A prototype of a drug addict would probably be someone seen in the corner of the streets. These drug addicts are for all time looking cautiously around, doing anxiety-related behaviors, yet very discrete with these behaviors. These individuals are most of the time being avoided by people passing by. They are also being seen as an outcast in the society they belong. It is a common fact that the acquiring of drugs are done secretly.
However, if we come to realize, addicts also come from those who normally participates in the cycle of society. These people could be your own babysitter, the newspaperman, the bagel man, or even taxi driver who drives you everyday to work. Like almost everyone, these people are those who pay for prescribed drugs in pharmacies. Yes. Prescription drugs could be as as any banned drugs. People who buy drugs at the pharmacy can be as addicted to certain drugs as to those who discretely buy illegal drugs from drug dealers in the corners of every street.
Prescription drug provides its function when it is prescribed by the doctor to the patient in order to treat any health-related problems. But, what we did not perceive coming was that these prescription drugs have the potential to be a reason of dependency and addiction. In 2007, about 7 million Americans abuse prescription drugs. Furthermore, it has been known that prescription drug addiction do not only exist in America but also in other parts of the world.
It is quite safe to say that nobody is safe from addiction because even those who are being prescribed by professionals can get prescription addiction. On the other hand, we ought to distinguish that if taken properly, these drugs need not be addictive. It is when we take more than what is prescribed that we are more likely to be a candidate for prescription drug addiction.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, there are three types of commonly abused prescription drugs. These are opioids, depressants, and stimulants.
Opioids are prescribed to relieve sever pain usually after surgery. Opiods do not just take away the feelings of pain but they also cause euphoria. This substance works by binding to opioid receptors found in the central nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract.
Central nervous system depressants are used to treat anxiety problems, acute stress, and sleep disorders. As depressants, they make the brain to function slowly. With long terms and large doses leading to tolerance, the body would require larger doses to achieve the “relaxing” feeling caused by the drug. These results to addiction.
On the other hand, stimulants are the opposites of depressants. These drugs increase brain activities, increasing energy, awareness, and alertness, and are used to treat attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and narcolepsy. Stimulants cause the heart rate to increase as well as respiration which can be interpreted by the user as euphoria.
An individual is said to be an addict to the drug when he or she needs larger amount of the drug to attain certain effects. Most likely, when their physicians discontinue prescribing the drug, they go “doctor shopping”, asking friends to obtain drugs for them. This leads the patient to addiction. Most of the time, elder people are the ones vulnerable to prescription drug abuse. They did not will it. Regrettably, they just tend to be prescribed with more medications than the younger ones. The main cause of the increase in the occurrence of prescription drug abuse is still not known. However, it can never be denied that ease of access of the drug could be a causative factor.
Top treat prescription drug addiction will depend upon the substance being addicted to The needs of the person should also be taken into account. The two main courses of drug addiction treatment are behavioral and pharmacological. Behavioral treatment encourages patient to discontinue drug use and teach them how to function normally even without the drug. Counseling should go hand in hand so as to guide and follow up the patient for any improvement. Medication could also be of great help most especially with opioid addiction.
Any drug is not free from addiction
. A combination of behavioral and pharmacological treatment is a good approach to treat prescription addiction.
