If you are concerned about your own prescription drug use, trying to help a loved one, or comparing treatment options, understanding how addiction develops is an important first step. Many people begin taking prescription medications as directed, but misuse can lead to dependence and addiction over time.
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Prescription Drug Addiction Treatment
Addiction
Prescription Drug Addiction Treatment in Deerfield Beach, FL
Prescription drug addiction treatment may include medical detox, inpatient or outpatient rehab, behavioral therapy, medication management, and treatment for co-occurring mental health disorders. These evidence-based approaches help people stop using prescription drugs safely while building the skills needed for long-term recovery.
At Crystal Lake Healing in Deerfield Beach, Florida, we provide personalized treatment plans that address both the physical and emotional aspects of addiction. Our compassionate team is committed to helping clients achieve lasting recovery through comprehensive, individualized care.
What Are Prescription Drugs?
Prescription drugs are medications that require authorization from a licensed healthcare provider before they can be dispensed by a pharmacy. They are used to treat a wide range of physical and mental health conditions, including pain, anxiety, ADHD, infections, and chronic illnesses. When taken as prescribed, these medications can be safe and highly effective.
However, prescription drugs can also be misused. Taking higher doses than prescribed, using someone else’s medication, or taking a prescription for non-medical reasons can increase the risk of dependence, addiction, and overdose. Certain medications, including opioids, benzodiazepines, and prescription stimulants, have a higher potential for misuse and may require specialized treatment if addiction develops.
What is Prescription Drug Addiction?
Prescription drug addiction often starts by misusing a legally prescribed drug. Misuse of a prescribed drug simply means using a medication in a way that is inconsistent with the prescribing instructions.
Examples of this can be taking more of a medication, such as two pills instead of one, or increasing the frequency at which you take a medication without a doctor’s approval. It can also mean you’ve taken medications that aren’t prescribed to you, such as using someone’s Adderall to focus and study for a big test.
How Do People Become Addicted to Prescription Drugs?
The National Institute on Drug Abuse defines addiction as “a chronic, relapsing disorder characterized by compulsive drug seeking, continued use despite harmful consequences, and long-lasting changes in the brain.” This means that you may be aware of the impact of misusing prescription drugs on your day-to-day life and the lives of those around you, and you find yourself unable to stop. Addiction happens as you adapt to the drug’s physical and pleasurable effects, and you continue to use it to sustain the feelings and stop withdrawals if you are physically dependent.
The behavioral changes and the continued use of a substance despite negative consequences are common to all substance use disorders. Prescription drug addiction is further complicated by issues of tolerance, dependence, and behavioral symptoms, and addiction can develop within weeks to months of regular use depending on the medication and the person. This is in addition to pre-existing conditions which may still need to be treated without the use of potentially addictive medications.
Signs of Prescription Drug Addiction
Biological factors can increase the risk of addiction. Genetics can make up between 40-60% of the risk of becoming addicted to prescription drugs. In addition to genetics, brain development is believed to play a critical role in addiction, with addictive behaviors tied to developmental challenges.
Environmental and psychological factors can also increase these odds. Certain risk factors can make someone more likely to become addicted to drugs, such as aggressive behavior as a child, the presence of community poverty, close exposure to drugs as a child, and access to prescription medications. Exposure to drugs at a young age is believed to be tied to increased addictive behaviors.
Risk Factors For Prescription Drug Addiction
Biological factors can increase the risk of addiction. Genetics can make up between 40-60% of the risk of becoming addicted to prescription drugs. In addition to genetics, brain development is believed to play a critical role in addiction, with addictive behaviors tied to developmental challenges.
Environmental and psychological factors can also increase these odds. Certain risk factors can make someone more likely to become addicted to drugs, such as aggressive behavior as a child, the presence of community poverty, close exposure to drugs as a child, and access to prescription medications. Exposure to drugs at a young age is believed to be tied to increased addictive behaviors.
Short and Long-term Effects of Prescription Drug Addiction
One of the challenges of prescription drugs is that there is such a wide array of types of drugs. Because of this, the short- and long-term effects of prescription drugs can be grouped into specific drug classes, as the drugs within each class act in a similar manner.
Opioids
Opioids are among the most likely drugs to be abused. These drugs are often used to treat pain, and are ripe for abuse because physical dependence can develop quickly. Opioids are responsible for many overdose deaths within the United States, as many opioids (including the highly dangerous fentanyl) are added to many substances without the purchaser knowing about their presence.
