Prescription drug abuse is a major problem in today’s society. For those struggling with prescription drug abuse, prescription drug treatment can help them get on the road to recovery.
What is prescription drug abuse?
Prescription drugs are drugs that can only be obtained by getting a prescription through a doctor, and abuse occurs when users take the drugs outside of their recommended usage and/or take drugs not prescribed to them.
What effect do prescription drugs have on the user?
The most commonly abused prescription drugs fall into three categories: painkillers (like oxycodone or morphine), stimulants (like Adderall) and depressants (like diazepam or lorazepam).
Painkillers, particularly opiates, cause feelings of euphoria, drowsiness and difficulty staying awake, constipation and slowed breathing.
Stimulants speed up the body’s mental and physical processes, leading to increased energy and focus as well as a decreased need for sleep. Stimulant abuse can cause users to experience intense feelings of paranoia, aggression and hostility as well as violent mood swings.
Depressants give users feelings of relaxation and apathy. They also slow the heart and respiratory systems.
What are the potential dangers of using prescription drugs?
All prescription medications have undergone years of testing to determine the parameters for their proper use, and are designed to treat specific ailments: manage pain, reduce anxiety or help the patient focus on important tasks. When used without the supervision of a doctor and at improper dosages, users quickly develop a physical tolerance and need increasing amounts of the drug to produce the same effect, which leads to overdose.
Users may also experience painful and potentially dangerous withdrawal symptoms when they are unable to continue their prescription drug abuse, including nausea, insomnia, fever, muscle and bone cramps, anxiety, depression and seizures.
If you or a loved one is struggling with prescription drug abuse, treatment might be the answer. At Turning Point Treatment Center, our individualized treatment plans, highly qualified staff and personalized approach to recovery have a proven track record of success. For more information on prescription drug treatment at Turning Point Treatment Center, please contact us.
