Prescription Drug Abuse and Treatment

Increased use of prescription drugs to treat a wide range of medical conditions has resulted in an equally dramatic increase in the abuse of prescription drugs. More people abuse prescription medications than abuse cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, ecstasy, and inhalants combined.

Warning signs for prescription drug abuse include the following:

• Excessive energy
• Excessive drowsiness
• Inability to concentrate
• Lowered inhibitions
• Increased secrecy

While these symptoms don't mean that someone is definitely abusing prescription medications, they could point to a potential problem.

Unlike alcohol abuse, it is much easier to determine if a person is abusing prescription medications. If you are taking a medication in any way other than how it was prescribed, you are abusing that prescription medication.

Prescription medication abuse includes taking medication more frequently or in higher doses than recommended by your doctor, as well as taking medication that wasn't prescribed to you.

Commonly Abused Prescription Drugs and Their Risks

• Opioids: Opioids are commonly prescribed to treat pain. Medications that fall within this category include morphine, codeine, and oxycodone (OxyContin). The risks involved with opioid abuse and addiction include respiratory depression, tolerance, nausea, vomiting, hypotension, and delirium.

• Central Nervous System Depressants: Central Nervous System (CNS) depressants slow brain function. They are used to treat anxiety and sleep disorders, among other conditions, and include medications such as Xanax and Valium. Risks of CNS depressant abuse include slowed breathing and irregular heartbeat.

• Stimulants: The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) defines stimulants as "a class of drugs that elevate mood, increase feelings of well-being, and increase energy and alertness." Stimulants are typically used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, obesity, and narcolepsy. Misuse of stimulants can cause increases in body temperature, irregular heartbeat, heart attack, and seizures. They can also cause a person to feel unusually hostile or paranoid.

Treatment for Prescription Medication Abuse

As with other types of addiction, treatment for prescription drug addictions must take into consideration the unique needs of the individual.

Treatment should also take into consideration the type of drug that's being abused, as addictions to different types of drugs require different treatments. For example, opioid addiction can be treated with medications such as methadone or naltrexone, both of which block the effects of opioids.

Regardless of the type of prescription drug addiction treatment a person chooses, the process is most likely to include detoxification, during which the body will be purged of any remaining drugs. The process of detoxification will be specific to the type of drug that has been abused. Stimulants, for example, are often tapered off slowly in an effort minimize the effects of withdrawal.

For more information about prescription drug addiction treatment, or to find the right drug rehab program for you or someone you love, call 888.287.6175.