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Prescription Drug Treatment

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Prescription drug addiction is a big problem that affects many people and since the drugs are prescribed many do not think they have an addiction. If person craves the prescribed drug or needs to have it to function then they are an addict. Just because a doctor prescribes the drug it does not mean that they will not become addicted or feel the symptoms that come with addiction. There are both physical and psychological effects to prescription drug addiction and they will depend on the type of drug that is being taken, as there are many. One of the main dangers of prescription drug addiction is that since users may not know they are addicted with a false sense of security with being on a prescribed drug they can combine them with alcohol or other drugs, which can bring about serious problems.

There are several types of prescription addiction treatment centers that can help people that see they have a problem and want to kick their addiction to prescription drugs.

Prescription Drugs Overview

While almost every kind of prescription drug can be abused there are some kinds that are abused more than others. These types of drugs are opioids (painkillers), stimulants, and central nervous system (CSN) depressants (antidepressants).

Opioids are basically pain relievers and are also called narcotic analgesics. They are taken for the reduction of pain and are not to be taken for an extended period of time. They are a type of prescription drug that can be taken by injection and orally. There are many types of opioids, but the ones that are most commonly abused for people that suffer from prescription drug addiction are Vicodin, OxyContin, and Demoral.

CSN depressants are basically antidepressants are prescribed to people that have anxiety, have trouble sleeping, have panic attacks, or are depressed. These types of drugs give a person a relaxed and calming effect and the most common types of CSN depressants are Valium, Xanax, and Nembutal.

Stimulants are prescribed to help people who have problems such as depression, asthma, and especially ADHD and ADD. People that take stimulants feel more alert and their attention span is enhanced and these types of increased feelings can become addictive. Stimulants are also taken for weight loss. The most common stimulants that are abused are Ritalin, Straterra, and Adderrall.

Physical Effects of Prescription Drug Addiction

Just because a physician prescribes a drug it still affects a person’s brain the same way as other types of illicit drugs, such as heroin and cocaine, do. Taking prescription drugs can alter the chemicals in the brain and can lessen the chemicals produced in the brain that are needed to work in a normal fashion. If a person’s brain does not produce these chemicals they have to get it from somewhere else and this is when prescription drug addiction occurs. The user will feel better when they are on the prescribed drug so they will take it more than they should and in bigger doses. Prescription drug addiction will bring about different physical effects depending on the drug that is abused. However, many of the common effects are having trouble sleeping, withdrawal symptoms when stopping using the drugs, sudden weight loss, and increased heart rate.

Psychological Effects of Prescription Drug Addiction

The psychological effects of prescription drug addiction can be harder to see in a user, but the more extreme the addiction is the more the effects can be seen. This is also the case in physical effects of taking prescription drugs. Some of the more common types of psychological effects are anxiety, mood swings, depression, loss of interest in things that were important to the user, and even hallucinations in extreme cases.

Types of Prescription Drug Addiction Treatment

There are different types of prescription drug addiction treatment centers depending on how extreme the user’s addiction in and what type of drug the user is addicted to. Sine there are so many types of prescription drug addictions it is a good idea for a user that wants to get help to speak with a professional drug treatment counselor so they can get the right type of prescription drug addiction for their specific situation.

There are both inpatient and outpatient prescription drug addiction treatment centers and each has their advantages. If a user has an extreme addiction they should look into inpatient prescription drug addiction treatment centers. With an inpatient treatment program a user will not be able to get the prescription drugs, as they will not be able to leave the center. Also, if a person has to go through the detoxification process, which happens more with opioids’ addiction, a user can get medication in order to relive the pain of the withdrawals and make the process much easier. Inpatient prescription drug addiction treatment centers will couple medical services with behavioral treatment.

Outpatient prescription drug addiction treatment is more counseling and behavioral treatment and it can be in group sessions or one on one sessions. The person can really get to the root of their drug problem, which makes it less likely that they will relapse. While outpatient treatment can be a great option for many users it is not the best course of action if the person lacks willpower or has a more extreme addiction. Outpatient treatment has many advantages, as it can give people managing tools for their addiction and other valuable insights, but since the person can go home it makes it easier for them to get prescription drugs. Also, a person will not be able to take advantage of a professional medical staff or get medication for withdrawal symptoms with outpatient treatment.

How Prescription Drug Addiction Treatment Centers help Individuals Overcome Addiction

Prescription drug addiction treatment centers can not only help users get off the drug, but decrease the chance that they will suffer a relapse. Overcoming prescription drug addiction is not simply stopping the use of the drug, but also staying off the drug. For example, just because a person goes through the detoxification process and rids their body of the prescription drug they are not out of the woods. They will need help in order to curb their cravings for the drug and this is when behavioral treatment and counseling is of great help. Kicking a prescription drug addiction is very difficult, but prescription drug addiction treatment centers can make it much easier and more importantly increase the chance that a person will not suffer a relapse.