Addiction Rehab Help

 

 

 

Drug abuse of any kind is dangerous and we are well aware of the effects of illicit drug addiction on society as a whole. But what if your drug dealer is your physician?

 

Prescription drug addiction is on the rise but people seem reluctant to talk about it One reason for this may be the fact that the family doctor is the one who prescribed the legal medications. Patients unwittingly believe that their prescription drugs are basically harmless simply because they came from a healthcare professional.

 

Since taking the medicine helps patients feel better, they start using these pills beyond the prescribed limits and without the knowledge or guidance of their doctors. Often what starts as pain management or short-term treatment for anxiety or sleep disorders with legal narcotics leads to addiction. Sometimes without the patient’s awareness until one day he realizes he cannot live without the drug and detox and drug rehabilitation is needed.

 

There are many prescription drugs that can be abused but the most common groups are opiates, depressants and stimulants. Doctors prescribe opiates to treat moderate to extreme pain, usually after a surgery or for an illness where pain is one of the symptoms. Medicines that fall in this group are OxyContin, Darvon, Precocet and Vicodin to name just a few of the more popular drugs.

 

Prolonged use of opiates often leads to addiction and physical dependence. Patients who suddenly stop using these drugs suffer bone and muscle pain, vomiting, restlessness and hot and cold flashes and in some cases seizure and death.

 

One of the biggest dangers with opiates is that the patient builds a tolerance over time and a higher dose of the drug is needed to achieve the desired effect. Taking larger doses of these drugs can cause respiratory problems and even death. Opiates when taken as prescribed and under medical supervision for a short period of time can be safe and beneficial. Addiction to this type of medication can come as soon as 7 to 10 days of continued use, (sometimes sooner every individual is different).

 

Doctors prescribe medication like Ativan, Diastat, Valium, Librium and Xanax to treat anxiety and sleep disorders. These drugs are as addictive as opiates and they have very difficult withdraw issues. This class of drugs is called Benzodiazepines and they should never be prescribed for longer than three months, these depressants work by slowing down or decreasing brain activity. Withdraw can include seizures and extreme confusion, the line between reality and fiction is sometimes blurred to a point of not knowing or not trusting people that are very close to you. Those who take these drugs feel calm or drowsy, thus it helps them overcome their anxiety or insomnia. If patients use these drugs on a long-term basis, the body develops tolerance to them. Larger doses are thus required to get the earlier calming effect and this leads to dependence. Without the drugs the patient is convinced he cannot relax or sleep.

 

 

Some people are prescribed stimulants to treat various problems like ADHD, obesity, asthma, depression and other ailments. Drugs such as Dexedrine, Ritalin and Adderall enhance brain activity, thus increasing alertness and energy. Use of these drugs leads to a spike in blood pressure and heart rate, which in turn gives the patient a sense of euphoria. Such wonderful feelings are difficult to pass up, which makes stimulants very dangerous to patients who are not being monitored closely.

 

Stimulant prescription drug addicts become hostile, paranoid and even violent. Irregular heartbeat, cardiovascular failure or seizures and death can occur when high doses of a stimulant drug are taken.

 

Prescription drug addiction can be treated, yet the availability of legal drugs, not only from physicians but even on the street can make recovery difficult, though far from impossible. The first step, as with any other form of addiction is to recognize the problem and find a suitable addiction rehabilitation program. Treatments consist of detoxification, in-patient addiction rehabilitation and follow up care. Detox is done under medical supervision and patients are normally given medication to ease the symptoms of withdrawal. The duration of detox varies, depending on the type of addiction that a person has.

 

Once a qualified drug rehab program is complete it is important to inform any new physicians you may consult that you had a problem with prescription drug abuse. This will allow the doctor to use care if ever there is a need once again to prescribe habit forming prescription drugs.

 

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