Navigation: What is Prescription Drug Rehab?, Can You Get Addicted to Prescription Drugs?, What is Considered Abuse of Prescription Drugs, How Can the Abuse of Prescription Drugs be Stopped?, How Long Does it Take to Come Off Prescription Drugs?, What are the 5 Types of Drugs?, What are the 10 Most Prescribed Drugs?, What is the Most Prescribed Drug in the US?, What are the Dangers of Prescription Drug Abuse?, Who is Most at Risk for Prescription Drug Abuse?
Prescription drug abuse is characterized by problematic use of prescription medications. This is an increasing problem affecting all age groups in the US, and it is one worth discussing. Whether a person takes the drug to get high or just takes medication originally prescribed to someone else—that is considered prescription drug abuse.
Drug abuse, whether it’s an illicit drug or a prescription medication, can lead to even bigger problems including addiction. The person’s drug intake becomes compulsive, to the point where they can no longer control their impulses. They give in to their cravings and become addicted.
Opioid painkillers, sedatives, anti-anxiety medications, and stimulants are some of the most commonly abused prescription drugs. Identifying the symptoms of prescription drug abuse early on can help prevent the problem from getting worse.
What is Prescription Drug Rehab?
Just like if a person were abusing illicit substances, they need to go to rehab if they are addicted to a prescription drug. There is a misconception that just because it is prescribed by a doctor, these medications are “safer” to abuse. But these substances can be just as harmful if taken outside of the prescribed doses.
According to research, substance use disorders are brain disorders that can be treated effectively. But in order to do so, the treatment program needs to take into account the type of drug used. It also needs to address individual concerns and needs of the patient. For rehab to be successful, the patient needs a personalized treatment program.
Treatment may have to incorporate different components such as detox, medications, and counseling. Detox addresses the physical effects of addiction and substance abuse. When a person stops taking a drug that they are physically dependent on or have been abusing for a while, they will go into withdrawal. This withdrawal stage can be very uncomfortable. In fact, some withdrawal symptoms can be life-threatening. That is why the person in recovery should receive help from medical experts during this time.
In a rehab setting, the patient can go through detox and withdrawal in a safe and comfortable environment. Their withdrawal symptoms can be managed safely using medications while healthcare providers keep track of their condition. Gradually, their drug intake is lowered during detox.
Behavioral therapy and counseling can happen during or after detox. This part of the rehab process tackles the emotional, behavioral, and psychological effects of addiction. Therapists and counselors can also help patients get to the root causes of their substance abuse. These programs are designed to break unhealthy patterns of thinking and behavior.
In rehab, they will learn healthy coping mechanisms that they can use once they leave the program. The goal is not only to get sober but to teach patients how to stay sober once they are back in the real world. Life-long sobriety is hard to achieve, especially if you have been abusing substances for a long time. But through hard work, peer support, and a personalized treatment program, the patient has a great chance of recovering from their addiction.
Some patients relapse after leaving rehab. While the goal is to avoid this situation, it is also a very common occurrence. It should not be viewed as a failure on the part of the patient. It also does not mean the rehab didn’t work. It simply means there is a lot more work to be done in order to achieve full recovery. Remember that addiction is a chronic disease, meaning like other chronic diseases, there is no cure. But it can be treated and managed properly. The patient can still live a long and happy life while staying sober.
Can You Get Addicted to Prescription Drugs?
Even though they are prescribed by a doctor, prescription drugs can still be addictive. It is this misconception that prescription drugs are perfectly harmless that make them even more dangerous. Some people may take them to get high and then develop drug dependence. Others may misuse their medications or take someone else’s prescriptions and become tolerant. Addiction can develop in different ways.
In 2010, an estimated 2.4 million people over the age of 12 met the criteria for prescription drug abuse or dependence. In order to prevent this, doctors need to educate their patients about the potential risks of abusing or misusing prescription medications.
What is Considered Abuse of Prescription Drugs
Any time a person takes a prescription drug in a way that is not prescribed by their physician, it is considered abuse. So if you have a prescription for something and you take it more often than you are supposed to, then that qualifies as drug abuse. Similarly, if you take larger doses than prescribed—even for a legitimate medical concern—that also counts as abuse.
Taking medications that are prescribed to someone else or taking prescription drugs in order to get high are also examples of substance abuse.
Misusing these drugs can lead to adverse health effects and even addiction, which can cause bigger problems down the line.
How Can the Abuse of Prescription Drugs be Stopped?
Prescription opioid addiction can be treated with medications like methadone, naltrexone, and buprenorphine. These are drugs that prevent opioids from affecting the brain. Methadone and buprenorphine can also relieve withdrawal symptoms and cravings. This makes it much more manageable for someone in recovery.
Methadone is a synthetic opioid agonist that relieves drug cravings and also prevents withdrawal symptoms. Meanwhile, buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist that is used to reduce cravings. There is a misconception that taking methadone and buprenorphine will only replace one addiction with another—but this is not the case. These medications do not produce a high, which means patients will feel like they have taken their drug of choice but they won’t actually crave for it. This balances brain circuits so the person can gradually lower their intake.
Medications work best when combined with behavioral treatments and psychosocial support. This is called medication-assisted treatment or MAT.
How Long Does it Take to Come Off Prescription Drugs?
People metabolize prescription drugs differently. This means the length of time medications will stay in a person’s system depends on a number of factors, including what type of drug they took.
Opioids and amphetamines, for example, will stay in urine for 2 to 5 days, 7 to 14 days in sweat, and up to 90 days in hair. Benzodiazepines will stay in urine for a week, and up to 90 days in hair. Take note that these are just rough estimates. Other factors will affect the duration as well, and since no two people are exactly the same, it can be hard to determine how long medications will actually stay in their system.
