Prescription Pill Addiction
Prescription pill addiction is a serious problem that affects people of all ages and backgrounds. It is an unfortunate but true fact that some people become addicted to prescription drugs despite taking them as prescribed, while others misuse the drugs intentionally. Either way, the effects can be devastating—not only on the individual but also on their loved ones. That’s why it’s important to understand what prescription pill abuse is and how to treat it at Royal Life Centers’ addiction treatment network.
What Is Prescription Pill Addiction?
Prescription pill addiction occurs following the misuse or overuse of prescription medications. These medications are often prescribed by doctors to help treat conditions such as chronic pain, depression, anxiety, ADHD, and insomnia. However, when they are abused—meaning taken without a doctor’s order or in larger doses than prescribed—they can have dangerous effects on the body and mind.
Common prescription medications are painkillers, stimulants, antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and sedatives.
Can I Become Addicted to My Prescription?
Regardless of whether a medication is prescribed by a physician or purchased on the street, prescription abuse can lead to prescription pill addiction. For instance, if you are prescribed a narcotic sedative but use it as an emotional-pain reliever, you can develop an addiction. The same goes for narcotic-stimulants and narcotic opioids.
Misusing a prescription to avoid distractions or get high while relieving physical pain may seem harmless, but routine abuse can quickly spiral into dependency and addiction.
Prescription Benzodiazepine Abuse
Benzodiazepines are a highly addictive type of prescription medication. Most commonly used to treat severe anxiety and panic disorders, benzos pose a high potential for abuse. This is especially concerning due to life-threatening withdrawal symptoms and side effects associated with benzos. For this reason, benzodiazepines are the most dangerous prescription pill addiction.
Oftentimes, doctors casually prescribe benzodiazepines for case-by-case situations for people suffering from anxiety disorders. Knowing that benzos are highly addictive, it is important to remember that benzo addiction can develop even when the medication is being used as prescribed.
Benzos can produce severe withdrawal symptoms, including:
- Cravings
- Drug-seeking behaviors
- Excessive worry
- Restlessness
- Fatigue
- Irritability
- Avoidance
- Attention deficit
- Muscle aches
- Trouble sleeping
- Panic attacks
- Rage attacks
- Confusion
- Irrational fears
- Psychosis
- Grand mal seizures
The more you use a benzodiazepine, the more you experience the negative side effects during withdrawal. Many treatment professionals consider addiction to prescription and street benzos to be the most difficult to overcome. In fact, unsupervised, abrupt withdrawal from a benzo can lead to psychosis, seizures, and even death.
If I Develop an Addiction to Prescription Drugs, Is It My Doctors Fault?
While it is true that prescription pill addiction is commonly doctor-produced, any addiction is the individual’s responsibility to overcome.
Many people who abuse their prescription meds get caught in the blame game. Unfortunately, the inability to accept responsibility for one’s actions will likely feed inner turmoil. In moments of self-pity, people will often cycle through “why me” thought patterns.
People with a prescription pill addiction often ask the following questions in early recovery:
- Shouldn’t my doctor have warned me?
- Should I have done more research before taking the medication?
- Did my doctor know my prescription is highly addictive?
- Did my doctor have any training in drug addiction?
- Should I have checked my doctor’s specialties before my visit?
- Why did my state’s medical board allow my doctor to write me potentially addictive prescription pills without any education, training, or experience in prescription pill addiction?
- Why did the manufacturer not make it clear how many people have become addicted to these pills?
- Why don’t government legislators change the laws regarding the accessibility of narcotic prescriptions?
- Is my prescription pill abuse my fault?
- Is my prescription pill abuse my doctor’s fault?
While it is completely understandable to experience shock once you fully understand the gravity of your situation, it is important to avoid getting caught up in questions like these. Instead of focusing on why other people failed to inform you of the risks, focus on your recovery.
Treating Prescription Pill Addiction at Royal Life Centers
At Royal Life Centers, our focus is on providing comprehensive care for those struggling with substance use disorder and addiction. We recognize that addiction is a complex disease that requires an individualized approach to treatment and recovery. Our team of compassionate professionals will work with you one-on-one to develop an effective treatment plan tailored to your unique needs and circumstances. Throughout our addiction treatment programs, we offer a full continuum of care that starts at detox and continues into outpatient treatment. We also provide access to recovery support programs, mental health services, and much more.
Recovery Tools For Prescription Pill Addiction
There numerous methods used to help people recover from prescription pill abuse and the countless day-to-day, hour-to-hour, and moment-to-moment situations, scenarios and problems that arise. One such tool is the implementation of the Serenity Mantra.
“Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference”
The fact of the matter is that regardless who is at fault, you have developed an addiction to prescription drugs, which is now your responsibility to change. At Royal Life Centers, we can help.
Entering Treatment For Prescription Pill Abuse
Prescription pill abuse is a serious problem that affects millions of people every year in the United States alone. It can cause severe physical and mental health issues as well as negatively impact relationships if left untreated.
Fortunately, there is help available for those who need it through Royal Life Centers’ network of addiction treatment centers. Our prescription pill addiction programs offer comprehensive treatment tailored specifically toward individuals struggling with prescription pill abuse. In doing so, we work to ensure that each of our guests can achieve lasting recovery from their addiction. We also teach our guests healthy coping skills to help them live healthy fulfilling lives free from substance use disorder.
If you or someone you know suffers from prescription pill addiction please reach out today for help! You don’t have to do this alone – let us help you on your journey towards recovery! Because We Care.
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