Ultimate Guide to Avoid Slipping Into Prescription Drug Addiction (1)

1
Ultimate Guide to Avoid Slipping Into
Prescription Drug Addiction
2
Table of Content

• Introduction
• Why are Prescription Drugs Abused
• Prescription Drug Addiction
• Factors Encouraging Prescription Drug Addiction
• How to Avoid Slipping Into a Prescription Drug
  Addiction
• How to Beat a Prescription Drug Addiction
• Final Thoughts

3
Introduction

• Although many people are keen to take
  medication as instructed by their physician, the
  issue of prescription drug abuse remains a
  problem for many individuals across the world.
  Prescription drug abuse refers to the use of
  these forms of medication in a manner or dose
  other than prescribed. Taking someone elses
  prescription drug, even for a genuine reason, can
  also amount to misuse.
• Abuse of prescription drugs is what
  eventually leads to addiction. Individuals who
  use these drugs as prescribed that is, in the
  right doses and for the right reasons are hardly
  at risk of addiction. The risk of addiction is
  high in individuals who use prescription drugs in
  ways other than prescribed by a physician.
• Patients are not the only ones to blame for
  prescription drug addiction. The blame can be
  passed on to pharmacists and health providers who
  freely dish out these drugs while they are aware
  of the increased risk of misuse.

4
Why are Prescription Drugs Abused?

• According to National Institute on Drug
  Abuse, the most commonly abused prescription
  drugs today are opioids, antidepressants for
  anxiety and sleep disorders and stimulants for
  ADHD and narcolepsy. However, most opioids are
  readily accessible, and this makes them the most
  abused in todays population. Opioids refer to a
  class of drugs whose role is to relieve pain.
• When ingested, the drugs bind to the opioid
  receptors in the body and send signals which
  block pain, slow down breathing (to calm
  anxiety), and produce an overall feeling of
  calmness and relaxation. Various types of drugs
  fall into this category, and they include illegal
  ones such as heroin and prescription medication
  such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, and
  codeine.

5

• Due to their effectiveness in managing pain
  in the body, opioids are usually the go-to drugs
  for most health care providers and pharmacists.
  Opioids are prescribed for both short-term and
  long-term management of pain. Health care
  providers are aware of the risk that comes with
  prescribing opioids. If taken in a high dosage
  other than specified, the drug can easily lead to
  an addiction. This is also the case when one
  consumes the prescription drugs to feel good or
  calm down.
• The reason why opioids are among the most
  abused prescription drugs is that they are easily
  accessible. Previous research shows 20 of
  patients who walk into a physicians office with
  non-cancer pain symptoms or both acute and
  chronic pain-related symptoms received an opioid
  prescription. In 2012, there were a total of 259
  million prescriptions of opioid painkillers in
  the U.S. This figure means that if the drugs were
  to be handed to households, every home in the
  U.S. would have a bottle of opioid pills sitting
  in their medicine cabinet.

6

• Besides opioids, other prescription drugs
  such as Valium, Xanax, Dexedrine, and Ritalin are
  also abused. However, most of these are used to
  treat chronic conditions such as problems with
  the central nervous system. Therefore, there are
  not as popular as opioids such as codeine which
  can be used to treat common cold, coughs, and
  sinusitis. You can easily get codeine medication
  over the counter without a valid prescription
  from the doctor.

7
Prescription Drug Addiction

• As aforementioned, individuals who take
  prescription drugs, especially painkillers in the
  right dosage are not at risk of addiction. Even
  individuals who get a long-term prescription of
  opioids and stick to the right dosage are at very
  low risk of addiction. However, dependence can
  occur in patients who have a history of
  psychological problems or drug abuse.
• How does addiction occur? Here are a few
  scenarios which have led many patients to develop
  an overdependence on prescription drugs
• Popping more than the prescribed number of pills
  at a time.
• Taking medication without a prescription that
  is, as one wishes, even if the reason is
  legitimate.
• Taking addictive medicines for an extended
  period, especially if one suffers from
  psychological issues.
• Taking pills to get by or calm down without
  necessarily having a diagnosed medical condition.

8

• Addiction to prescription drugs can be
  accidental or deliberate. For example,
  individuals who are exposed to drugs like opioids
  for pain management in the long-term and have
  suffered addiction in the past can involuntarily
  get hooked to the drugs. On the other hand, some
  users may deliberately overdose on prescription
  drugs to enjoy the calming effect and mental
  relaxation that comes with the drug. Whichever
  the case, addiction can lead to serious health
  issues, and it is vital for one to seek
  prescription drug addiction treatment
  immediately.

9
Factors Encouraging Prescription Drug
Addiction

• Various factors, most within our control,
  are responsible for promoting prescription drug
  abuse. The actions of family members, friends,
  and relatives have exposed their loved ones to
  prescription drug abuse and ultimately,
  addiction. Some of these actions include the
  following
• Handing out painkillers whenever someone doesnt
  feel okay. Many family members and friends are
  guilty of this a friend or loved one visits your
  home, they suffer some form of pain, and you hand
  out a painkiller from the medicine cabinet
  without caring to know whether it is the right
  drug or dosage for the problem.
• Hoarding painkillers. Many people are guilty of
  hoarding painkillers. The medicine cabinet is
  full of bottles of pills which arent in use. A
  curious teenager can come looking for something
  to calm them down and stumble upon an opioid.

10

• Failing to throw out drugs that are no longer in
  use. When one remembers that a particular drug
  was effective in managing pain and it is still in
  the cabinet, they can easily reach out for it
  every time they are in pain and get addicted.
• As you can see, prescription drugs are
  usually abused due to the ease of accessibility.
  If these drugs are kept out of reach both at
  homes and in pharmacies, we may have a reduction
  in the number of addiction cases reported every
  year.

