subject: Why Some Addicts Abuse Prescribed Drugs [print this page] For several years, prescription drugs are used for several purposes like treating illnesses, beating stress and overcoming different types of disorders. Despite its importance, prescription medications has been widely abused and misused by drug addicts. At present, addiction to prescription medicines is the most severe form of addiction among the other types of drug addiction.
Prescription medications addiction became a prime health concern in the United States. Why is prescription drug addiction considered dangerous compared to adulterous drugs? It is dangerous because it can lead to death among drug addicts. Due to the detrimental effects of prescription drugs to the physiological, mental and psychological health of drug addicts, addicts are taken to drug treatment centers for treatment.
Statistics About Prescription Medications Addiction
Statistics show that approximately 7 million individuals use prescription drugs for non-medical intentions and approximately 10% are used illegally. Addiction to prescription drugs is common among individuals aged 12 to 25 years old. If these drugs are controlled and prescribed, then why is it abused? Addiction to these medicines arises because some individuals tend to self-medicate when they have illnesses or ailments.
Contributing Factors To Prescription Drugs Addicton
Normally, prescription drug abuse arises after an individual self-medicate a particular ailment or illness. Some individuals believed that these medications are safe substitute for prescription drugs, thus they use them to treat other illnesses. Once they become used to it, they are already addicted to these medications and become physically dependent to them. Since it is hard to treat this disorder are taken to rehab centers to avail programs for drug rehabilitation.
One of the contributing factors for prescription drug abuse is the easy access to these medicines. Today, you can buy these medicines without prescriptions from doctors. Some individuals even obtain these drugs from relatives, friends or colleagues, while some lie about their ailments to get prescriptions from their doctors. Figures from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) show that approximately seventy percent of individuals see primary care doctors once in two years. Moreover, majority of physicians concentrate on eliminating symptoms by prescribing these medicines. If some individuals fake their illnesses or symptoms to get these medicines, then it would be easy for them to avail these medicines.
Another contributing factor to addiction to prescription medications is the obsession of some people to get quick relief to different kinds of ailments. If they cannot sleep, experienced pain or mentally depressed, they resort to these drugs as quick solution. Moreover, frequent use of these drugs would lead to addiction in time until they reach a situation of no return.
To treat prescription drug addiction, it is advisable to spot drug addiction at its early stages and not to wait for it to worsen. Remember that taking immediate action is the best way to save the lives of drug addicts.
