Prescription Drug Abuse and Addiction

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Drug Addiction Treatment » Addiction » Prescription-drug-abuse-addiction

Fight Prescription Drug Addiction

If you’re suffering from prescription drug abuse or addiction, you need a substance abuse program NOW. Your prescription drug use may have started out under your control, but is now taking over your life, perhaps hurting the people closest to you as well as yourself. You can feel its power over you, and you know it’s time to break this bond, but you don’t know how. Recovery Connection is here to help you – call 1-800-99-DETOX and get help now!

Over the last few years, prescription drug abuse and addiction have escalated dramatically. With easy access through the Internet, more people than ever are able to purchase these addictive medications with little or no scrutiny. Secondly, more and more pain clinics have opened their doors, creating another venue for people to access medication for pain. Before going any further, let us state that the majority of people addicted to prescription drugs started to abuse these medications after a legitimate prescription was written for them by their physician. The prescription may have been written due chronic pain, auto or sports injury, surgery or to relax strained muscles.

Prescription drugs include, but are not limited to: Vicodin , Codeine, Demerol, Dilaudid, Morphine, Oxycontin, Percocet and Xanax. All of these prescription drugs are physically and emotionally addictive and should be treated with great respect. These medications need to be used as prescribed in order to avoid an addiction. If you find yourself abusing the medication, please contact your prescribing physician immediately or call the staff at Recovery Connection.

You probably didn’t begin taking these medications with the idea in mind of becoming an addict. In general terms, you took the medication to "feel better" physically, hoping you would gain some relief from your pain. Another effect of the medication is it provides you with a feeling of "well- being", which you may have been lacking. In an attempt to reduce the pain even further and enhance the feeling of "well-being", you began to take additional medication. What happens is a tolerance to the drug has developed, so you now require more and more medication. Soon, the feeling of "well-being" cannot be achieved; the pain although diminished is still present; and an addiction to the prescription drug now exists as well.

If addicted, never discontinue the use of prescription medication on your own. There can be severe medical and psychological consequences. Please call Recovery Connection at 1-800-99-DETOX and we will assist you in locating a quality healthcare professional or prescription drug abuse detox program.

Effects of Prescription Drug Abuse and Addiction

Prescription drug abuse may start out as taking appropriate medication for a legitimate medical problem, as described above; however, people have also been known to take prescription medication to deal with emotional problems. The only thing most of these medications do for emotional problems are "mask” or "numb" the actual feelings. Although you may not experience the feeling or focus on the problem at a particular moment, in most cases, the problem is just exasperated by not learning how to effectively cope with the particular issue.

Lastly, some people have been found to mix alcohol with prescription medications to accentuate the feeling of euphoria. This mixture is often referred to as a "cocktail.” What this creates is the potential for an overdose and should be avoided at all costs.

If you require additional information on prescription drug abuse and addiction or need to locate a treatment center, please call Recovery Connection at 1-800-99-DETOX and we will be more than happy to assist you.

Consequences of Prescription Drug Abuse

Most prescription drugs are physically addictive. To abruptly discontinue prescription medications could create a situation where you could immediately experience seizures or convulsions. It is for this reason that withdrawal from prescription medications should be gradual and under medical supervision. This is best accomplished in a residential treatment program to guard against any medical complications.

The discomfort associated with withdrawal from these medications is contingent upon the dose you are taking and the length of time you have been taking it. Some people take between 20 and 30 pills daily.

In addition to the physical addiction created by abusing prescription drugs, you may also experience deterioration in personal relationships, employment difficulties due to a lack of concentration and motivation, financial difficulties, legal problems, or psychological difficulties. Most of the people suffering from prescription drug abuse have experienced most of the above

Treatment of Prescription Drug Abuse

Due to the physical dependence created by prescription drug abuse, addiction treatment begins in a residential treatment facility. The initial phase of treatment is detox. It is here, under medical supervision, that the symptoms associated with withdrawal from prescription drugs are managed, reduced and sometimes eliminated. The average length of time spent in detox is approximately seven days. During this time, you will be monitored medically and any psychiatric or psychological issues will be assessed.

After you are medically stable, you are generally referred to residential treatment to complete the treatment plan designed in detox. By the time most people enter treatment for prescription drug addiction, they have created quite a bit of emotional damage to themselves and loved ones. It takes time to recover from shame, grief, guilt, and rebuild a level of trust amongst the family. Recovery in a supportive therapeutic environment eliminates many of the outside distractions and allows you to focus on issues relating to your recovery. The length of stay is approximately 20 days and may be followed by outpatient therapy.

Prescription Drug Abuse Treatment FAQ

If you, or someone you know is in need of prescription drug abuse and addiction treatment, or requires immediate assistance locating a drug rehab center that specializes in prescription drug abuse detox, please call Recovery Connection at 1-800-99-DETOX. Help is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. GET HELP NOW!

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