Prescription addiction occurs when a person uses prescribed medications outside of their doctor’s recommendations or inadvertently develops a dependency upon their medication. It may also occur when a person uses a prescription that is not their own. This type of addiction carries numerous risks, including overdose, organ damage, and mental health disorders. Treatment can be effective if a person recognizes what’s happening and seeks help. At Midwest Recovery Center, we’re here to make that possible for you.
How Does Prescription Addiction Happen?
Some prescription medications are highly addictive. They can be safely used by many people if used the way doctors prescribe them. That means using them no more than what’s directed. Sometimes, a person can develop a tolerance for a drug, which means they need to access more of it to feel. The more that’s used, the more likely it is for dependence to form. Once dependence forms, it’s hard for a person to stop using these drugs on their own. Withdrawal symptoms and intense cravings make that difficult to do.
Common Prescription Addiction Drugs
Some drugs are more addictive than others. You should follow all prescriptions as they are written, though. The most abused drugs include the following:
- Opioids: This includes drugs such as morphine, codeine, methadone, fentanyl, and oxycodone. These drugs are commonly prescribed as a treatment for pain.
- Depressants: Some drugs can help slow down the central nervous system’s function, helping people with conditions such as seizures or anxiety. That includes drugs such as benzodiazepines like Ativan, Librium, and Xanax. It also includes barbiturates such as Amytal and Seconal.
- Stimulants: Some people are on stimulants to help with depression or, in some cases, to treat ADHD. Amphetamines are a commonly abused sector of these drugs. They include Biphetamine and Adderall. Methylphenidate is another form and includes drugs such as Concerta and Ritalin.
Prescription drug addiction can occur in people using these drugs, but you should not stop using them until you speak to your doctor. You can get help for pill addiction if you just started developing cravings. However, formal addiction treatment is best for those who have used these drugs abusively for some time.
How Do You Know You Have a Prescription Addiction?
What makes prescription addiction hard to understand is that you may be using these drugs because of a true need, such as anxiety or ADHD. How do you know when you’ve crossed the line into addiction? There are a few common symptoms:
- Running out of the medication too early to refill it
- Trying to obtain multiple prescriptions from more than one doctor (doctor shopping)
- Feeling anxious or ill when not taking the medication
- Feeling the need to use the medication before you are supposed to
- Using a prescription that was not written for your needs.
What to Do About Your Prescription Addiction in Ohio?
If you feel that you may have a prescription addiction, take time to get help from our team. Our professionals can help you to stop using these drugs to avoid any negative outcomes slowly. Other solutions may be just as effective that are less addictive. Our team can help you overcome the struggles you’re having through our programs such as:
- Men’s alcohol treatment
- Women’s alcohol treatment
- Partial hospitalization program
- Intensive outpatient program
- Outpatient treatment program
Find the Treatment That Can Help You – Call Midwest Recovery Center Today
A prescription addiction can change the course of your life if you don’t recognize it and get help for it. Our team at Midwest Recovery Center wants to help make that possible. To do so, we provide a wide range of solutions for pill addiction in Ohio. Learn more when you call our counselors at 833.627.0039 or connect with us online.
