Monday, October 1, 2012

Could You Be Addicted To Your Prescription Meds?


This is a huge epidemic currently. Millions of people worldwide are suffering from addiction and do not even know it. They are prescribed a medication for some ailment, then they begin taking and over a short period of time, they become addicted to it.

First, you must realize what position your doctor is in when you first arrive. They are doing their job by listening to you and all of your symptoms, and from there they provide a prescription to help treat you. Once you begin taking it, then it becomes your responsibility to ensure that you are doing so for the mere fact that you have an illness and need it, not for any other reason. Some medications that are given by prescription are easier for patients to fall prey to and become addicted. Some examples are those utilized for treating pain management.

Each year millions of people abuse their pain medications and may not have any idea they are doing it. They do this by taking the medication just as it is directed at first, and then they progress onto taking additional meds for days that they are experiencing severe pain. Once they become aware that they do not become ill as a result of taking more medications, they may enjoy taking them more often to feel some form a "high" sensation. This becomes a habit and within one month a patient can get themselves into a deep and troublesome codependency problem.

Some take it even further, they take too many pills over and over again and they can even be rushed to the hospital to have their stomachs pumped. While many would realize what damages they are doing to themselves and quit, for millions of addicts this cycle continues for years. You may be wondering how they continue to get medications? That's easier now than it ever has been for those seeking them, they can doctor shop or go on the web. Doctor shopping has become a huge issue in the states, it is the act when a patient goes from doctor to doctor until they obtain the prescriptions they want. Using the internet makes it even easier, you can buy medications from other countries and most without a prescription. This is possible by companies providing drugs that are not the real brands, and often they are not even the medication you needed. Some companies get in trouble when the order reaches the customs department, but there are several ones that have a system down and maintain their business from these type of pill addicted patients. Be very careful of these websites, as many of them are not a legal business and you could end up having to answer to the police should you get in trouble for what you have purchased. Stay on medications when you need them versus when you may be bored and just want to escape the real world.

5 comments:

  1. This is another reason I won't let my 11 year old take medicine for his ADHD. I myself was diagnosed at the age of 14 and stayed on Adderall for the next 7 years after. I was extremely addicted to it and it eventually turned me into a different person. It took quite sometime and a lot of help from loved ones to help me fight the addiction and get off the stuff for good.

    ReplyDelete
  2. In Zambia addiction to opiates is quickly rising. Especially in prison.

    ReplyDelete
  3. The post refers to doctor shopping. It is easiest to do when someone does not have health insurance. Since doctor offices are not linked, if someone is just paying out of pocket, there is no way to keep track of how many doctors these people are going to and what prescriptions (and how many) they are on.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Depending on what prescription, if it something addicting like pain killers or a stimulant then I can imagine it would be very easy to be addicted to your prescription meds.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I have a very addictive personality so if I were to be on any of those kinds that were known to be addictive, then I would probably become addicted very easily.

    ReplyDelete