A prototype of a drug addict would probably be someone seen in the corner of the streets. They are always looking cautiously around, doing anxiety-related behaviors, yet very discrete with these behaviors. These individuals are most of the time being avoided by people passing by. They are also being seen as an outcast in the society they belong. It is a common fact that the acquiring of drugs are done secretly.
However, if we come to realize, addicts also come from those who normally participates in the cycle of society. These people could be your own babysitter, the newspaperman, the bagel man, or even taxi driver who drives you everyday to work. Like almost everyone, these people are those who purchase prescribed drugs in pharmacies. Yes. Prescription drugs could be as dangerous as any illegal drugs. People who buy drugs at the pharmacy might be as addicted to certain drugs as to those who discretely buy illegal drugs from drug dealers in the corners of every street.
Prescription drug serves its purpose when it is prescribed by the doctor to the patient in order to treat any health-related problems. Other than that, what we did not see coming was that these prescription drugs have the probability to cause dependency and addiction. Last 2007, Americans who abused prescription drugs has reached 7 million. Furthermore, it is a fact that prescription drug addiction also exists in other parts of the world and not just in America.
We might think that nobody is safe from addiction, even someone who has been prescribed with a drug by a medical professional. On the other hand, we ought to recognize that if used properly, these drugs need not be addictive. It is when we take more than what is prescribed that we are more likely to be a candidate for prescription drug addiction.
Opioids, depressants, and stimulants are the three types of commonly abused prescription drugs. This is according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Opioids are given to individuals who suffer chronic pain. Opiods do not just take away the feelings of pain but they also cause euphoria. Opioids work by binding to opioid receptors found in the central nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract.
Central nervous system depressants are used to treat anxiety problems, acute stress, and sleep disorders. As depressants, these drugs slow the brain’s ability to function. With long terms and large doses leading to tolerance, the body would need larger doses to attain the “relaxing” feeling caused by the drug. Consequently, this could lead to addiction.
On the other hand, stimulants are the opposites of depressants. These drugs enhance brain activities, augmenting energy, awareness, and alertness, and are used to treat attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and narcolepsy. Stimulants cause the heart rate to increase as well as respiration which can be interpreted by the user as euphoria.
An individual is said to be an addict to the drug when he or she needs larger amount of the drug to attain certain effects. Most often, when their physicians discontinue prescribing the drug, they go “doctor shopping”, asking friends to obtain drugs for them. Now, that patient becomes an addict. Most of the time, elder people are the ones vulnerable to prescription drug abuse. They did not will it. Unfortunately, they just have a tendency to be prescribed with added medications than the younger ones. The major cause of the increase in the occurrence of prescription drug abuse is still unknown. However, it cannot be denied that accessibility of the drug could be a causative factor.
Treating prescription drug would vary depending on the kind of drug the patient is addicted to The needs of the person should also be taken into account. The two main courses of drug addiction treatment are behavioral and pharmacological. Behavioral treatment supports patient to stop drug use and educate them how to function normally even without the drug. Counseling should go hand in hand so as to guide and follow up the patient for any improvement. Medication could also be of great help most especially with opioid addiction.
There is no drug that is free from addiction. A combination of behavioral and pharmacological treatment is a good approach to treat prescription addiction.
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