Millions of people take prescription drugs as their doctors instruct. However, many of them take more than they should for nonmedical reasons. These are cases of prescription drug abuse. Overall, it’s important to learn more about the medicines people abuse the most frequently and seek treatment for prescription drug abuse in ID.
Understanding Prescription Drug Abuse
Often, people don’t plan to abuse prescription drugs. Instead, they take medicines to treat whatever a doctor prescribes them the medication for. Eventually, they could develop a problem when these medicines are addictive. However, this doesn’t mean there aren’t still millions of cases in which people purposely abuse drugs.
Additionally, prescription drug abuse involves more than taking higher doses or using medicines solely to get high. Crushing pills and snorting or smoking the powder is one example of abuse. Some people also dilute this powder and inject the solution into their veins.
Overall, people abuse a variety of prescriptions. However, there are three prescription drug types people most commonly use.
Central Nervous System Depressants
Central nervous system (CNS) depressants are drugs that doctors prescribe to treat sleep disorders and anxiety. Examples include benzodiazepines such as Valium and Xanax. They could also be barbiturates such as Amytal and Luminal.
Benzos affect the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurotransmitter which decreases brain activity. The result is calming. In addition, barbiturates also treat seizures, but most doctors avoid prescribing them because of their dangerous effects.
CNS depressants will make you feel calm after just a few days of use. However, users often develop a tolerance and need higher doses to achieve similar effects. With continual use, individuals may develop addiction and experience severe withdrawal symptoms if they suddenly stop using.
Opiates and Opioids
Despite access to non-addictive painkillers, doctors still write prescriptions for opiates and opioids. For example, these include codeine, morphine, fentanyl, oxycodone, and hydrocodone.
Overall, these drugs effectively manage pain when people take them as their doctors prescribe. They do so by affecting the opioid receptors in the brain to block pain signals. They also change how people respond to pain.
However, the prescription drug abuse of these painkillers can lead to physical and emotional dependence. Addiction may also develop, and there’s a higher risk for an overdose, which is potentially fatal. In addition, these medicines can be deadly when users combine them with CNS depressants, including alcohol.
Stimulants
Adderall and Ritalin are examples of stimulants. Doctors prescribe them to treat narcolepsy and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
They work for ADHD by increasing alertness and improving concentration. For narcolepsy, these stimulants improve breathing. Some doctors treat depression with stimulants because they provide an effective energy boost.
However, prescription stimulants have adverse effects when people abuse them. For example, they increase blood sugar, heart rate, and blood pressure. In addition, these drugs constrict blood vessels and cause high body temperature.
Treatment for Prescription Drug Abuse in ID
No matter the severity of your substance use disorder, treatment is available for prescription drug abuse in ID. Although treatment differs depending on your drug of choice, detox and addiction therapy work with one another to help you reach lasting sobriety.
In addition, the above medicines can cause painful or discomforting withdrawal symptoms if you abruptly stop using them. Some of these side effects could cause life-threatening adverse results. Before quitting, you need to find a detox center in order to safely go through withdrawal.
Counseling is a necessary step after detox because you can’t stay sober unless you learn why you began using in the first place. Then, you’ll learn your triggers and develop skills to remain abstinent. Therapeutic methods for prescription drug abuse in ID include group and family counseling as well as one-on-one therapy.
Overcome Prescription Drugs with Zelus Recovery
Are you a teen or young adult actively abusing prescription pills? Are you the parent of someone with an addiction? Fortunately, if you live in Idaho, Zelus Recovery can provide CNS depressant, stimulant, and opioid addiction treatment. Our diverse programs include:
In addition, Zelus Recovery offers a family program that includes multi-systemic therapy. This approach addresses all environments that impact teen and young adult behavior, including home and school. This program also improves how each family member communicates to avoid conflict and rebuild important relationships.
Don’t risk your bright future. Get help for abusing prescription drugs at Zelus Recovery in Meridian, Idaho. Call us now at 208.518.0797 to begin treatment.
