Prescription Drug Abuse

Prescription drug abuse is on the rise in the United States. Most people underestimate the affect that prescription drugs have on their brain activity as well as their whole body. The most commonly abused classes of drugs (according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse) are pain killers or opioids, drugs that depress the central nervous system (sleeping pills, anti-anxiety medications), and stimulants (like those used for the treatment of obesity, ADHD, and narcolepsy).

Long term use of any of these drugs can lead to physical dependence. Other health problems also occur. For example, long term use of stimulants can lead to paranoia, heart problems and issues with regulating body temperature.

In 2007 the NIDA funded a study to see if people were using such prescription medications for non-medical reasons. The answer for ages 12 and above was startling. Kids in the 8th grade were shown to abuse pain killers like Vicodin and OxyContin for non-medical purposes. As the kids get older the statistics go up on abuse.

Society may have been quite complacent about the use of prescription drugs. There is a mindset that if the doctor gave them to you then it is okay to use them for whatever reason you like. The problem of course is the addictive nature of the substances.

Once a person realizes that they have an addiction and wants to overcome the addiction it is important to not stop taking the drug abruptly. Patients should talk to their doctor about the best way to stop the medication so that the addiction can be overcome. The physician may recommend a drug treatment facility or in some cases they may prescribe methadone to help curb the craving for the drug and help the user get over their addiction.