Age, height, weight, body fat, genetics, liver function, kidney function, metabolism, and drug habits all play a role in how fast someone metabolizes drugs. These factors also influence how susceptible a person is to becoming addicted or dependent.
What are the 5 Types of Drugs?
Drugs can be classified into five main categories based on their effects and chemical ingredients: depressants, stimulants, opioids, hallucinogens, and marijuana.
Examples of central nervous system depressants are alcohol, sedatives, and barbiturates. They are called depressants because they slow down brain activity, causing lethargy, sleepiness, and lack of concentration. Addiction to depressants is very common.
Stimulants, on the other hand, increase brain activity. Examples are caffeine, cocaine, Ritalin, and diet pills. A person who has taken stimulants may become uncharacteristically cheerful or energetic. They may find it difficult to sleep and they may lose their appetite. Withdrawal symptoms include weakness, drowsiness, and depression.
Opioids and opiates are substances that are typically prescribed as painkillers. Examples are morphine, heroin, Demerol, and Darvon. Opioid abuse causes drowsiness, loss of appetite, and difficulty concentrating.
Hallucinogens are known for producing visual illusions, alteration of the senses, and changes in perception. Examples include mescaline, peyote, methamphetamine, and LSD.
Marijuana causes a lot of symptoms that are similar to hallucinogens, but to a lesser degree. Marijuana is often viewed as the classic “gateway” drug. The euphoric high caused by this drug may prove addictive and push someone into trying more potent drugs.
What are the 10 Most Prescribed Drugs?
Over the last two decades, the number of Americans taking multiple medications has grown rapidly. In fact, the proportion of adults in the US who were taking five or more medications nearly doubled between the years 2000 and 2012, from 8.2 percent to 15 percent.
These are the top 10 most prescribed drugs in the US according to DrugReport.com: Atorvastatin (104 million prescriptions), Lisinopril (104 million), Levothyroxine (101.9 million), Metformin (78.6 million), Amlodipine (72.5 million), Metoprolol (68 million), Omeprazole (58.8 million), Simvastatin (56.7 million), Losartan (52 million), and Albuterol (50 million).
What is the Most Prescribed Drug in the US?
Based on the total number of prescriptions, atorvastatin and lisinopril are the most prescribed drugs in the US at the moment, with 104 million prescriptions each. In 2019, atorvastatin was prescribed to 24.5 million Americans, which is 7.5% of the population. It is used to prevent cardiovascular disease and treat abnormal lipid levels.
The reason why these drugs are so commonly prescribed may be because nearly half of all adults in the US have hypertension or high blood pressure (108 million people).
Lisinopril is sold under brand names like Zestril and Prinivil. It is an ACE inhibitor used for high blood pressure treatment as well as prevention of heart failure. This medication helps improve a person’s survival rate after a heart attack.
These two medications are the most commonly prescribed because of how common heart disease is in the US. Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States, killing 650,000 people each year.
What are the Dangers of Prescription Drug Abuse?
Taking prescription medications for a prolonged period of time can lead to devastating health effects. Addiction can impact every aspect of a person’s life. Prescription drugs have different side effects depending on what medication the person abused. Addiction affects everyone differently.
Some people who abuse prescription drugs tend to “mix and match” their medication, which is dangerous because it increases the risk of overdose—which can even be fatal. Some drugs, when combined with alcohol, can lead to a fatal overdose.
Common side effects of prescription drug abuse include: mood swings, erratic behavior, confusion, anxiety, depression, lack of sleep, too much sleep, numbness, hyperactivity, poor hygiene, suicidal ideation, overdose, and addiction.
Who is Most at Risk for Prescription Drug Abuse?
More than 20% of people in the US age 12 and older have taken a prescription medication for a non-medical reason. It goes without saying that prescription drug abuse is a growing problem. The good news is that not everyone becomes addicted.
This disease is influenced by a number of factors. Some people are exposed to more risk factors than others. The more risk factors a person is exposed to, the more likely it is that they will develop an addiction if they start abusing a prescription drug. However, this is not a guarantee that they will become addicted—just an indicator that they are at high risk of becoming addicted.
Those who are exposed to fewer risk factors are less likely to develop an addiction, but it also does not mean they won’t get addicted if they abuse prescription drugs.
Addiction is a complex disease that affects the way a person thinks and acts. Over time, the person will start requiring larger doses of the drug just to get the same experience. Eventually, they become drug dependent and they have to keep taking the drug just to feel normal.
Addiction is characterized by the compulsive need to take a drug even when you are already experiencing its negative health effects. Spotting the risk factors ahead of time may help keep your loved one from becoming addicted.
Risk factors include: addiction to other substances, family history of addiction, your age, mental illness, and access to prescription medications. Those with acute or chronic pain are also more likely to abuse prescription drugs if their doctor prescribed it to them. If you have been given a prescription drug, make sure you follow your doctor’s instructions carefully.
You can also lower your risk of addiction by working closely with your doctor and getting rid of excess prescription drugs properly.
Although prescription medications are supposed to be helpful, they should not be abused as they can still cause addiction, dependence, and adverse health effects. If you or someone you care about is struggling with prescription drug abuse or addiction, look for an addiction treatment facility near you today and learn more about the programs they offer for substance use disorder. Some treatment centers may offer a residential program while others may focus on medical detox or cognitive behavioral therapy.
The more you know about drug addictions and drug addiction treatment, the easier it is to help your loved one throughout the recovery process. Prescription drug addiction is more common than you may think. The road to recovery begins today.
RX Drug Rehab https://t.co/slWMx69VAY #rehabnearme
— RehabNearMe (@RehabNear_Me) June 12, 2024
