Fact Sheet on Prescription Painkiller Addiction

The addiction to painkillers first starts when the original prescription you were given no longer works. This occurs because your body has become tolerant to the drug and needs more of it to achieve the same effect. Some things that may put you at risk for prescription drug rehab are things like having a history abuse of alcohol or drugs, or having a family member who has had an addiction to alcohol or drugs. Addiction seems to have a genetic part that can turn the body's tolerance for the painkiller into an addiction to it. Additionally, if you change your prescription or add other drugs to it, you can quickly sink into painkiller addiction.

The Canyon is a rehab facility that provides patients with the tools that they need to recover from their addictions and go on to lead healthy, normal lives. A highly trained and certified team of staff and therapists oversee this journey, and by using a combination of traditional and nontraditional techniques and therapies, they give patients the very best chance of success possible.

Prescription Painkiller Addiction on the Street

Painkillers are notorious street drugs because people routinely like to grind them up into a powder form and take them that way. This short-circuits the time delay feature of painkillers, and makes their effects more immediate, which leads to more drug abuse. Some drugs, like OxyContin, attempt to get around this problem by having properties such that people can't break the time-release properties of it, but most painkillers can still be taken advantage of.

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When a Family Member is Addicted to Prescription Painkillers

There is evidence for familial abuse of painkillers, and it's good to know what this evidence is. When abuse is suspected, the abuser's doctor should be notified, and they may refer you to a specialist who deals with addiction treatments. There are various treatment options available, including outpatient and inpatient procedures.

For evidence that family members are addicted to painkillers, look for changes in their behavior, getting more painkillers than they were prescribed and watch out for them mixing the drugs with other drugs or alcohol, as this could be fatal. Taking painkillers with alcohol is a big problem, since there can be deadly consequences to mixing the two. Never, under any circumstances, should you combine alcohol with painkillers.

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Prescription Pain Killer Overdose

Although it is easy to overdose on painkillers such as Vicodin, it takes a lot of drugs in order to do so, especially given the differences in peoples' body weights and how their bodies react to drugs. Some patients try to commit suicide by overdosing on prescription painkillers, but in general they are people who have had a history of depression. Sometimes, this depression can stem from a history of pain, so people who have experienced pain for significant periods of time should be treated in a multidisciplinary drug treatment center, like The Canyon.

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Prescription Painkiller Addiction Treatment at The Canyon

At the core of The Canyon is our Healing Life Program, designed to help patients develop positive relationships with themselves and awaken an authentic relationship with their lives. Staff and therapists help patients accomplish this by guiding them a series of traditional and nontraditional therapies and treatments that are designed to help the patient recover from their addiction physically, mentally and emotionally. At The Canyon, your wellbeing is our priority. Contact us at today!

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