Depressants
Anti-anxiety drugs (such as Xanax and Klonopin) are meant to calm anxiety or promote healthy sleep. These drugs may cause euphoria and relaxation while also slowing heart rate or breathing, leading many people to abuse them to experience those effects.
Stimulants
Stimulants are drugs that make your body work faster, speed up various systems, and enhance focus and attention. These are often misused to increase focus, study, or stay awake.
Prescription drug abuse can also lead to long-term health challenges, as someone who is addicted to drugs faces a very high risk of death from an overdose or painful withdrawal symptoms. Evidence suggests that addiction to prescription drugs can cause an array of long-term physical challenges, including an elevated risk of kidney, heart, and liver malfunction (depending on the type of medication and the length of time spent in a state of physical dependence).
Does Prescription Drug Use Cause Mental Health Conditions?
The answer tends to vary from individual to individual. People with existing emotional or mental health conditions may self-medicate with and abuse prescription drugs. At the same time, it is also notable that many people who become addicted to prescription drugs do not have any existing mental health conditions until developing an addiction. But may then develop any number of disorders, like depression. Individuals should enroll in treatment programs with integrated dual-diagnosis treatment that address both addiction and co-occurring mental health conditions.
Treatment for Prescription Drug Addiction is Available at Crystal Lake Recovery
Prescription drugs can be extremely difficult to stop, particularly if you try to stop using them on your own. It can also be dangerous to stop benzodiazepines without medical supervision, such as in a detox or treatment program. Withdrawal is unpredictable and can lead to seizures which may result in death.
Finding treatment can begin with a call to Crystal Lake. Treatment options include detoxification, inpatient treatment, and partial hospitalization programs (PHPs). Our team of professionals will develop an individual treatment plan for you, which will be assessed and adapted as your needs change. Crystal Lake is grounded in evidence-based practices, and our unique approach to treatment can start your recovery. Contact us today to learn how we can help you.
Prescription Drug Addiction FAQs
How Does Prescription Drug Addiction Develop?
Many people become addicted to prescription drugs by accident, over the course of taking them for legitimate medical needs. They may develop a physical tolerance to the drugs and need a higher dose to feel any kind of effect. They may experience unexpected euphoric effects from taking the drug, and thus take more than is recommended.
What If I Need to Keep Taking Prescription Drugs?
If you initially began using prescriptions for a medical condition (such as chronic pain), it’s still important that you seek out help for addiction. At addiction treatment centers like Crystal Lake Healing, professionals will work with you to find the right medical team to help manage your pain without using substances.
How Do I Help a Friend or Family Member with Prescription Drug Addiction?
It’s difficult to see a loved one who is struggling with a substance use disorder. When you talk to your loved one about seeking help for addiction, speaking to them privately when they are not high or feeling withdrawals is helpful. Try and use “I” statements about how their drug use is impacting you. If they are receptive, have the name and number of a doctor, facility, or inpatient rehab program ready to discuss treatment options.
Does insurance cover treatment for prescription drug addiction?
The Affordable Care Act requires that health insurance companies in the Marketplace offer addiction and mental health coverage. The coverage levels vary, and there may be restrictions on which inpatient facilities one can select for treatment.
What are Tolerance and Dependence?
If you are addicted, you may have an increased physical tolerance to the drug. This means your body has ingested so much of a substance that you need higher doses to get the same effect. Tolerance itself does not automatically mean that someone has an addiction. Dependence means that you cannot function in your day-to-day life without experiencing the effects brought on by whatever prescription drug you are taking.
Is Withdrawal From Prescription Medications Dangerous?
Many prescription drugs can cause dangerous (or even deadly) withdrawal symptoms if someone abruptly stops taking them. Fortunately, there are medications and treatment protocols available to help manage withdrawal symptoms.
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Medical Disclaimer: Crystal Lake Healing uses fact-based content about recovery treatment, addiction medicine, and behavioral health conditions in order to improve the quality of life for those struggling with drug and alcohol addiction or mental health disorders. While the information provided is researched and reviewed by licensed medical professionals, it is not intended to replace professional medical guidance, diagnosis, care, or treatment. This information should not be used as a substitute for advice from a qualified healthcare provider and/or your physician.