When we think of drug addiction, usually our minds go to people taking pills in nightclubs, snorting lines and someone injecting heroin in a rundown flat. Not all drugs are bad, though, and many people are prescribed medication by doctors.
The problem is that even prescription drugs can be addictive. If you are concerned about being on prescribed medication, then you need to know the prescription drugs that are addictive, what effect they can have and how to get help.
Understanding Prescription Drug Addiction
Prescription drug addiction means that someone is addicted to medication that a doctor can prescribe. It usually develops when someone receives a legitimate prescription from a doctor but starts to abuse the drug.
Taking prescribed medication can be essential for some medical treatments. The addiction element to these drugs only comes into play when they are misused, meaning people take more than they should, start using it recreationally or take it more regularly.
Certain prescribed medications can become addictive because of the effect they have on the body and brain. They can make you feel good and activate the brain reward centre so that you foster physical and mental dependence.
Opioids: Pain Relief with High Addiction Potential
Opioids are a type of drug that is prescribed to help relieve pain. Though extremely useful in this respect, they have a high addiction potential.
Opioid drugs include:
- Codeine
- Oxycodone
- Hydrocodone
- Morphine
They work by the drug binding to opioid receptors in the brain. These receptors affect mood, pain, reward and breathing. They interrupt pain signals but also increase dopamine levels in the brain. Dopamine is the pleasure hormone and helps you feel intense feelings of euphoria.
Tolerance for opioids can develop quickly. You may chase the high they give you, and soon, you become physically and psychologically dependent to function normally.
Benzodiazepines: Anti-Anxiety Medications That Can Lead to Dependence
Benzodiazepines are a type of drug that is a sedative, often prescribed to treat anxiety and insomnia. Common benzodiazepines include:
- Diazepam (Valium)
- Alprazolam (Xanax)
- Lorazepam (Ativan)
These drugs have a calming effect on the central nervous system, making you more relaxed and providing feelings of happiness.
People abuse them by taking more than prescribed or crushing the pills and snorting the powder for a more intense hit. Benzos can be fast-acting, and people chase the relaxed feeling. If you abuse the drug long-term, the effects of it reinforce the habit, and an addiction will develop.
Stimulants: Drugs For ADHD and Their Risk of Abuse
Stimulants are a class of drugs that increase brain and central nervous system activity. This can make you feel more alert, improve focus, and make you more confident and excited.
These types of drugs such as amphetamine-based Adderall and methylphenidate (Ritalin) are commonly used to treat conditions such as ADHD. Nicotine and caffeine are also classed as stimulants.
Stimulants can become addictive as they increase dopamine and norepinephrine levels in your brain, creating an imbalance. With regular abuse of stimulants, your brain will stop producing the same levels of these chemicals on its own, meaning that when you stop, these levels will be reduced.
Stimulant addiction can also occur as a person enjoys the feeling of focus and alertness that the drug gives them, and they want to maintain it.
Sleeping Pills: Sedative Medications and Addiction Risk
Sleeping pills, especially non-benzodiazepine sleep aids such as zolpidem (Ambien) and eszopiclone (Lunesta), have addiction potential.
These types of drugs are used to help with insomnia because they have a sedative effect. They attach to GABA receptors in the brain, inducing relaxation, which helps you fall asleep.
Dependence will develop when you begin to use sleeping pills as a crutch. You begin to rely on them, and your body gets used to them. Your tolerance increases, and you have to take more to get the same effects. You may attempt to stop but develop withdrawal symptoms, so you continue taking sleeping pills to avoid that happening again.
A sleeping pill addiction will develop as you become physically dependent and then psychologically attached as the drug becomes central to your thoughts and actions.
Signs of Prescription Drug Misuse and Addiction
It’s important to confront prescription drug addiction as early as possible. You can do this more effectively by recognising the signs of problematic use.
You should be on the lookout for:
- Taking higher doses than prescribed
- Doctor shopping – visiting multiple doctors to get more prescriptions of higher dosage
- Experiencing withdrawal symptoms
- More aggressive and secretive behaviour
- Increased tolerance
- Mood swings
- Loss of interest in other activities
- Decline in work/school performance
- Slurred speech
- Change in sleep patterns
Prescription drugs cover a wide range of substances, so spotting particular physical symptoms can be hard. Behavioural symptoms such as change in behaviour or neglecting responsibilities are more common across the board and what you should pay particular attention to.
The Risks of Prescription Drug Addiction
There are many dangers associated with addictive prescription medications.
- Risk of overdose: prescription drugs can be abused and overdosed on. An overdose could prove fatal.
- Long-term health damage: prescribed medication can cause long-term damage to your heart, brain, kidneys and liver. The chances of these things happening will only increase the longer the abuse goes on.
- Turning to illegal drugs: if you are finally unable to get prescription drugs legally, you may turn to other means. Many people form a heroin addiction after initially being prescribed opioids and then being unable to get them.
- Mental health: initially, it may seem like drugs are helping your mental health. Addiction creates a vicious cycle with your mental health, and self-medicating these issues will only worsen the problem.
- Impact on relationships: addiction does not only impact you physically and mentally. People around you will suffer from your choices, and soon, you could destroy your marriage and relationships with friends and family. It can be hard to regain trust and may prove impossible, even if you get clean.
How to Seek Help for Prescription Drug Addiction
If you are struggling with prescription drug addiction, it’s important to get professional help. Cassiobury Court offers a range of treatment services that are proven to help people overcome their addiction.
- Detox: this is the process of cleansing your body of harmful toxins. Under the care of medical professionals, you will stop taking drugs and go through withdrawal. Medication may be given to ease withdrawal symptoms and ensure you are as comfortable as possible.
- Therapies: at Cassiobury Court, we emphasise dealing with the root cause of addiction. In individual and group therapy, you will come to understand better your addiction, what your triggers are and how to manage it more healthily.
- Aftercare: long-term support is also available to ensure the work you do with us is not undone with a relapse. Continued group meetings and a personalised plan can help you navigate those stressful initial sober months.
To begin this journey to rehab, you have first to admit you have a problem. This acceptance is the critical first step and must be followed up by reaching out for help. This could be to a friend or relative, or it could be to your GP. You can also contact Cassiobury Court directly to start the journey.
Begin the Recovery Journey Now
Hopefully, you have the answer to the question, “Which prescription drugs are addictive?”
With the information learnt here, the journey to rehabilitation can begin. Prescription drugs are just as dangerous as illicit ones, and we at Cassiobury Court can help you start leading a more fulfilling life.
For more information or to start your recovery journey, call 0800 001 4070 or text HELP to 83222.
