Prescription Drug Addiction
While most people who are prescribed medication take it only as the doctor intended it to be used, there are those that use the prescription medication for purposes beyond those for which the drugs were intended. Nonmedical prescription drug abuse has risen significantly over the last decade, leading to a rise in emergency room visitation by those who accidentally consumed more of the drug than they meant to, leading to potentially lethal accidental overdoses. People who become addicted to prescription drugs find it difficult to kick this habit without support, so websites such as Milstricevic.com can provide assistance to aid addicts in fighting against this disease. Read on to learn more about the different forms of prescription drugs to which people can become addicted, and learn about the ways these drugs can influence your mind and your body.
There are three classes of prescription drugs that are most frequently abused: stimulants, commonly used to treat such disorders as narcolepsy; opioids, traditionally used in the treatment of pain; and CNS (central nervous system) depressants, which are generally utilized in the treatment sleep disorders or anxiety. When these prescription drugs are used inappropriately, they can have a profoundly dangerous effect on a person's health and well-being. Stimulants raise the blood pressure and the heart rate as well as increasing the blood sugar and constricting the body's blood vessels. Abusing stimulants can create cardiovascular problems as well as abnormally high body temperatures; they are highly addictive and can lead to ongoing drug addiction when misused. Opioids are commonly prescribed to manage pain, and when they are taken as recommended by a physician they are completely safe. However, long-term use of opioids taken without a doctor's supervision can lead to serious addiction, and can become dangerous when taken in tandem with a depressant, such as alcohol or a barbiturate. Taking opioids in any way other than prescribed is a path to addiction. CNS depressants, when used as prescribed, produce a calming effect in those who suffer from anxiety or sleep disorders by suppressing brain activity. As an addict takes these drugs for long periods of time, more and more of the drug is required to produce the desired relaxing effect; like opioids, a CNS depressant mixed with alcohol can be fatal.
Prescription drug use is on the rise, and no one knows for sure what has created this phenomenon. Physicians are prescribing these drugs at a greater rate than ever, so it's believed that the increased availability of the drugs is creating an environment in which these drugs are easily acquired. A simple internet search can unearth any number of online services that will provide these highly addictive drugs for a reasonable fee--young people can acquire them without their parents' knowledge very easily. Another increasingly common occurrence is the theft of prescription medication from parental medicine cabinets; kids raid their mom and dad's prescription stash and combine them with those of their friends' parents. It's recommended that you safely dispose of any unused prescription medication, particularly medication that falls into one of the three categories listed above.