment process. Unlike most recovery centers that offer generic treatment blanketing several disorders, we know every therapy path requires a unique approach. That means utilizing attentiveness to your addiction or mental health background and how it affects your feelings and relationships. In accordance with this individualized care, it’s vital to be upfront in every facet of the assessment phase.
Our highly-skilled therapists are equipped with state-of-the-art training techniques that help you control mental health symptoms and independently sustain sobriety. Scientifically-proven methods such as Cognitive-behavioral therapy and dialectical behavioral therapy are a couple of mental training methods that put your treatment in your hands. These techniques help you change your habits by altering your thoughts and behaviors by retraining your mind. Speak to a doctor today to learn more about how CBT or DBT can be the treatment that changes your life.
You can have peace of mind knowing your treatment is done at your pace on your terms. That’s the only successful way to effectively treat sustainable sobriety and manage mental health symptoms. We understand everybody progresses at a different rate. That doesn’t mean one person is more successful than the other. That simply means more severe cases need more attention than others. This extra attentiveness is necessary before proceeding to the next step of your therapy.
Northern Illinois Recovery Centers goes above and beyond to work with insurance companies to ensure you get the treatment you need. Our insurance verification process works hard on your behalf in accordance with your insurance provider to minimize your costs. In many cases, insurances provide a good portion of your treatment, especially for verified treatments that are a necessity for your mental health preservation. Depending on your insurance provider, your treatment may even come at no cost to you. Speak to an insurance verification expert today to learn more about how we can help minimize your treatment costs.
Northern Illinois Recovery Centers is Your Opportunity For a Better Life
Every moment you hesitate to get the top-notch treatment you deserve is another battle lost to substances or mental health struggles. You can alter the course of your battle by making the decision that’s best for you at this moment. Every successful therapy begins by taking that first step of reaching out to Northern Illinois Recovery Center. We look forward to helping you achieve new heights and opening new doors to joys you never thought possible.
Licensed Physician and Surgeon
Dr. Beth Dunlap, a board-certified addiction medicine and family medicine physician, and is the medical director at Northern Illinois Recovery Center. She is responsible for overseeing all the integrated medical services at both campuses. Beth completed medical school, residency, and fellowship at Northwestern University, where she continues to serve on the faculty as a member of the Department of Family and Community Medicine. She has extensive experience in addiction medicine at all levels of care, and her clinical interests include integrated primary care and addiction medicine, harm reduction, and medication-assisted treatment.
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