PRESCRIPTION DRUG ADDICTION
What is prescription drug addiction?
No one “decides” to get addicted to prescription or over-the-counter medication. Alienating family and friends, failing at work, engaging in small-time criminal activities is not what anyone plans when they swallow their first pill to ease a back ache, headache, depression or anxiety. Many people misuse a prescription drug or over-the-counter medication, at sometime in their life, but the overwhelming majority put the pills away with no lasting harm.
For people with an inherent vulnerability to addiction, taking pain pills can lead to an intoxicating rush that leaves the brain wanting more. Repeating the high reinforces the cycle, and sets the stage for addiction.
Experts are unsure of the exact number of people addicted to prescription drugs today, but all agree, addiction is escalating. This is partly due to aggressive marketing and wide spread availability. There has been a massive increase in sales of these preparations in the last decade.
Responding to requests by patients and pain advocacy groups, doctors may have become more lenient when prescribing drugs.
In the pursuit of more efficient and quicker treatment more people are being exposed to these drugs than ever before, creating the potential for many more addicts.
To begin to understand addiction, you need to look deep inside the brain. Finding and eating food, drinking water, having sex, caring for children: these and other activities, necessary to survival, cause the reward system to release a tiny dose of dopamine, a “feel good” neurotransmitter. It feels good, and so we’re likely to repeat that activity later on.
Repeated abuse of prescription or over-the-counter medication floods the system with dopamine, which contributes to the euphoric rush.
When a person with a predisposition to addiction, uses these drugs repeatedly, it causes the reward system to inappropriately learn that these drugs are as essential to survival as food or water.
Dependence vs addiction
There is an important difference between dependence and addiction. Anyone who takes prescription medication for more than a few weeks will develop tolerance and some physical dependence on the drug. Usually, these people are on stable, generally lower doses of medication. If they stop suddenly, they have withdrawal symptoms (usually mild). The symptoms go away, the person is “detoxed,” and they go on with life.
The person with addictive tendencies, abuses the drug to get high or to lessen anxiety. The repeated highs and rush of Codeine or Benzedrine in the brain create the brain changes that lead to drug addiction. The higher doses, and longer use make withdrawal an extremely unpleasant experience for them. The pleasure of getting high and the fear of withdrawal “rewire” the brain’s reward pathway, leading to compulsive drug seeking, craving, and continued use despite negative consequences.
No matter what the active ingredient is, these substances activate the same systems in the brain and body. In practice there is little difference between this addiction and any other addiction.
Harmful side effects
Changes in behaviour that go along with prescription drug addiction:
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- Neglecting responsibilities
- Performing poorly at work
- Losing interest in sex
- Various physical symptoms such as nausea, headaches or dizziness
Withdrawal symptoms
It is recommended that withdrawal be conducted under the care of trained medical professionals together with experienced and trained addiction counsellors.
Withdrawing from prescription medication by yourself can be life-threatening.
If drugs are controlling your life, we can help.
Drug Rehabilitation Treatment
The idea of overcoming drug addiction may seem overwhelming, but recovery is possible at Crossroads Recovery Centre.
Stories of Recovery
The encouragement, love and support from the team at Crossroads allowed me to eventually see that I was worth something – that my life could be turned around and that I could accomplish the things that had long been a forgotten dream.
On the last day of my stint at Crossroads, I could only express gratitude towards all who work there. A wise councillor once commented n my question when one is ready for rehab by explaining that when one is ready for rehab, rehab is ready for you.
I was lost and my soul was broken until I ended up at Crossroads and was introduced to the Twelve Steps. With the help of their excellent staff and amazing support I have recently been clean for 18 months, I could not have done it without them!
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