Ultimate Guide to Avoid Slipping Into Prescription Drug Addiction

1. Ultimate Guide to Avoid Slipping Into Prescription Drug Addiction Inspire Change Addiction Treatment Centre

2. Table of Content • Introduction • Why are Prescription Drugs Abused • Prescription Drug Addiction • Factors Encouraging Prescription Drug Addiction • How to Avoid Slipping Into a Prescription Drug Addiction • How to Beat a Prescription Drug Addiction • Final Thoughts Inspire Change Addiction Treatment Centre

3. Introduction Although many people are keen to take medication as instructed by their physician, the issue of prescription drug abuse remains a problem for many individuals across the world. Prescription drug abuse refers to the use of these forms of medication in a manner or dose other than prescribed. Taking someone else’s prescription drug, even for a genuine reason, can also amount to misuse. Abuse of prescription drugs is what eventually leads to addiction. Individuals who use these drugs as prescribed; that is, in the right doses and for the right reasons are hardly at risk of addiction. The risk of addiction is high in individuals who use prescription drugs in ways other than prescribed by a physician. Patients are not the only ones to blame for prescription drug addiction. The blame can be passed on to pharmacists and health providers who freely dish out these drugs while they are aware of the increased risk of misuse. Inspire Change Addiction Treatment Centre

4. Why are Prescription Drugs Abused? According to National Institute on Drug Abuse, the most commonly abused prescription drugs today are opioids, antidepressants for anxiety and sleep disorders and stimulants for ADHD and narcolepsy. However, most opioids are readily accessible, and this makes them the most abused in today’s population. Opioids refer to a class of drugs whose role is to relieve pain. When ingested, the drugs bind to the opioid receptors in the body and send signals which block pain, slow down breathing (to calm anxiety), and produce an overall feeling of calmness and relaxation. Various types of drugs fall into this category, and they include illegal ones such as heroin and prescription medication such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, and codeine. Inspire Change Addiction Treatment Centre

5. Due to their effectiveness in managing pain in the body, opioids are usually the go-to drugs for most health care providers and pharmacists. Opioids are prescribed for both short-term and long-term management of pain. Health care providers are aware of the risk that comes with prescribing opioids. If taken in a high dosage other than specified, the drug can easily lead to an addiction. This is also the case when one consumes the prescription drugs to feel good or calm down. The reason why opioids are among the most abused prescription drugs is that they are easily accessible. Previous research shows 20% of patients who walk into a physician’s office with non-cancer pain symptoms or both acute and chronic pain-related symptoms received an opioid prescription. In 2012, there were a total of 259 million prescriptions of opioid painkillers in the U.S. This figure means that if the drugs were to be handed to households, every home in the U.S. would have a bottle of opioid pills sitting in their medicine cabinet. Inspire Change Addiction Treatment Centre

6. Besides opioids, other prescription drugs such as Valium, Xanax, Dexedrine, and Ritalin are also abused. However, most of these are used to treat chronic conditions such as problems with the central nervous system. Therefore, there are not as popular as opioids such as codeine which can be used to treat common cold, coughs, and sinusitis. You can easily get codeine medication over the counter without a valid prescription from the doctor. Inspire Change Addiction Treatment Centre

7. Prescription Drug Addiction As aforementioned, individuals who take prescription drugs, especially painkillers in the right dosage are not at risk of addiction. Even individuals who get a long-term prescription of opioids and stick to the right dosage are at very low risk of addiction. However, dependence can occur in patients who have a history of psychological problems or drug abuse. How does addiction occur? Here are a few scenarios which have led many patients to develop an overdependence on prescription drugs: • Popping more than the prescribed number of pills at a time. • Taking medication without a prescription; that is, as one wishes, even if the reason is legitimate. • Taking addictive medicines for an extended period, especially if one suffers from psychological issues. • Taking pills to “get by” or “calm down” without necessarily having a diagnosed medical condition. Inspire Change Addiction Treatment Centre

8. Addiction to prescription drugs can be accidental or deliberate. For example, individuals who are exposed to drugs like opioids for pain management in the long-term and have suffered addiction in the past can involuntarily get hooked to the drugs. On the other hand, some users may deliberately overdose on prescription drugs to enjoy the calming effect and mental relaxation that comes with the drug. Whichever the case, addiction can lead to serious health issues, and it is vital for one to seek prescription drug addiction treatment immediately. Inspire Change Addiction Treatment Centre

9. Factors Encouraging Prescription Drug Addiction Various factors, most within our control, are responsible for promoting prescription drug abuse. The actions of family members, friends, and relatives have exposed their loved ones to prescription drug abuse and ultimately, addiction. Some of these actions include the following: • Handing out painkillers whenever someone doesn’t feel okay. Many family members and friends are guilty of this: a friend or loved one visits your home, they suffer some form of pain, and you hand out a painkiller from the medicine cabinet without caring to know whether it is the right drug or dosage for the problem. • Hoarding painkillers. Many people are guilty of hoarding painkillers. The medicine cabinet is full of bottles of pills which aren’t in use. A curious teenager can come looking for something to calm them down and stumble upon an opioid. Inspire Change Addiction Treatment Centre

10. Failing to throw out drugs that are no longer in use. When one remembers that a particular drug was effective in managing pain and it is still in the cabinet, they can easily reach out for it every time they are in “pain” and get addicted. As you can see, prescription drugs are usually abused due to the ease of accessibility. If these drugs are kept out of reach both at homes and in pharmacies, we may have a reduction in the number of addiction cases reported every year. Inspire Change Addiction Treatment Centre

