3 Commonly Abused Types of Prescription Drugs

Many people fall into the trap of prescription drugs. You might think that because they are given to you by a doctor they are safe to use at any dose. Unfortunately, this is the way that most people get addicted to them.

What Happens when you Use Prescription Drugs

A few things happen when you start taking prescription drugs.

• The first is that you begin to develop a tolerance to the dose that the doctor gives you. Sometimes your doctor will increase the dose when you ask, other times they will not. Increasing the dose depends on the doctor and the prescription medication.
• The second thing that occurs is that after you develop a tolerance and your doctor does not increase your dose you may wind up with breakthrough symptoms and chances are likely that you will increase the dose yourself. This is where the road to addiction begins.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, there are three main types of prescription drugs that are highly addictive. These drugs are prescription opioids, prescription stimulants, and prescription central nervous system depressants.

Prescription Opioids

Just because a doctor prescribes it, doesn’t meant it’s safe to misuse it.

Prescription opioids are primarily prescribed for pain control. Sometimes doctors will prescribe them after surgery or for chronic pain. Unfortunately, opioids are extremely addictive. Most people who are on prescription opioids become addicted at some point.

These drugs are extremely difficult to stop using. Some people compare the withdrawal as worse than death and attempting to quit on your own usually leads to relapse. Relapse often leads to overdose when you start taking them again.

If you find yourself addicted to opioids, it is important that you seek treatment immediately. To find a treatment center that can help you call 800-487-1890 (Who Answers?) . We can help you find the treatment that you need so you do not have to go through withdrawal alone.

Stimulants

Prescription stimulants are used to treat disorders like ADHD and Narcolepsy. Unfortunately, they are highly addictive and easily abused. The latest trend in prescription stimulants is to take them to improve concentration.

Someone who is not prescribed the stimulant will take it to improve their concentration. Unfortunately, in someone who does not need the stimulant, it can have some unwanted side effects such as psychosis, extreme weight loss, respiratory arrest, and cardiac failure. If the dose is not strictly controlled the risks of these side effects increases.

What are the Most Abused Prescription Drugs?

Central Nervous System Depressants

Central Nervous System Depressants are usually prescribed for insomnia and anxiety. There are three different types of Central Nervous System Depressants that doctors prescribe. These are:

• barbiturates – these are dangerous drugs that doctors use very sparingly because of the risk of overdose. Most doctors only prescribe these drugs when there is no other option to treat insomnia.
• non-benzodiazepine sleep medication – these are prescribed more often for sleep and anxiety than the traditional benzodiazepines. They have less risk of addiction but are still addictive. A few of these drugs have some interesting side effects such as sleep walking, sleep eating, and other dangers.
• benzodiazepines – benzodiazepines are mostly prescribed for anxiety. They are highly addictive and have an extreme abuse potential. These are extremely risky when you attempt to stop using them. Like alcohol benzodiazepine withdrawal can kill you.

If you are addicted to benzodiazepines, it is extremely important that you seek medical help to end the addiction. A treatment center is necessary for you to stop using them. Withdrawal from these drugs can kill you. Call 800-487-1890 (Who Answers?) before it is too late.