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Are You Addicted to Prescription Drugs?

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Published: 02Jan2009
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Addiction to prescription drugs is a common phenomenon. Every minute, someone is addicted to prescription drugs. You may be one of them without even your knowing it. According to 2007 statistics, nearly 17 million Americans are addicted to prescription drugs. Worse, a great number of them abuse their pharmaceutical drugs, and many of them are women, seniors, and teenagers.

If you are on prescription drugs, not once in a while, but regularly, you may have fallen a victim to prescription drug addiction. Truly, you might not have any prior history of drug abuse or addiction of any kind. You started using your drugs for a legitimate reason, such as a health-related problem. For example, you might have been prescribed a medication for your arthritis pain. You began using it with caution in the beginning, and then increased its dosage slowly but consistently. You felt better and less anxious, due to the relief from your arthritis pain. Unknowingly, you became dependent on it, and before you know it, your dependence has become a full-blown drug addiction.

The problem is that you don't think it is an addiction to prescription drugs. It is self-denial - which is not uncommon among addicts of any kind.

The profile of an addict to drugs is that an individual shows some drug-seeking behavior, such as a continual craving for that drug such that it has become an obsession with the fear of running out of pills. Other behavior patterns may include mood swings from moments of wellbeing to episodes of aggravation and belligerence. Or an individual may display over-confidence in one moment, followed by total lack of confidence in another moment. Other tale-telling indications of addiction to drugs include slurred speech while speaking, or inability to control motor skills when performing common tasks. Inattention to appearance and personal hygiene, or lack of interest in activities that an individual used to enjoy are also signs of addiction.

If you have experienced or are experiencing some of the above, you may indeed have a problem with addiction to prescription drugs.

Compulsive drug use is an addictive behavior, which, unfortunately, cannot be overcome by human will alone. When a drug enters the human brain, it activates a natural chemical known as dopamine, which produces a sensation of pleasure. When dopamine is over stimulated, the brain will stop producing the chemical. In other words, the human brain simply adapts to the drug's presence, resulting in the need for continual increase in the dosage to maintain that pleasurable sensation. Compulsive drug use has to be treated medically and professionally, because stopping the drug abruptly will result in a drug withdrawal syndrome that makes giving up the drug even more difficult than before.

To overcome your addiction to prescription drugs, you require professional help. However, first and foremost, you must acknowledge the problem of drug addiction. Self-denial, which is a self-protection mechanism built into your brain, is only a hurdle to ultimate recovery. It is important that you must admit that there is a problem in the first place, and that there are emotional issues you have to deal with before recovery can take place.

The next step is to undergo medical detoxification before beginning a program of treatment or rehabilitation. When you enter a detoxification unit, health professionals will give you a thorough physical checkup and take your medical history. After the detoxification process, you will undergo medical treatments to overcome drug withdrawal symptoms, and counseling sessions to deal with emotional and psychological adjustments. Relapses are only too common. However, with determination and the support of follow-up, you will be on the road to full recovery.

The moral lesson here is: Always be knowledgeable of your prescription drugs - what they are, and their side effects. It is so easy to get addicted to them. Remember, all pharmaceutical drugs are chemicals, and as such they can be dangerous and even fatal.

Stephen Lau is a researcher and writer. He has published several books, and has created websites on health and healing, such as eating disorders, natural healing, longevity health, and mental depression. For more information on addiction, visit: http://www.overcomingeatingdisorders.com

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