11. How to Avoid Slipping Into a Prescription Drug Addiction Now that you know what drugs are abused, what leads to addiction and the factors that promote it, the next critical thing is to understand how you can protect yourself and your loved ones from slipping into an addiction. Since these drugs are widely prescribed for pain management, one cannot do away with them altogether. They come in handy and are incredibly effective. However, if one is not careful, they can abuse them voluntarily or involuntarily. Below are some useful steps that you and your loved ones can take to avoid becoming prescription drug addicts. 1. Adhere to Prescriptions Drug addiction primarily occurs when drugs are abused. The first step is to respect prescriptions. If a drug is meant for use only under prescription, don’t pop the pill even if you find the bottle in your cabinet. Take doses as indicated by the doctor and avoid popping more than the required number of pills regardless of how much pain you are in. You can always go back to the physician and get a stronger drug but resist overdosing to ease the pain. Also, don’t use another person’s medication. Inspire Change Addiction Treatment Centre

12. 2.Identify Signs of Addiction Most people who get addicted to prescription medication realize it when it’s too late. You may think that the pill you pop once in a while to feel good is harmless only to find that you are dependent on it. Therefore, learn to identify the signs of a looming addiction. They include the following: • You run out of prescription medication before the refill date. This sign shows that you have been overdosing on the drug. • Your friends or family occasionally comment on your intake of prescription drugs. They have noticed that you take them too often. If this is the case, you may be on your way to addiction. • You occasionally use prescription drugs to feel good, calm down, or get going through the day. • You have ever felt guilty about your use of prescription drugs, and are never honest with people about your usage of medication. • You visit the chemist and ask for a painkiller by name. • You always think about a particular drug and have no control over how and when you use it. • If you have had any of these encounters, it means that your intake of prescription drugs is questionable, and you may be setting yourself up for addiction. Inspire Change Addiction Treatment Centre

13. 3.Disclose Medical History Health providers have, in some way, contributed to promoting prescription drug addiction. However, in most cases, it is not their fault. When a patient who has had a history of drug abuse visits a doctor, they have a responsibility to disclose this history. Such is the case for individuals who have suffered conditions like mental disorders in the past. If a doctor prescribes opioids to a patient with a former addiction, there is a chance that they will relapse. Similarly, individuals with psychological disorders can abuse medication to relax and relieve stress or anxiety. You have a duty to disclose any medical history that may affect your prescriptions. Once the doctor has an accurate report of your history, they can know which medications to prescribe for various conditions. Ideally, physicians observe care when prescribing drugs such as opioids to patients who have suffered an addiction in the past. One measure would be to give dosage in bits to prevent an overdose. Inspire Change Addiction Treatment Centre

14. 4.Throw Out Unused Medication Don’t keep drugs that are no longer in use in your medicine cabinets. While you may be safe from abusing them, other members of the family may not. Always throw out drugs once you are done with a prescription. You can dispose of them through the drug take-back programs. You will save your household from abusing the drugs and also protect them from consuming expired drugs which may have been sitting in the cabinet for years. 5.Find Alternatives If you are worried that you may get addicted to a specific drug, you can always find an alternative form of treatment. Share your concerns with the health care provider so that they can recommend an alternative prescription drug addiction treatment. Also, you can opt for non-medical approaches to pain management such as massage therapy, acupuncture, chiropractic care, and many more. If these treatments help alleviate pain without exposing you to an addictive drug, they are worth the try. However, always consult your physician before ditching medication for alternative treatments. Inspire Change Addiction Treatment Centre

15. How to Beat a Prescription Drug Addiction Are you a victim of prescription drug addiction? Or do you have a loved one who is battling an addiction to medication? If so, there is hope for treatment. Patients have to undergo prescription drug addiction rehab to break the unhealthy habit. Get help from a prescription drug addiction specialist so that they can help minimize the withdrawal symptoms and walk you through the journey to recovery. Don’t try to break the habit on your own. The chances are that you may not succeed at saying no to the medication. Also, some drugs cause severe withdrawal symptoms when one tries to quit. Therefore, you may need to undergo a medical detox and get medicine to manage the withdrawal symptoms during the recovery period. Most rehab programs combine medication with behavioural therapy. Patients get treatment and also undergo therapy that helps them from suffering a relapse in the future. The counselling can also help address emotional or psychological issues such as trauma, anxiety, stress, depression, and other problems which often prompt drug abuse. Inspire Change Addiction Treatment Centre

16. Final Thoughts Prescription medication is a necessity, but when misused they can be extremely harmful to the body. Users can suffer an addiction if they misuse or abuse the drugs. What’s worse, some forms of addiction are involuntary, especially when one is exposed to certain medications for an extended period. Luckily, patients can take measures to protect themselves from getting addicted to the medication. Are you a man who’s suffering from prescription drug addiction? Or do you have a male loved one who’s battling with the problem? Visit Inspire Change Wellness Addiction Treatment Centre for Menfor consultation and treatment. They handle all forms of alcohol and drug addiction. Their facilities are equipped with luxury amenities to ensure comfort during your rehab period. They also have professional therapists to walk you through the recovery process. Inspire Change Addiction Treatment Centre

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