FEATURED
Sticky
Prescription Drug Abuse
While prescription drugs are responsible for helping thousands of individuals every year effectively deal with pain, anxiety, and other mental health issues, they are also some of the deadliest and most commonly abused substances in the United States. While most people take these powerful medicines for only the reasons that were prescribed to them, an estimated 20% of people in the United States use prescription drugs for non-medicinal or recreational purposes. As prescription drug abuse continues to become more common in the United States, and across the world, this problem is only expected to worsen in the decades to come.
Most Commonly Abused Prescription Drugs
As prescription pills continue to become more available through doctor shopping, online pharmacies, or just from widespread availability in medical cabinets all over the country, prescription pill abuse is a serious problem that is quickly turning into an epidemic. This not only means that hundreds of thousands more people will become addicted and dependent on these powerful substances, but thousands of others will likely die from overdosing on these drugs. In 2010, approximately 50% of emergency visits for drug overdoses occurred because of the misuse of prescription drugs with a little less than a quarter of all these overdoses resulting in death.
The most commonly abused prescription drugs are:
- Oxycontin
- Codeine
- Valium
- Xanax
- Ambien
- Vicodin
- Percocet
- Adderall
- Fentanyl
- Morphine
Why Are Prescription Drugs so Addictive?
Legal prescription drugs can become extremely addictive and can lead to long-term addiction and dependency. This is mainly due to the strong chemical interaction these drugs can have on the brain and central nervous systems. While these drugs can be very effective in the short-term at treating pain and anxiety, long-term use can lead to physical and psychological dependence. This is why many doctors will not prescribe these powerful medications over the long term, because of their high addictive potential.
Over time, the body can build up tolerances to even the most potent of pain killers, which means higher doses are needed to achieve the same desired effect. This not only can be physically dangerous to the user, but can actually change the brain’s physical chemistry to make the user more dependent on the drugs. Once an individual has become dependent, they will experience painful withdrawal symptoms hours after their last dose. These withdrawal symptoms are not only excruciating, but can make it even that much more difficult for the individual to stop using.
Prescription Drug Rehab
Oftentimes, a prescription drug addiction can become so out of control that the only option left is either jail, overdose, or drug rehab. In some cases the individual chooses rehab, in some cased they do not. Do not let yourself hit rock bottom before you have to make one of these difficult choices, and seek prescription drug treatment right away. There are plenty of great prescription drug rehab centers all over the state of Illinois that can treat your addiction and help you to detox in as little pain as possible. The option is yours, but you won’t be the first not to choose drug, and you definitely won’t be the last.
