Most people take medicines as their doctor prescribes them and only for the reasons for which the medicines were prescribed. But, according to recent government estimates, 16 million Americans over age 12 – fully 20% of our population, have used prescription drugs for non-medical reasons. This is prescription drug abuse, and it is a serious and growing problem.
Abusing some kinds of prescription drugs can lead to addiction. Prescription drugs that have addiction potential include:
Easy access to medical treatment and the ready availability of these drugs, including through Internet pharmacies, are two reasons why prescription drug abuse is rising. Abusers of prescription drugs often take these drugs in combinations and in amounts far in excess of the prescribed dose.
When a person has been abusing several dependence-causing drugs, the detoxification process can become complicated. At Cottonwood Treatment Center, our medical providers have years of experience in safely managing complex detoxification and are able to help our patients to negotiate the withdrawal process safely and with a minimum of discomfort. Once this is done, our treatment team will work with the patient to explore root causes of physical and emotional pain and help them find more adaptive ways of managing distress.
