A Few Things to Understand About Prescription Drug Abuse

If you are currently taking a medication that is not prescribed to you or are taking a prescription drug that you seem to need more than your current dosage, you may be developing an addiction. If this is the case, you need to seek help from a Florida Drug Rehab Program. The following are only a few things to know about prescription drug abuse.

There are different ways that people become addicted to prescription drugs, and many of these addictions occur without an awareness of what is happening. Certainly, there are many who simply buy prescription drugs illegally, but there are many who start out with a prescription from their doctor. After a while, they need more and may be able to get a larger dosage from their doctor, but there is a limit to how much a doctor will prescribe. From this point, more is sought out and bought illegally. Of course, since they are medications produced by a pharmaceutical company, an individual will think they are safe, even when obtained illegally. In time, they may come to understand they are addicted and seek help.

Often people assume that as long as they don’t overdose on a medication, that there is little chance their prescription drug abuse will lead to death. However, just as illegal drugs can lead to a premature death, so too can that of prescription drugs. Some medications, when abused, have a higher probability of leading to certain causes of death than others. Opiate pain killers, such as hydrocodone and Oxycontin, have a high rate of accidental overdose leading to death. Other medications can lead to suicide or a car accident fatality.

There are a wide range of pharmaceuticals that are abused by people, but most of the prescription medications that are associated with addiction can be found in three categories: opioids, stimulants and sedatives. Within these broad categories are several medications that are more commonly abused than others, so it may be of interest to know which ones to be concerned about.

All of these medications are designed to kill pain, and they do so in a very effective way. Unfortunately, they are highly addictive. The most well known illegal narcotic in this class is heroin. Heroin’s counterpart, morphine, is used in a hospital setting. For outpatient use, it is opioids such as hydrocodone, Oxycontin and codeine that are most common. Once a patient has been using an opioid for an extended length of time, withdrawal can be difficult. The real problem is with the build up of tolerance. Over time, people need a slightly higher dosage to get the same feeling. This is true whether they are experiencing any pain or not.

Most people have experienced the feeling of what caffeine can do to you with a cup of coffee or tea. This type of stimulant is usually found with illegal drugs, but with a much greater boost than any strong cup of coffee could ever give. Even though there are pharmaceutical drugs that replace much of what is found on the black market, the biggest abuse in this category can be found with prescription drugs that are used for Attention Deficit Disorder. They are designed to help patients focus their thinking and attention. Unfortunately, many have found them helpful in increasing their productivity where concentration is at a premium. This is especially true with college students, where there is a growing problem with a drug such as Adderall.

This type of medication has many legitimate uses, such as anxiety control, but because they are designed to relax a person’s mental and physical state, they are popularly abused by people. Some addicts will combine this drug with alcohol, because in combination the effect is multiplied. Unfortunately, this can lead to heart failure. In fact, this type of medication, when taken without a doctor’s prescription and in the proper dosage, can still lead to slower breathing and seizures. There are many examples of this type of prescription drug on the market. One of the most popular is Valium.

Prescription drug abuse can creep up on a person. Some of this is due to a lack of awareness of how serious a problem it can be. If you or a loved one have a problem with prescription drugs, you need to find a good rehabilitation program to end your addiction. A Guide to Drug Treatment Centers can help you locate a good facility near your home.