The Dangers of Prescription Drugs

The Dangers of Prescription Drugs

Visiting the doctor has become synonymous with getting a prescription for medication. Doctors prescribe medication for every problem imaginable. From medication that helps kids sit through school lessons to pills that stop debilitating pain, medication is the answer that everyone is looking to find. While many of the prescriptions that physicians write really do good things for the people who take them, there are plenty of other drugs that can become life-changing in a bad way.

When Abuse Begins to Happen

For many people, prescription drug use is a normal way of life. They take medications to help regulate their thyroid or their high blood pressure. Their prescriptions are not abused, but taken dose by dose, day by day. On the other hand, there are people who are just seeking prescription medication to help fuel their abuse. They might shop doctors in the area to see which ones are quick to write prescriptions for pain medications.

Addicts who need pain medications to keep their bodies functioning will do whatever they can to get the medications legally for as long as they can. This might include seeing many different doctors, especially after they have exhausted their own. The prescription drugs that most addicts seek are opiates like Oxycontin and Vicodin. Once the prescriptions run out, most addicts are able to find what they want, either from friends or from dealers. Even friends can be tricked into sharing a few pills from their own cache of unused prescription bottles.

How the Abuse Grows and Develops

Eventually, men and women who abuse prescription drugs can land in a downward spiral. It might seem like prescription medications are easy addictions to break, but for those who have been abusing opioids, this is far from the truth. Prescription drugs are the new gateway drug, because the addicting ones are so similar in structure to hard, illicit drugs. Some call Oxycontin the legal form of heroin because the two drugs behave in the same way. Many prescription drug users will combine their Oxycontin or Vicodin with other drugs and with alcohol to create a more extreme high. This behavior can land a drug abuser in the hospital or even in the morgue, even with accidental mixing. With the fact that opioids in prescription drugs eventually create tolerance, the abuser really does physically feel like he or she needs more. When physicians block this need, the drug abuser will turn to drugs that are easier to get – like actual heroin.

When the Abuse Hurts Loved Ones

Prescription drug problems eventually end up hurting loved ones. In many situations, the drug abuse began after being prescribed painkillers after surgery, giving birth, or having an accident. Life continues on as usual, but the need for drugs strengthens. Addicts then begin to change their lives to get drugs. They steal from their family members and friends, they skip work, and they forget to pay bills. All of these behaviors can create problems with family and friends, who are not drug abusers. Many prescription drug abusers end up turning to the streets to find what they are looking for to get the fix. Unfortunately, the people who are busy selling opioids do not care about what is happening to their customers’ lives, as long as the addiction continues and the money keeps coming.

Looking Into Ways to Protect People from Prescription Meds

Fortunately for everyone involved with prescription drug abuse, there are plenty of things being done to curb it. The first is watching the prescriptions of key physicians. With online health records, it is much easier to find a doctor who is writing an unusual amount of pain medication and it is easy for doctors to see patients who are shopping for meds.

Since over 15,000 people annually die in the United States from prescription medication abuse, researchers are taking note and looking for solutions. The companies that manufacture prescription medication are looking for ways to remove those addicting drugs from their products. Lawmakers are also pondering what to do with dangerously addicting prescription drugs. Should they be easy to obtain? Should there be more regulation on them? How involved should the government be?

Get Help From Canadian Addiction Treatment Centres

With patient-centered treatment, addiction can be stopped. At Canadian Addiction Treatment Centers, we help people struggling with addiction work their way back to a healthy, addiction-free lifestyle. Get help today by filling out our contact form or giving us a call at 1-877-937-2282.