photo credit: wonker

An addiction to prescription drugs can feel like it comes from out of nowhere.  At one point, you are managing pain from a car accident.  A few months later, you are using three times your usual dose and seeing multiple doctors just to keep up with your ever growing need for pills.  How did your life turn upside down so quickly?  Prescription drug addiction is more common and easier to fall into than many people think.

Common Addictive Prescription Drugs

Prescription drugs that tend to be addictive come in three basic forms.  Central Nervous System (CNS) depressants slow the nervous system down.  These include drugs like Xanax, Valium, and Nembutal (for insomnia).  CNS stimulants include Ritalin and Dexadrine, which have an amphetamine base.  Narcotic analgesics are used to treat severe pain, also making you sleepy and slowing down the respiratory system.  Some commonly used drugs include Vicodin and Oxycontin. 

How Prescription Drug Addiction Can Develop

The prescription drugs described above are quickly addictive and can cause a medical emergency if the drugs are stopped suddenly without medical supervision.  Often times, a prescription drug addiction occurs because there is no specific “exit plan” for getting off the medication or the doctor’s instructions aren’t followed exactly. 

This kind of addiction can strike down stay-at-home moms recovering from a car accident, highly achieving executives with attention problems, or energetic productive citizens recovering from painful surgery.  Not every person who is prescribed painkillers or stimulants becomes addicted.  However, the potential is there each and every time someone takes these medications in a way that is risky.

Risk Factors for Prescription Drug Addiction

This is a list of possible risk factors for developing a prescription drug addiction.  Notice that anything over-stretching a person’s coping skills, health, or abilities puts them at risk.

Not following doctor’s medication directions exactly
Depression or bipolar disorder
High level of stress, chronic stress
Poor economic conditions
Chronic fatigue/overworked
Poor self esteem, poor social support
Daily use of alcohol
Family or personal history of addiction
Poor health (easy access)
Addictive personality (low self control, high aggression, high risk taking, socially difficult)
Requiring greater and greater doses to feel original pain relief

Prescription Drug Addiction and Dual Diagnosis

Prescription drugs can be highly addictive, especially dangerous when give for mental illness symptoms such as anxiety.  Xanax is such a drug, often prescribed to help people manage severe anxiety.  When abused, Xanax can produce painful harsh withdrawal symptoms and make an anxiety condition worse.  This becomes a vicious cycle - using more drugs to help the anxiety, using more drugs to avoid the awful withdrawal process. 

Prescription Drug Addiction Treatment and Recovery

The Canyon is well equipped to treat individuals with prescription drug addictions.  Few treatment centers offer highly trained professionals prepared to deal with a variety of mental illnesses as well as challenging drug and alcohol addictions.  A person needing prescription drug treatment is especially urged to seek a facility capable of supervising the difficult and medically risky detox process.  The Canyon specializes in a full range of prescription drug rehab services including drug detox, drug addiction treatment, and drug addiction aftercare.  The blog for Meditox of Palm Beach also has a great deal of information about prescription drug addiction. 

Your Reaction and Experience

Have you ever fallen into an addiction with prescription painkillers or medication for mental disorders?  How quickly did your addiction develop?  It’s so easy for prescription medication to start out as a helpful tool and end up a dangerous addiction - I’m interested to hear your story.