Prescription medication abuse is a serious issue affecting people from all walks of life. By recognizing the signs and symptoms and seeking help early on, it’s possible to overcome addiction and achieve long-term recovery through a prescription drugs rehab program. If you or a loved one is struggling with prescription drug abuse, reach out to Elevate Rehab today to learn more about our holistic rehab approach to drug addiction treatment and how we can help. The pathway to prescription drug addiction is complex and multifactorial, without a singular cause at its root. Genetics certainly play a central role; there’s often a familial pattern where addiction runs in families, though the exact genetic markers remain unidentified.
How many people have a prescription tranquilizer or sedative use disorder?
All of us, including parents, consumers, the medical community, law enforcement, and all levels of government have a role to play in reducing prescription drug abuse. Prescription drug abuse is when you take a medication for a reason other than why the doctor prescribed it. Experts estimate that more than 18 million people ages 12 and older have used prescription drugs for nonmedical reasons in the previous year.
Call Today to Find Jacksonville, FL, Addiction Treatment
Thomas has been in the Santa Cruz area his whole life and is proud to serve his community in fighting addiction one client at a time. For the first week or so, she calls daily to provide updates during the detox process and then weekly during the entirety of the program. She thrives on providing families a warm and friendly connection to their loved ones treatment process which in turn helps not only the families, but our clients. The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Since the early 1990s, doctors have been prescribing many more opioid painkillers such as codeine, hydrocodone, morphine (Astramorph, Avinza, Kadian, MS Contin, Oramorph SR), and oxycodone (OxyContin, Percocet, Vicodin). This is partly because of the rising age of the U.S. population and because more people are living with long-term pain.
Beta-Blockers and Your Memory
Outpatient rehab treatment might suit you well if you are looking for a less restricted format for addiction treatment or simply need help with mental health. Rehab care is a good option if you are at risk of experiencing strong withdrawal symptoms when you try stop a substance. This option would also be recommended if you have experienced recurrent relapses or if you have tried a less-intensive treatment without success. Know that the number of drugs you’re taking could be affecting your memory as well. Taking multiple medications — a practice known as polypharmacy — has been linked to lower memory function in older adults, as well as an increased risk for delirium. Additionally, patients should properly discard unused or expired medications by following U.S.
- If you or someone you love is struggling with prescription drug misuse, a prescription drug treatment program can provide the support and guidance needed to break free from addiction safely.
- Further to that psychological aspects are deeply intertwined with prescription drug addiction.
- Prescription drug abuse is widespread in the United States, with 5.1% (or about 14.3 million people) reporting misusing a prescription psychotherapeutic drug in 2021.
- Our Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) and Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) are integrated programs in which you apply the skills gained in residential treatment as you transfer back into your home environment.
- On a regular basis, Matt collaborates with Elevate’s President, CEO, COO & Clinical Director to evaluate, plan and monitor program objectives and requirements.
- For a comprehensive understanding of specific withdrawal symptoms and their severity levels, please refer to the detailed breakdown below.
While it can be difficult to recognize when someone is struggling with prescription drug abuse (especially if they are hiding their usage), there are some common physical, emotional, and behavioral signs that may indicate a problem. It’s important to note that these signs may vary depending on the specific drug being abused and the individual’s reaction to it, and it’s always critical to approach the situation with empathy and understanding. Preventing or stopping prescription drug abuse is an important part of patient care. However, health care providers should not avoid prescribing or administering strong CNS depressants and painkillers, if they are needed.
It’s possible but not common to become addicted to or dependent on opioids when you use them for a short time or under a doctor’s close watch. But when you take them for a long time, they can lead to drug abuse, dependence, and addiction. Follow these steps to help prevent your teen from abusing prescription medicines.
Antiseizure drugs
Changes in routes of administration also contribute to the abuse of other prescription medications, and this practice can lead to serious medical consequences. Experts believe that “medication-assisted treatment” with methadone, naltrexone, or suboxone and cognitive behavioral therapy is the best treatment for most patients who have an opioid addiction. Prescription drugs prescription drug abuse can be especially dangerous — and even lead to death — when taken in high doses, when combined with other prescription drugs or certain over-the-counter medicines, or when taken with alcohol or illegal or recreational drugs. Prescription drug abuse in older adults is a growing problem, especially when they combine drugs with alcohol.
Carrie’s focus is on leading the client to a future where they feel confident and have the ability to make the necessary changes in their life. Elvinesh brings his strong leadership and knowledge of food quality and safety standards from his prior experience as Meat & Seafood Manager for national grocery chains to his current role as Kitchen Supervisor. Elvinesh’s compassion for others and love of food makes for a winning combination to take care of clients from the inside out. There are numerous CNS depressants; most act on Alcoholics Anonymous the brain by affecting the neurotransmitter gammaamino butyric acid (GABA). Neurotransmitters are brain chemicals that facilitate communication between brain cells.
- This dopamine surge produces a “high” that encourages repeated use, potentially leading to dependency or a need to consume higher doses to achieve the same effect.
- These health problems can be life-threatening, particularly if the person is abusing prescription drugs over an extended period.
- We offer a full continuum of substance abuse addiction treatment including detox, residential, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient programs.
- Many people assume that because these medications are prescribed by doctors, they are safe.
- Psychological changes often involve neglecting responsibilities and experiencing strong cravings.
- Individuals addicted to stimulants may face withdrawal symptoms such as cravings, anxiety, depression and fatigue when trying to cease use.
CNS depressants should be used in combination with other medications only under a physician’s close supervision. Typically, they should not be combined with any other medication or substance that causes CNS depression, including prescription pain medicines, some OTC cold and allergy medications, and alcohol. Using CNS depressants with these other substances particularly alcohol can slow both the heart and respiration and may lead to death.
And for those who have survived an opioid or prescription drug addiction, emotional and mental health problems often linger in their lives, causing ruptures in mental health, self-care, work performance, and interpersonal relationships. 18.4% or 52 million Americans over the age of 12 have deliberately misused prescription drugs at least once in their lifetime. And 5.76% of Americans over the age of 12 currently abuse prescription drugs 1. Depending on the patient’s situation, the first steps in treating prescription stimulant addiction may be tapering the drug dosage and attempting to ease withdrawal symptoms. The detoxification process could then be followed by one of many behavioral therapies.
