Prescription Drug Addiction

Prescription Drug Addiction

Drug addictions aren’t limited to illegal substances like heroin and cocaine. A person can become addicted to prescription medications. The fact that the drug has been given to them by a doctor doesn’t mean that their addiction is “better” or less severe than being addicted to an illicit substance.

What is Prescription Drug Addiction?

Prescription drug abuse occurs when someone uses prescription medications in a way other than intended by the prescriber. It includes these behaviors:

• Taking the medication more often than directed
• Taking a higher dose of the medication than directed
• Sharing prescriptions with a friend or family member other than for whom the medication wasn’t prescribed
• Snorting or injecting ground-up pills to get high

Prescription drug addiction happens when someone’s drug abuse advances to the level where they are abusing their medications compulsively and no longer have control over their drug use. They continue their drug abuse despite negative consequences.

Causes of Prescription Drug Addiction

Why would someone become addicted to their own or someone else’s prescription medication? There are several reasons, including:

• They want to feel good or experience the high the medication can give them at a specific dose. To repeat the experience, the person may need to increase the medication’s dose over time.
• When they take their medication, the person feels more relaxed or free from tension. To get more of this effect, they start taking higher and higher doses.
• They want to improve their concentration or performance at school or work. Over time, they may start increasing the dose to get a better result, especially if they are using someone else’s prescription.
• They want to feel accepted by their peers or fit in with their social group. Over time, the amount the person takes becomes larger and larger until they can’t function without it.
• Someone taking opioid medication for pain management isn’t satisfied with the pain relief they are getting. Instead of discussing the situation with their doctor, they increase the dose of their pain medication or start taking it more often than prescribed.

The Most Misused Prescription Drugs

All of the following drugs have mind-altering properties. For this reason, they are the most misused prescription drugs:

• Anti-anxiety Medications and Sedatives treat sleep disorders and anxiety disorders (generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, etc.). Pharmacies sell the medications under names like diazepam (Valium), zolpidem (Ambien), and alprazolam (Xanax).
• Opioids treat moderate to severe pain, such as post-surgical pain, cancer pain, and chronic pain. Pharmacists dispense them under names such as Oxycontin, Percocet, Norco, and Dilaudid.
• Stimulants treat some sleep disorders and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Common medications are methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta, and others), dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine), and dextroamphetamine-amphetamine (Adderall XR, Mydayis).

Signs and Symptoms of Prescription Drug Addiction

There are general signs and symptoms of prescription drug addiction and specific signs that vary depending on the type of drug abuse.

General Signs of Prescription Drug Addiction

• Appearing unusually energetic or revved up
• Attempting to get prescriptions from more than one physician (“doctor shopping”)
• Being drowsy
• Being hostile
• Forging prescriptions
• Habitually “losing” prescriptions, so the provider must provide a new prescription
• Having mood swings
• Making poor decisions
• Requesting early prescription refills
• Stealing or selling another person’s prescriptions
• Sleeping a lot less or a lot more (suddenly)
• Taking higher doses of medication than prescribed

Signs of Anti-anxiety Medications and Sedatives Addiction

• Confusion
• Dizziness
• Drowsiness
• Poor concentration
• Problems with memory
• Slowed breathing
• Slurred speech
• Unsteady walking

Signs of Opioid Addiction

• Confusion
• Constipation
• Drowsiness
• Feeling high
• A higher dosage is needed for adequate pain relief
• Increased sensitivity to pain at higher medication doses
• Lack of coordination
• Nausea
• Slowed breathing rate

Signs of Prescription Stimulant Addiction

• Agitation
• Anxiety
• Feeling high
• High blood pressure
• Increased alertness
• Increased body temperature
• Insomnia
• Irregular heartbeat
• Lower appetite
• Paranoia

How Prescription Drug Addiction is Treated

At Willingway, we offer our clients a full spectrum of evidence-based addiction treatment. After admission, all clients receive a full medical assessment and an assessment by a therapist or a certified addiction counselor. Each client also receives an individualized treatment plan for achieving sobriety.

The first step in treating drug addiction is for our clients to be clean and sober. Willingway offers medically supervised detoxification (detox). Our medical team ensures that our clients are kept as comfortable as possible during this process. The time spent on this step depends on how long the client was addicted, the severity of the addiction, their history, and other factors.

Once detox is completed, the actual drug rehabilitation can start. At Willingway, the standard residential drug treatment program lasts up to six weeks (we also offer a short-term inpatient option lasting up to four weeks). During the program, clients can focus entirely on their sobriety without the distractions and pressures of everyday life.

The treatment program includes individual and group therapy sessions, along with attending 12-step meetings. Clients also participate in recreational therapy and educational programs to learn about their addiction.

Clients examine how their prescription drug use has negatively impacted their relationships. With help, they examine past events associated with their drug use and learn new skills and habits for a sober lifestyle.