Forced CT after Overdose - help!!

My adult brother (30) overdosed the night after Christmas. He was taken by ambulance to the hospital and was stable. They transferred him to a behavioral facility that next Tuesday. Yesterday he was delirious and hallucinating. I knew something was wrong as did his girlfriend of 10 years. The nurse assured us it was just alcohol detox, but then that night they transferred him back to the hospital because he couldn't follow normal directions to brush teeth/eat/go to his bed etc. I talked to him today and he can talk but his brain is messed up. He doesn't make any sense and doesn't know who I am or what he did yesterday or where he is.

I KNOW he had been on Klonopin for at least 10 years and that his psychiatrist prescribed him xanax 2 months ago b/c his stress/anxiety was so bad and the klonopin wasn't helping him. He also takes adderall daily and will have withdrawal symptoms immediately if he doesn't take it. He also abuses alcohol and takes mushrooms.

The nurse was assuming his symptoms of delirium and hallucinations were alcohol withdrawal but I am convinced its benzo withdrawal and I am worried. I am afraid he could have a seizure or other serious issues. He did have high blood pressure the other day.

I'm guessing his klonopin withdrawal started 2 months ago when his dr prescribed him xanax and I think that is likely what caused him to over-dose himself at Christmas. His girlfriend said he wasn't trying to kill himself, although he does have a history of attempted suicide, but I think she is right and he was probably having rebound symptoms and with the stress/anxiety of his job he overdosed to try and get rid of the feelings.

Now the behavioral center is detoxing him cold turkey... I am scared for his life. They were giving him ativan and I think valium, but I think the hospital is giving him just ativan and the nurse mentioned starting him on methodone. No one there is concerned and find it almost humorous the state he is in. I am halfway across the country and have no rights to his treatment. I have to somehow communicate what he needs to my parents who are also half-way across the country from him.

I don't think it's possible to withdrawal him from benzos at this point. Even if he continues on this cold turkey route I think he'll end up with such messed up symptoms no one will know how to treat him. He'd be stuck in a center forever!?! He's technically a ward of the state I think - I don't know what to do!? He is afraid he's going to lose his job (I talked to him just a day before the delirium set in) and I know he's going to go right back on meds if he does somehow make it out of this detox... he can't function without these drugs. And I don't mean in an addiction sense - this is physical dependency... he's been on these drugs for most of his life!!!!

Any advice? What does he need? Any resources I can give my parents/his girlfriend?!?

Thank you thank you thank you for any support/insight!!!!!

Your brother's situation doesn't sound ideal.  I don't mean to sound heartless, but there's not much you're going to be able to do to help him if he's committed to continuing on his chosen path.  Each of us has to recognize the perils of our decisions and choose accordingly.  If he's technically a ward of the state, about all one could do would be to move him to a private detox facility to the state's liking.  Detox facilities in general are rarely a good choice for benzo withdrawal, but I don't know what other options will be available to him/you.

fwiw - it's exceedingly rare for benzo withdrawal to be life threatening although it may feel like it.

Yeah it sucks, because he has had multiple drugs, so it will not be pretty for CTs and detoxes. Ideally, if I were trying to help a loved one, I might suggest that they get to a private facility as well, although none of them are usually good at benzo WD, it at least tends to be a nicer environment. Then, I might try and get docs to listen and look at material and help. Help with therapies for addiction and then it may help to stabilize on a benzo first and THEN do a proper taper (long acting one like Valium or klonopin, not short ones like xanax and Ativan) or if he could stand it just continue drug free and do therapies.

The main resources I would look at if it were me would be :

Professor Ashton's work

Benzo Coalition Information

W-BAD

There are others too, but that's some for benzo specific

But like the other poster mentioned...the loved one would have to WANT to be drug free and participate in their own path to healing.

Im so sorry you have to watch a loved one suffer! I hope that he is able to get the help he needs! Best wishes to you and your family