Misusing prescription drugs may give you brief moments of enjoyment, pleasure or relief, but as the abuse continues and your drug addiction becomes apparent, the associated health problems become more severe. Depending on the type of prescription drugs involved – such as opioids, stimulants or anti-anxiety medications – you may begin to experience negative, long-term effects on your physical and mental health. The longer the abuse of the substance goes on, the more of these health risks you encounter.
The main danger of developing an addiction to prescription drugs is that you might overdose. Some of the potential reasons for an overdose include:
There are other health risks, as well. Misuse of opioids can cause low blood pressure, a slowed breathing rate or a coma. Stimulants can cause heart problems, high blood pressure and dangerously high body temperatures. Anti-anxiety medications and sedatives can cause memory problems, low blood pressure and slowed breathing.
If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction to prescription drugs, get help today. Contact us at 855-306-8054.
We’re here to make addiction treatment as accessible and affordable as possible — and are in network with many insurance providers. Not sure about your coverage? We can help.
A prescription drug is any medication that requires a prescription from a dentist, doctor, or other licensed medical professional. While there are those illegal street channels, prescription drugs are regulated by legislation. While you might be able to access alternative treatments via over the counter (OTC) drug options, prescription drugs are stronger. It has been determined that they require medical oversight for authorized use.
Of course, just because they are prescribed doesn’t mean that they are safe. Many prescription drugs come with a list of drug interactions that could affect your health. It’s also important to follow directions, with the correct dosage and frequency that was prescribed, whenever you’re using prescription drugs for a prescribed condition. Proper use helps to prevent some of the side effects while helping to mitigate and prevent the chances of addiction.
Prescription drug abuse is a growing problem in the United States. Approximately 18 million people misused their prescription drugs at least once in the past 12 months, according to a recent report by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. More people misuse prescription drugs than cocaine, meth and heroin combined, another report found, including painkillers (3.3 million users), tranquilizers (2 million users), stimulants (1.7 million users) and sedatives (.5 million users).
The rise of prescription drug addiction is largely due to how readily available the drugs are, combined with their highly addictive properties. It has become exceedingly easy to obtain a prescription for drugs that can be physically addictive and abused. Even if you don’t really need a prescription, a doctor will often prescribe certain drugs, and since some people are more prone to addiction and substance abuse, an addiction can form relatively quickly.
Here are some commonly abused prescription drugs.
Understanding the signs of a prescription drug addiction can help you to realize the true scope of the problem facing you or a loved one. Some of the most common signs include:
Your emotions may also be affected, such as having excessive mood swings and being hostile when questioned about your prescription drug use. Different drugs have different physical and psychological symptoms. Among them, you may experience these symptoms at different times:
Opioids
Anti-anxiety medications
Stimulants
The overuse and abuse of prescription drugs will lead to even more severe side effects, with overdose as a possible outcome.
Prescription drug abuse can affect anyone, which is why there are so many millions of people currently affected. Teen misuse of prescription drugs is on the rise, because it’s so easy for them to gain access to the pills from their home medicine cabinet. Prescription drug abuse can also involve finding and buying the drugs off the street.
Prescription drug use and abuse usually starts with a prescription from a doctor or access to a prescription remedy from a friend or family member. Then, the addiction can develop from there, with the person taking the prescription at a dosage and frequency that is not prescribed.
There are a few main reasons why most people use and abuse prescription drugs. In most cases they were looking to reduce pain, but here are a few other reasons why some individuals use prescription drugs.
The cause is often physical pain. Under the effects of an addiction, it’s easy to believe that no other solution will work. While it may be effective for the purpose for which it was prescribed, the problem arises when the person begins to use the drug at doses and/or frequencies that run counter to the recommendations and stated directions of the prescribing physician.
In many cases, the person may take larger quantities of the prescription because the prescription is just not as effective anymore. As the body builds up a tolerance to the drug, the doctor would need to either increase the dosage or switch to a different prescription drug. Both options are possible, but some doctors also have very strict policies about long-term use of certain drugs for good reason and in keeping with clinical guidelines.
If you’re one of the 16 million Americans who is affected by prescription drug addiction, you need a treatment center to help you take the first steps toward sobriety and recovery. Prescription drug overdose may be the wake-up call that you need to inspire you to reach out to us at Discovery Point for support and treatment.
While it can be difficult to admit that you need professional help, getting treatment at a rehab facility such as Discovery Point is not something to be feared. We can help you to overcome the obstacles that are stopping you from achieving a life that doesn’t revolve around substance abuse.
Upon entering our drug rehab program, we assess your physical and mental health as well as your history of drug use. We do this to ensure that the programs in your treatment plan are ideal for your unique situation, considering your health history and the challenges you’ve faced in the past.
It is likely that you will face withdrawal symptoms when you stop taking prescription drugs, and we will help you through this phase through our medical detox program. During a medically-assisted detox we keep you as safe and comfortable as possible by giving you medications that reduce your withdrawal symptoms and lower the overall negative aspects of detox.
At Discovery Point, we specialize in treating prescription drug addiction. We make it easy for you to tap into the resources you need, with an individual treatment plan that’s designed to address your unique situation. Once you’ve successfully completed detox, you’ll participate in various therapies that our healthcare practitioners have determined are most effective to help you overcome your substance use disorder. Whether through cognitive behavioral therapy, multimodal therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, rational emotive behavior therapy or a combination of therapies, we will help you to change your negative behaviors and thinking, uncover and deal with emotional stress and trauma and provide you with the means to cope with stress and substance abuse triggers.
You may also participate in recreational therapy during your time at our prescription drug rehab. By taking part in fun activities such as fishing, equine therapy and hiking among other activities, you can gain a new lease on life with a successful and lasting recovery from your addiction.
At Discovery Point, we support where you are in your recovery process. It’s possible that you’ve tried other programs in the past, or you’ve at least considered other programs to address your prescription drug addiction. What sets our program apart is our focus on the programs and treatment options that will best serve your health and well-being as you work toward recovery from prescription drug abuse.
We’re honored to be part of your journey toward sobriety. Even if this isn’t your first experience with prescription drug addiction treatment, we’ll work with you to make sure that you can make real and lasting changes that can last a lifetime.
While it can be difficult to admit that you need professional help, getting treatment at a rehab facility like Discovery Point is not something to be nervous or fearful about. We look forward to the opportunity to meet you and help you overcome all the obstacles that are currently preventing you from achieving the sober and fulfilling life you want, without substance abuse.
