Prescription Drug Abuse Facts

To begin with the article, it is obvious that we take prescribed medications only when we intend to treat our disease or ailment. That is, we take medications for reasons which are deemed to be medically viable. However, there are some who use prescribed drugs for a purpose far from any type of medical requirement. This is known as prescription drug abuse. This subject of drug abuse involves the use of a drug that has not been prescribed to the user but to someone who actually requires it. For instance, if you have a headache, and you go for a drug that was prescribed to your friend, then it is a drug abuse. But on a serious level, use of such medications to get high, is something severe. The main problem with this kind of abuse is that it is more dominant among teenagers.

Important Information on Improper Use of Prescription Medicines

History
Let us begin with a bit of history. This practice can be ascribed to be as old as the use of medications, which were actually meant to treat and cure various kinds of disorders or illnesses. However, it was in the 19th century, when drug abuse sparked out, and is still on the run, and with an uncontrollable pace. It began with the use of morphine, laudanum and cocaine, and now, painkillers, sedatives for anxiety and sleep disorders, and stimulants for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), have become the common mediums for abuse.

Side Effects of the Abuse
Symptoms and signs surface once the abuse begins in the body. The symptoms depend upon the type of drug that is being abused. According to what experts have been able to identify, there are three classes of prescription drugs that are commonly abused by people, especially teenagers. Below is a table that would put down the types of drugs and their corresponding signs or effects.

Opioid Painkillers
Abuse of opioid painkillers may result in:

• Psychological condition like depression, confusion, etc.
• Digestive disorder like constipation
• Hypotension (also known as low blood pressure)
• The abuser could feel his respiration rate to dwindle

Sedatives and Tranquilizers
Common side effects in this case may include:

• Psychological symptoms like confusion, impaired judgment, etc.
• Gait becomes somewhat unsteady
• Drowsiness
• The person somehow loses his control on the movement of his eyeballs, which move rapidly in an involuntarily manner

Stimulants
When stimulants are abused, the person may suffer from:

• Poor sleep
• Hypertension
• Irregularity in the pulse
• Unintended weight loss
• Increased agitation for no apparent reason

Some Other Side Effects or Symptoms
The above are symptoms which are specific to the types of drugs abused. Here are some more, which are common for other kinds of prescription drugs

• Mood swings (intense than normal)
• Lack of sleep or sleepiness
• Inability to make rational decisions
• Constant feeling of being high (this, however, would be noticed by the people close to the user)
• The user develops a habit to get him medicines prescribed by a multiple of doctors
• In some cases, the addiction becomes so major that the person resorts to stealing these kinds of drugs

Statistics
Speaking of the United States, surveys have reported that kids as young as 12 are known to use prescription drug for recreational purposes. The figure of kids above 12 who are known to abuse, come to a staggering 48 million. Research done on students in 12th grade, showed that about 9.3% of them abused drugs such as Vicodin, and 5% abusing OxyContin (these are known to be strong painkillers, used for treating painful symptoms). Also, the abuse is reported to be more prevalent among teenage girls than in boys. And because of such a widespread abuse, there are 200,000 medical visits to the emergency rooms ever year.

Treatment Plan
According to the types, the nature of treatment is decided. For instance, for opioid painkillers, the withdrawal treatment would take a different route than what would be decided for the sedative withdrawal and likewise for stimulant withdrawal. Drug abuse rehabilitation is also a part of the treatment.

And to conclude, counseling is an extremely important part of the treatment, which also helps in prevention of any drug abuse. This technique helps affected people to identify triggers which have led them to become abusers. More importantly, these sessions also guide them how to overcome situations which might cause them to resort to abuse the drugs again.