What makes prescription drugs addictive




















When individuals snort or inject this opioid, they are getting much more of the drug in one dose than the manufacturer intended. Bring an end to the vicious cycle of drug addiction and begin finding your authentic self… starting today. Accessed 5 June November Accessed 4 June Get help now. Call Us Text Us. We know this is hard, you are not alone. Chat with a specialist Or call us, it's free and private But addiction is far more common with prescription medications such as sleeping pills and tranquilizers.

Drug dependence, which can be psychological or physical, is an uncontrollable desire to experience the pleasurable effects of a drug or to prevent the unpleasant effects of withdrawal. Your body can build up a tolerance to a drug so that the dose must be increased to achieve the same results. This effect is called drug tolerance.

It is characteristic of most commonly abused drugs, including alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine. Commonly abused prescription and over-the-counter medicines include opioids such as hydrocodone Vicodin and oxycodone OxyContin, Percocet , sleep medicines such as zolpidem Ambien and eszopiclone Lunesta , and stimulants such as methylphenidate Concerta, Ritalin.

When a person becomes physically dependent on a prescription medicine, the body has adapted to the drug's effects so much that stopping it causes withdrawal symptoms. The only way to get free of it is to slowly use less and less, under a doctor's supervision, to prevent severe symptoms of withdrawal.

In a small number of people particularly those who have addiction problems with other substances , addictive behavior can develop during treatment with narcotics or tranquilizers. In these circumstances, supportive counseling combined with careful monitoring of prescribed dosages may be necessary to prevent addiction. Prescription drugs are often strong medications, which is why they require a prescription from a doctor or dentist.

There are three kinds of prescription drugs that are commonly misused:. Prescription drug misuse has become a large public health problem, because misuse can lead to addiction, and even overdose deaths. Every medication has some risk for harmful effects, sometimes serious ones.

Doctors and dentists consider the potential benefits and risks to each patient before prescribing medications and take into account a lot of different factors, described below.

When prescription drugs are misused, they can be just as dangerous as drugs that are made illegally. In the brain, neurotransmitters such as dopamine send messages by attaching to receptors on nearby cells. The actions of these neurotransmitters and receptors cause the effects from prescription drugs.

Each class of prescription drugs works a bit differently in the brain and can cause actions similar to some illegal drugs:. Learn more about how the brain works and what happens when a person misuses drugs. Prescription drugs can help with medical problems when used as directed. However, whether they are used properly or misused, there can be side effects:.

In addition, misusing over-the-counter drugs that contain DXM an ingredient in cold and cough medicines can also produce very dangerous effects. Read more about misuse of cough and cold medications.

Misusing any type of drug that causes changes in your mood, perceptions, and behavior can affect judgment and willingness to take risks—putting you at greater risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases STDs.

Yes, more than half of the drug overdose deaths in the United States each year are caused by prescription drug misuse.

Overdose deaths involving prescription drugs—including pain relievers, benzodiazepines and antidepressants—increased steadily throughout the s, peaked in and then decreased steadily in and Increases were linked to a rise in the misuse of prescription opioid pain relievers, as well as the presence of fentanyl in the drug supply.

This pleasurable sensation, combined with the addictive nature of opioid medication, can quickly trap you in cycle of continued abuse and addiction. Different types of prescription opioids include:.

You may be prescribed prescription opioids if you are experiencing moderate to severe pain, which can result from an injury, a chronic condition, or in the aftermath of surgery. These drugs can also improve mood and reduce fever. The strength of these drugs means that using them recreationally is particularly dangerous, with fatal overdose a very real possibility. Priory deliver expert addiction treatment and rehabilitation. To find out how we can help you to get your life back on track, call us today on or enquire online.

These types of prescription drugs may be prescribed to you if you have been struggling with anxiety , panic attacks , seizures and certain other psychiatric and medical conditions. Benzodiazepines are known to cause individuals to feel calm, serene, and relaxed - feelings which can be highly addictive to some people, and which can lead to the development of a harmful benzodiazepine dependency.

Different types of prescription benzodiazepines include:. Stimulants are typically prescribed in the treatment of conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD , and narcolepsy, which is a disorder that is characterised by uncontrollable episodes of deep sleep. Prescription stimulants are designed to increase attention, energy and alertness, and they do this by increasing the activity of various chemicals in the brain, including dopamine.

Different types of prescription stimulants include:. Given the wide variety of chemicals that are present in prescription medications, the dangers of misusing them can range from mild discomfort to irreversible damage, addiction and even death. If you become addicted to a prescription drug, which can happen quite quickly with certain medications, you will lose the ability to control how much of the drug that you take and how often you take it, which can cause your addiction to worsen over time and have an increasingly detrimental impact on your health, wellbeing and quality of life.



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