An example of a person who gets addicted to drugs seen in the corner of the streets. They are always looking cautiously around, doing anxiety-related behaviors, yet very discrete with these behaviors. Usually, these people are avoided by passersby and are looked at by society with judgmental eyes. 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 addicts that we so called 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 hazardous as any illegal drugs. Individuals who buy drugs at the pharmacy might 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 serves its function when it is prescribed by the doctor to the patient in order to take care of any health-related problems. But, what we did not observe coming was that these prescription drugs have the potential to be a source of dependency and addiction. In 2007, about 7 million Americans abuse prescription drugs. In addition, it is a fact that prescription drug addiction also exists in other parts of the world and not just in America.
We might think that nobody is safe from addiction, even someone who has been prescribed with a drug by a medical professional. On the other hand, we should identify that if used 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. But besides alleviating pain, these drugs could also cause feelings of 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, these drugs slow the brain’s ability to function. Long terms and large doses of depressants could lead to tolerance and thus, the body would need larger doses to reach the “relaxing” feeling caused by the drug. Consequently, this could lead to addiction.
Stimulants, on the other hand, do the opposite of depressants. These drugs increase brain activities, augmenting energy, awareness, and alertness, and are used to treat attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and narcolepsy. Stimulants make the heart rate to increase as well as respiration which can be interpreted by the user as euphoria.
One is diagnosed to be addicted to the drug when one needs larger amount of a drug to produce the same effects. Most likely, when their physicians discontinue prescribing the drug, they go “doctor shopping”, asking friends to get drugs for them. Now, that patient becomes an addict. Usually, elder people are the ones vulnerable to prescription drug abuse. They did not will it. Regrettably, they just have a tendency to be prescribed with added medications than the younger ones. The chief cause of the increase in the occurrence of prescription drug abuse is still unknown. However, it cannot be denied that ease of access of the drug could be a causal factor.
Treating prescription drug would vary depending on the kind of drug the patient is addicted to The needs of the person should also be taken into account. Behavioral and pharmacological are the two main courses of drug addiction. Behavioral treatment supports patient to stop drug use and educate them how to function normally even without the drug. Counseling should go hand in hand so as to show and follow up the patient for any progress. 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.
