Most people take prescription medicines only for the reasons their doctors prescribe them, but an estimated 20 percent of Americans have abused prescription drugs for nonmedical reasons. Prescription drug abuse is a serious and growing problem in the United States thanks to a variety of risk factors. Thankfully, there are a number of treatment options for people who abuse prescription drugs. The key is finding the best type of rehab to effectively treat prescription drug abuse and addiction.
The Causes of Prescription of Drug Abuse
There are numerous risk factors for prescription drug abuse and addiction. People misuse prescription medications for a variety of reasons, including:
* Treating chronic pain. Opiate-based pain medications, such as Vicodin, can be highly addictive if taken over a long period of time. Long-term use of opiates can create a physical dependency that requires the user to continue using the drug or risk painful withdrawal symptoms. Someone who’s trying to treat chronic pain or an injury may innocently begin taking opiate-based pain meds and quickly slide into accidental addiction and dependency.
* Treating mental health issues. Prescription drugs are often prescribed to treat mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. If taken under a doctor’s supervision, prescription meds can help people suffering from mental health issues to break through the haze and regain a normal, healthy life. But if these medications are used without a prescription or used above and beyond what the prescription calls for, a person can easily become dependent on and addicted to prescription meds.
* Falsely believing they’re safer. Many people, especially teens, falsely believe that prescription drugs are safer than illegal drugs. The truth is that misusing prescription drugs is just as dangerous as abusing illegal drugs. Prescription drug abuse can lead to addiction, dependency, withdrawal and many serious — and even deadly — health consequences.
* Easy to obtain. More and more doctors are prescribing prescription medications to treat a variety of physical and mental health issues. This high rate of prescription makes it easy for people to obtain prescription meds through a variety of resources, including false prescriptions, multiple prescriptions from multiple doctors, and using other people’s prescribed medications.
The Signs of Prescription Drug Abuse
People who abuse prescription drugs will exhibit a number of signs of addiction and dependency. They will continue to use the drug even after the reasons it was prescribed for has ceased. They will develop a high tolerance for the drug and experience withdrawal symptoms if doses are missed. Changes in mood and behavior will occur, including secretive or deceitful behavior to obtain the drug, and hostile, agitated or anxious behavior if the drug isn’t received. Other signs of prescription drug addiction are financial problems to support their pill habit and withdrawing from friends, family and society.
Finding the Best Rehab for Prescription Drug Abuse
There are many different types of drug rehabs, but the best type of drug rehab for prescription drug abuse is residential treatment. Residential treatment for prescription drug abuse provides a structured environment that’s free of temptations and distractions, and provides round-the-clock care and support to help the individual focus on recovery. Residential treatment programs will provide supervised detoxification from the prescription drug’s harmful toxins, individual and group therapy to learn new behavior skills, and holistic therapies such as yoga, meditation and equine therapies to heal the spirit and mind as well as the body.
Don’t let prescription drug abuse define who you are any longer. Get the help you need and deserve at a quality prescription drug rehab.
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