Prescription drug abuse is more common than we might imagine. It can start by trying pills your neighbour recommends to help you sleep after months of insomnia, taking more painkillers than prescribed to avoid physical pain, or taking medication to calm your nerves during a stressful period. Even if the intention is to use the medication to address a health problem, if its use is not monitored by a specialist, it can create addiction.
It is important not to self-medicate to avoid developing dependence, and to always see a medical professional to check whether you can take a medication and to ensure follow-up. If you have developed an addiction to a prescription medication, at CCAdicciones we offer a detox treatment.
Prescription drug abuse disorder
Using medication without medical supervision and the free prescribing of medicines can lead to addiction. Even if they are recommended by a doctor, if they are taken in an uncontrolled way, they can cause a prescription drug abuse disorder. Increasing the dose and taking amounts higher than indicated, or continuing to take the pills when the healthcare professional considers they are no longer necessary, are two clear signs that a person has developed dependence on a medication.
The danger of legal and over-the-counter medicines
Medicines can be obtained with a prescription issued by a medical professional, because they consider these drugs will be suitable for the patient to treat a specific condition, whether physical or mental. A medication is prescribed to a specific person after assessing their situation and taking their individual characteristics into account.
A prescription is needed to take certain medicines because every case is different. Two patients may appear to have the same condition, but the ways to address it will be different. Whether because the prescribed medication does not work for one of them, causes a reaction, or they have an illness or other health problems that are incompatible with taking that drug. Each situation must be assessed individually to ensure there are no contraindications.
So, taking a medication that has not been prescribed specifically for you, but for your friend, partner, or family member, poses a health risk. Not only because there is no guarantee the drug will actually work for you, but also because it can harm you since you do not know how your body will react and you do not have the knowledge of a healthcare professional.
The consequences of medication abuse
Misuse of prescription medications can cause negative and counterproductive effects for the person taking them. The consequences will vary depending on the type of medication taken.
We can distinguish three main groups of prescription medications. First, abuse of opioid painkillers can cause depression, disorientation, low blood pressure, and breathing problems. Next, sedatives and tranquillisers: drowsiness, confusion, unsteadiness, and tremors when walking are some of the symptoms that may be experienced. Finally, stimulants, which can cause insomnia, weight loss, irritability, and high blood pressure.
When an addiction to any medication develops, there is a risk of withdrawal syndrome if it is stopped abruptly, because not only has an addiction developed, but also physical dependence.
Why can medication abuse occur?
As with any addiction, the reasons that have led to dependence vary. Unlike other drugs, prescription drug abuse disorder is less commonly caused by social pressure or recreational use. Although the latter can occur, since throughout history some medicines have ended up becoming drugs used to achieve a specific sensation.
Excessive use of legal medicines occurs because it can be a way of coping with problems, an escape route, or because a need has been created and the person feels a physical need to take that medication.
You may wonder what signs warn that someone is suffering from an addiction, or you may notice suspicious symptoms in someone around you. The main signs are: forging prescriptions, taking a higher dose than prescribed, sleep problems, discomfort when it is noticed that few medications are left, always having extra pills as a backup, “losing” prescriptions and going back to the doctor to have them prescribed again, etc.
Detox treatment
Believing that because a drug can be obtained from a pharmacy and is obviously legal, it can be taken without control and will have no negative effect on the body is a mistake. A medical prescription is required because not just anyone can take it. Medications help resolve a temporary health problem or manage chronic illnesses. That is why it is important to see a doctor, so they can assess the case and, depending on the patient’s needs, prescribe one medication or another. Even so, the phrase “A doctor prescribed it for me, I have the prescription” is not free from misuse.
When an addiction develops, a detox treatment is required, as well as to investigate and delve into the origin of the abusive use of medications.
Avoiding addiction to prescription medications
At CCAdicciones we offer you some recommendations you can follow to prevent prescription drug abuse. For example:
- Always consult a doctor. A medication must always be prescribed and supervised by a medical professional.
- Take the prescribed amounts. Always follow the indicated dose; you should not increase the amount you take on your own because you think you need it or because you feel it no longer works.
- Never use someone else’s prescription. You should not take a medication just because it worked well for someone you know. Thinking that because someone who has the same thing as you took some pills and improved, the same will happen to you is not true. Each person is different and reacts differently to a medication. You need medical follow-up, to monitor possible consequences, to confirm that it is actually working for you, etc.
- If you detect dependence, see a professional. If you notice that you increasingly need to take a medication, that you are dependent because if you do not take it you feel unwell, and that you need to carry it with you at all times, this indicates a possible addiction.
- Under no circumstances buy medicines online. You must be careful with the sale of medicines on the Internet because numerous websites sell counterfeit medicines that pose a health risk.
There is a way out
If you are caught in a spiral of medication use and feel you need them, at CCAdicciones we can help you with your addiction. We have expert professionals in addictions who will offer you appropriate treatment according to your situation.
Get in touch with us if you want to leave an addiction behind, with or without a substance, and regain control of your life.
