Understanding Prescription Drug Addiction

Stimulants, depressants, and opioids all affect an individual’s cardiovascular and respiratory systems. In the event of an overdose, a https://ecosoberhouse.com/ person can experience low blood pressure, seizures, respiratory failure, heart attack, heart failure, or stroke. Prescription drug abuse in older adults is a growing problem, especially when they combine drugs with alcohol. Having multiple health problems and taking multiple drugs can put people at risk of misusing drugs or becoming addicted. Prescription drug abuse is the use of a prescription medicine in a way not intended by the prescriber.

Programs

• When a doctor writes a prescription, they will usually indicate if it is acceptable for the patient to take the generic brand, if one exists.
• Oftentimes, when you are struggling with prescription drug abuse, it’s common to turn to more illicit and illegal drugs when your ability to obtain your drug of choice ends.
• We are the leading experts in prescription drug addiction treatment in the Los Angeles, California area.
• While prescription overdoses most typically involve opioids, it is possible to overdose on stimulants or depressants, especially if they are mixed with other drugs or alcohol.

They typically come in pill form, although there are some stimulants that can be taken as a skin patch or in liquid form. Some people fear that they may become addicted to medicines prescribed for medical conditions, such as painkillers prescribed after surgery. But you can reduce your risk by carefully following your health care provider’s instructions on how to take your medicine.

• If you are struggling with prescription drug abuse or even alcohol abuse, it is important to seek professional help and detox safely.
• If you are concerned about overdosing with your loved one or yourself, keep Naloxone with you in an accessible place.
• They typically come in pill form, although there are some stimulants that can be taken as a skin patch or in liquid form.
• Our Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) and Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) are integrated programs in which you apply the skills gained in residential treatment as you transfer back into your home environment.
• For example, if you are seeking opiates but cannot get what you want, it is common to turn to drug dealers who have the opiate you are looking for in pressed pills.
• Depending on they type of drug, and the length of addiction, withdrawal symptoms and how long they last will vary.

Prescription Drug Addiction and Abuse

Prescription drug abuse, also called prescription drug misuse, includes everything from taking a friend’s prescription painkiller for your backache to snorting or injecting ground-up pills to get high. Prescription drug abuse may become ongoing and compulsive, despite the negative consequences. The best option for treatment will depend on the patient’s specific needs, and should be decided in consultation with a doctor, counselor, and trusted family and friends. If an individual undergoes inpatient treatment, they may move to a sober living house after completing rehabilitation, to help transition back to sobriety. Individuals may also need additional treatment for underlying psychological or physical issues that contributed to the addiction. Generic drugs are designed to work exactly the same as their name-brand counterparts, just for a lower cost.

Opioids

Oftentimes, when you are struggling with prescription drug abuse, it’s common to turn to more illicit and illegal drugs when your ability to obtain your drug of choice ends. For example, if you are seeking opiates but cannot get what you want, it is common to turn to drug dealers who have the opiate you are looking for in pressed pills. These pressed pills may also contain fentanyl, which has high overdose and death rates and is more commonly found in illegal substances.

Opioids are synthetically created drugs that mimic the effects of naturally-occurring opiates derived from the opium poppy plant. They provide pain relief and sedation be working on the brain’s pain receptors, and are commonly prescribed to individuals with moderate to severe pain following surgical procedures or injuries. Because opioids are very addictive, they are generally not considered for long-term use. The usually come in pill form, but some can be administered through transdermal patches. If you are struggling with prescription drug abuse or even alcohol abuse, it is important to seek professional help and detox safely.

Signs and symptoms of prescription drug abuse

Pre-existing mental health issues can significantly increase the likelihood of abusing prescription drugs. If you drug addiction struggle to manage your mental health symptoms, you might lean on medication for relief. You might use prescription drugs to reduce anxiety or numb feelings of sadness or hopelessness; however, in the long term, abusing these drugs can worsen these feelings. 5.9 million Americans abuse sedatives (4.8 million of those people abusing benzodiazepines).

• 18.4% or 52 million Americans over the age of 12 have deliberately misused prescription drugs at least once in their lifetime.
• 5.9 million Americans abuse sedatives (4.8 million of those people abusing benzodiazepines).
• Depressants, also called sedatives or tranquilizers, are essentially the opposite of stimulants.
• The usually come in pill form, but some can be administered through transdermal patches.
• If you or your loved one is seeking help for prescription drug addiction, please reach out to our team.

Charitable Care & Financial Assistance

18.4% or 52 million Americans over the age of 12 have deliberately misused prescription drugs at least once in their lifetime. And 5.76% of Americans over the age of 12 currently abuse prescription drugs 1. Dependence, also called drug tolerance, refers to the body’s response to long-term drug use. If you become dependent on these drugs, you may feel the need to increase the dose to achieve the same effect and might experience withdrawal symptoms if you try to stop or take less of the medication. The first step in the treatment and recovery process is detoxification, in which the individual stops taking the drug, and allows the body to fully remove the drugs from its system.

Symptoms

Ativan and Xanax, both benzodiazepines, are the more well-known sedatives meant to treat anxiety or panic disorders, seizure disorders, and sleep disorders. These drugs are commonly abused as their effects have a quick onset, which means users experience a high within minutes of ingesting the sedative1. An increasing problem, prescription drug abuse can affect all age groups, including teens. The prescription drugs most often misused include opioid painkillers, anti-anxiety medicines, sedatives and stimulants. If you or your loved one is seeking help for prescription drug addiction, please reach out to our team.