Prescription Drugs Addiction Treatment

Prescription drugs addiction is a long-drawn-out battle in the healthcare field, as many of these addictions come from the relationship between prescriptions issued by physicians and the increased dosage recommendations of pharmaceutical companies when the effects are short-lived, or tolerance has been built. The prescription drug industry is focused on increasing revenue as they push more and more chemical pain relievers, antidepressants, anxiolytics, and more.

Pharmaceuticals as Treatment

These drugs are often created with good intentions as chemists try to find the right combination of chemicals to help reduce reactions in the nervous system that cause pain sensation or balance functions of the brain. For those that experience intense pain after surgery, or suffer from a severe chemical imbalance, these drugs can help them achieve an active and functional lifestyle.

 

Prescription Drugs Can Cause Addiction

Physicians are approached by pharmaceutical vendors all the time to talk about the latest developments that could potentially help their patients overcome debilitating conditions. When a new drug is put on the market to help patients manage their lives at home, a safe dosage is determined based on your metabolic function and your medical history. For those on pain medications, anxiolytics, and anti-depressants, there is a great potential for abuse as one grows tolerant, requiring greater dosages to achieve the desired effect.

For some, pain medications and antidepressants are meant to be taken for a short period. Drugs are only taken until patients recover from surgery, or have come to a place in therapy where they may no longer need those drugs as they can overcome these feelings of depression, loneliness, and fear. Of course, some people can never fully recover from painful sensations in the body or serious chemical imbalances in the brain; those that require long-term use of these drugs are at high risk of developing serious high-dose prescription drug addictions.

Prescription Drugs Detoxification

At The Villa Treatment Center, many of the clients that come to us for rehabilitation from these prescription drug addictions understand that they have an issue. The client knows they have a problem managing their prescription drug use to the proper dosage and need to learn restraint via management skills. This treatment begins with a slow tapering off or complete prescription drug detox, depending on the necessary use. Our psychiatrist or contracted psychiatrist will do a full evaluation for the client to determine the use of antipsychotics, antidepressants, and pain medications.

Therapy Addresses the Core of Addiction

Once the need for the substance is assessed, therapy begins to get to the core of the prescription drug addiction. Often people addicted to these medications rely on the drug not to help manage their life, but to escape the realities of life. Therapy teaches our clients to take a step back and reevaluate the situations they are trying to escape. Instead of trying to run away from something, we should find a way to make the situation better or change our perspective to the given situation. Often, the only thing in our purview to change is our perception. This is an essential part of the 12-Step Modality – letting go of the need to either control a situation or, barring that, completely avoid it.

Therapy will give each client the ability to practice alternative skills that can help them handle uncomfortable situations without the use of these prescription drugs. We teach our clients to be present in the moment, which is the opposite of what they’ve grown accustomed to. We learn that the effects we sought from drugs – whether it’s euphoria, tranquility, or contentment – can be achieved through our interactions with friends, family, and the wonderful experiences that life can offer us. At The Villa Treatment Center, we help our clients see that there is more to life and more to them than they know.

The Most Abused Prescription Drugs by Addicts:

  • Oxycontin
  • Morphine
  • Methadone
  • Vicodin
  • Amphetamine
  • Tranquilizers
  • Ritalin
  • Adderall
  • Narcotics

Understanding the Physical Impact of Prescription Drugs Abuse

In addition to helping our clients work through their addiction to these drugs, we also educate them on the serious repercussions of overusing these prescription narcotics. Prescription drugs can help those in need of chemical balance and decreased pain, but taken in high doses can ruin the nervous system, complicate digestion, and alter the body’s ability to process these drugs which is where tolerance comes from. The physical appearance of someone addicted to prescription amphetamines often becomes worn as they rely on these stimulants to function. Many medical complications can come from the overuse of drugs, and abusing narcotics or opiates can induce higher chances of accidental overdose.

To overcome your prescription drug addiction and finally learn what it’s like to live a full and healthy life, call The Villa Treatment Center to start on your path to recovery.