Prescription Drug Abuse and Addiction

Prescription drug abuse and addiction is a serious and widespread problem that transcends age, race, social class and geographic location. An estimated 20% of Americans used prescription drugs for nonmedical purposes, as reported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH). The growing epidemic of prescription drug abuse presents a very unique set of concerns, including balancing the need for prescription drugs for legitimate health problems and the risks associated with prescription drugs being used for recreational purposes. The availability of prescription drugs has made it easier to obtain and abuse medication. Many times, these prescriptions are being used as alternatives to illegal narcotics or street drugs. In some cases, the dangers associated with the use of prescription drugs for reasons other than those they were prescribed for are not clearly understood. People may assume that because the drug has been prescribed by a licensed physician, they are less harmful or less addictive than illegal narcotics. This is not the case; prescription drugs are equally dangerous and addictive as their illegal counterparts when used for any purpose or in any dosage, other than that directed by a licensed medical professional.

What Are Prescription Drugs?

Prescription drugs are licensed medications prescribed by a doctor to treat certain ailments. A prescription drug is different from over-the-counter medication in the sense that the distribution of these substances is controlled by the medical professionals. While over-the-counter medicines can be obtained without a prescription from a doctor, prescription drugs can only be prescribed by a medical professional. They are not available in stores for consumer purchase. A person in possession of a prescription drug without a prescription in their name from a doctor may be in violation of laws regulating the consumption and distribution of prescription medication.

• Prescription Drug Abuse Overview - A basic overview of prescription drug abuse, including resources discussing what it is and treatment options available.
• White House: Prescription Drug Abuse - Information about prescription drugs and how the US Government is implementing the Prescription Drug Abuse Plan.

How Do People Become Addicted to Prescription Drugs?

Prescription drug addiction is similar to general addiction, as it is considered a chronic brain disease. When the body becomes addicted to a substance, it alters the chemical makeup of the body, making it difficult to function without the drug in the body. To meet the body’s need for the drug and to function, users continue to indulge their drug habit and maintain the body’s new norm.

Since the drugs overpower the brain during addiction, quitting doesn’t just take ‘mind over matter’ intentions; it takes will power, commitment and the intervention and support of family, friends and medical professionals. Biology, environment and development are the three aspects that the experts are dwelling in to determine why some people are so vulnerable to drug addiction.

• NIDA Infofacts: Understanding Drug Abuse and Addiction - Explains why some people develop addiction to drugs. It also discusses on the main aspects involved in drug addiction.
• Family Doctor: Substance Abuse–Dwells on why some people abuse drugs and other substances.

How Are Prescription Drugs Abused?

Unlike illegal narcotics, prescription drugs may be more readily available and can be found in medicine cabinets across the country. It is partially due to this level of availability that prescription drugs have become such a concern. Some prescription drugs have effects that may be sought after as an end result, enticing people to partake of prescription drugs not intended for them. Experimenting with prescription drugs or knowingly ingesting medication not prescribed for you with the goal of reaching a chemical high is considered prescription drug abuse. The feeling of intense highs and lows, similar to those related to illegal narcotics may be attractive to those looking for a high. The high resulting from prescription drugs can be highly addictive and users may view it differently in terms of drug use, because the drugs themselves are not illegal in the same sense as a ‘street drug’. It is also possible for those who have undergone a medical procedure to become addicted to the drugs prescribed to them to manage any pain after their procedure. Drug addiction involving prescription, non-prescription or illegal narcotics are serious and unhealthy.

• Teens Health: Prescription Drug Abuse - An article intended for teens and young adults, providing detailed information on prescription drug abuse and the reasons behind why people abuse such drugs.
• Parents - The Anti-Drug: Prescription Drug Abuse - Includes the types of drugs that are often abused and how they are taken.

What Are the Most Commonly Abused Prescription Drugs?

Prescription drugs can be categorized into three main types. The first type is referred to as opoids. These medications could be pain relievers, diarrhea relief tablets and cough medications. Oxycontin, Vicodin and Demerol are all examples of opoids. The second type is central nervous system (CNS) depressants administered to people who are experiencing anxiety, tension, panic attacks and sleep disorders. Examples of CNS depressants include Nembutal, Valium, and Xanax. The last type is stimulants, some of which are prescribed to treat disorders, like ADHD. Ritalin and Adderall are just few of the medicines that are classified as stimulants.

• NIDA For Teens: Prescription Drug Abuse - Contains a list of prescription drugs and their corresponding street names.
• National Institute On Drug Abuse: Commonly Abused Prescription Drugs [PDF] - Discusses the various types of prescription medication and how they can be administered.

How to Recognize Prescription Drug Abuse & Addiction

There are various signs that indicate prescription drug abuse, including a loss of interest in activities the person was once passionate about, attaching themselves to a different group of friends or becoming recluse. When a person suffers from addiction, meeting the need of that addiction is the most important thing in the addict's world, taking precedence over all other needs and obligations; family, friends, academics, work and hobbies take a backseat to the addiction. A person who is addicted to drugs may also exhibit mood swings, abrupt weight loss, abrupt energy spurts. To feed their addiction, drug addicts may work hard and bring home a steady paycheck, but are consistently borrowing money to meet basic needs. Addicts may get involved in illegal activities in order to obtain fast income and/or drugs. There are more to these basic signs and symptoms explained in the links presented below:

• Langone Medical Center: Prescription Drug Addiction - General information regarding prescription drug addiction causes, risks, symptoms and treatment options.
• The DANA Guide to Brain Health: Substance Abuse and Addiction - Contains a comprehensive definition on what is drug abuse and addiction and how to discover the signs and symptoms.

The Effects of Prescription Drug Addiction

As a result of prescription drug abuse, there are some who experience short-term side effects, while others experience severe withdrawal symptoms when the body does not get the drugs it has developed a need for. Vomiting, dehydration, mood changes, and decreased respiratory functions are a few of the common short-term effects of prescription drugs. Long term prescription drug abuse may also cause heart failure, nausea, seizures, coma, tremors and paranoia.

• UNC School of Medicine: Alcohol and Drugs on Your Health - Discusses the effects of drugs and alcohol to a person’s health. 
• Good Drug, Bad Drug - Case studies and information regarding the use and effects of prescription drug abuse on the body.

Overcoming Prescription Drug Abuse & Addiction

Prevention is the best cure. Avoid taking prescription drugs that were not prescribed for you. In addition, when you’re given a prescription by your doctor, follow the use and dosing information provided on the label.

If you or a loved one displays signs of prescription drug addiction, it is important to consult a medical rehabilitation professional. Addiction is a very hard habit to break. In order to overcome it, an addiction, it is necessary to have a professional monitor the detoxification and rehabilitation process. A medical rehabilitation professional will advise of and provide treatment options in regards to behavioral treatment, pharmacological drug treatment, or both; depending on the specific case.

• US Food and Drug Administration: Avoiding Drug Interactions - Provides tips on how to avoid possible drug problems like abuse and overdose.
• Centers for Disease Control: Prescription Drug Overdose [PDF] - Presents how the States are addressing the problem on prescription drug overdose.