A prototype of a drug addict would probably be someone 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. These addicts secretly acquire the drugs from a dealer in a rendezvous.
If we think about it, those we call addicts came from our society who participates with it normally. 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 buy prescribed drugs in pharmacies. Yes. Prescription drugs could be as hazardous as any prohibited drugs. People 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. Other than that, what we did not perceive coming was that these prescription drugs have the probability to be a reason of dependency and addiction. In 2007, about 7 million Americans abuse prescription drugs. Furthermore, it is a fact that prescription drug addiction also exists in other parts of the world and not just in America.
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 must recognize 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.
Opioids, depressants, and stimulants are the three types of commonly abused prescription drugs. This is according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Opioids are prescribed to relieve sever pain usually after surgery. But besides alleviating pain, these drugs could also cause feelings of euphoria. Opioids work by binding to opioid receptors found in the central nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract.
Central nervous system depressants are used to take care 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 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 improve 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.
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 stop prescribing the drug, they go “doctor shopping”, asking friends to get hold of 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. Unfortunately, they just tend to be prescribed with added medications than the younger ones. The major cause of the increase in the incidence of prescription drug abuse is still not known. However, it can never be denied that convenience of the drug could be a contributing 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. The two main courses of drug addiction treatment are behavioral and pharmacological. Behavioral treatment supports patient to discontinue drug use and educate 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 development. 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.
No comments yet.