11
How to Avoid Slipping Into a Prescription Drug
Addiction

• Now that you know what drugs are abused,
  what leads to addiction and the factors that
  promote it, the next critical thing is to
  understand how you can protect yourself and your
  loved ones from slipping into an addiction. Since
  these drugs are widely prescribed for pain
  management, one cannot do away with them
  altogether. They come in handy and are incredibly
  effective. However, if one is not careful, they
  can abuse them voluntarily or involuntarily.
• Below are some useful steps that you and
  your loved ones can take to avoid becoming
  prescription drug addicts.
• 1. Adhere to Prescriptions
• Drug addiction primarily occurs when drugs
  are abused. The first step is to respect
  prescriptions. If a drug is meant for use only
  under prescription, dont pop the pill even if
  you find the bottle in your cabinet. Take doses
  as indicated by the doctor and avoid popping more
  than the required number of pills regardless of
  how much pain you are in. You can always go back
  to the physician and get a stronger drug but
  resist overdosing to ease the pain. Also, dont
  use another persons medication.

12

• 2.Identify Signs of Addiction
• Most people who get addicted to prescription
  medication realize it when its too late. You may
  think that the pill you pop once in a while to
  feel good is harmless only to find that you are
  dependent on it. Therefore, learn to identify the
  signs of a looming addiction. They include the
  following
• You run out of prescription medication before the
  refill date. This sign shows that you have been
  overdosing on the drug.
• Your friends or family occasionally comment on
  your intake of prescription drugs. They have
  noticed that you take them too often. If this is
  the case, you may be on your way to addiction.
• You occasionally use prescription drugs to feel
  good, calm down, or get going through the day.
• You have ever felt guilty about your use of
  prescription drugs, and are never honest with
  people about your usage of medication.
• You visit the chemist and ask for a painkiller by
  name.
• You always think about a particular drug and have
  no control over how and when you use it.
• If you have had any of these encounters, it means
  that your intake of prescription drugs is
  questionable, and you may be setting yourself up
  for addiction.

13

• 3.Disclose Medical History
• Health providers have, in some way,
  contributed to promoting prescription drug
  addiction. However, in most cases, it is not
  their fault. When a patient who has had a history
  of drug abuse visits a doctor, they have a
  responsibility to disclose this history. Such is
  the case for individuals who have suffered
  conditions like mental disorders in the past. If
  a doctor prescribes opioids to a patient with a
  former addiction, there is a chance that they
  will relapse. Similarly, individuals with
  psychological disorders can abuse medication to
  relax and relieve stress or anxiety.
• You have a duty to disclose any medical
  history that may affect your prescriptions. Once
  the doctor has an accurate report of your
  history, they can know which medications to
  prescribe for various conditions. Ideally,
  physicians observe care when prescribing drugs
  such as opioids to patients who have suffered an
  addiction in the past. One measure would be to
  give dosage in bits to prevent an overdose.

14

• 4.Throw Out Unused Medication
• Dont keep drugs that are no longer in use
  in your medicine cabinets. While you may be safe
  from abusing them, other members of the family
  may not. Always throw out drugs once you are done
  with a prescription. You can dispose of them
  through the drug take-back programs. You will
  save your household from abusing the drugs and
  also protect them from consuming expired drugs
  which may have been sitting in the cabinet for
  years.
• 5.Find Alternatives
• If you are worried that you may get
  addicted to a specific drug, you can always find
  an alternative form of treatment. Share your
  concerns with the health care provider so that
  they can recommend an alternative prescription
  drug addiction treatment. Also, you can opt for
  non-medical approaches to pain management such as
  massage therapy, acupuncture, chiropractic care,
  and many more. If these treatments help alleviate
  pain without exposing you to an addictive drug,
  they are worth the try. However, always consult
  your physician before ditching medication for
  alternative treatments.

15
How to Beat a Prescription Drug Addiction

• Are you a victim of prescription drug
  addiction? Or do you have a loved one who is
  battling an addiction to medication? If so, there
  is hope for treatment. Patients have to undergo
  prescription drug addiction rehab to break the
  unhealthy habit. Get help from a prescription
  drug addiction specialist so that they can help
  minimize the withdrawal symptoms and walk you
  through the journey to recovery.
• Dont try to break the habit on your own.
  The chances are that you may not succeed at
  saying no to the medication. Also, some drugs
  cause severe withdrawal symptoms when one tries
  to quit. Therefore, you may need to undergo a
  medical detox and get medicine to manage the
  withdrawal symptoms during the recovery period.
• Most rehab programs combine medication with
  behavioural therapy. Patients get treatment and
  also undergo therapy that helps them from
  suffering a relapse in the future. The
  counselling can also help address emotional or
  psychological issues such as trauma, anxiety,
  stress, depression, and other problems which
  often prompt drug abuse.

16
Final Thoughts

• Prescription medication is a necessity, but
  when misused they can be extremely harmful to the
  body. Users can suffer an addiction if they
  misuse or abuse the drugs. Whats worse, some
  forms of addiction are involuntary, especially
  when one is exposed to certain medications for an
  extended period. Luckily, patients can take
  measures to protect themselves from getting
  addicted to the medication.
• Are you a man whos suffering from
  prescription drug addiction? Or do you have a
  male loved one whos battling with the problem?
  Visit Inspire Change Wellness Addiction Treatment
  Centre for Men for consultation and treatment.
  They handle all forms of alcohol and drug
  addiction. Their facilities are equipped with
  luxury amenities to ensure comfort during your
  rehab period. They also have professional
  therapists to walk you through the recovery
  process.

17
Find out more

• Read more at -
• https//addictionhealingcentre.ca/blog/