Addictive Prescription Drugs Definition

When you’re taking prescription drugs in a way that your doctor didn’t intend, you might be abusing the medications. In some cases, you may be doubling up on a dose to get better effectiveness. But misuse for other reasons can fall under prescription drugs definition. What do you need to know about the practice today?

Which Medications Have a Higher Abuse Potential?

Among the medications fitting the addictive prescription drugs definition, you’ll notice mind-altering drugs. Examples might include stimulants like Adderall and opioids such as OxyContin or Vicodin. A central nervous system suppressant like Valium is another contender. Club cooks putting together Purple Drank, and similar concoctions, use cold medications with codeine and dextromethorphan.

These drugs have a habit-forming quality. It starts slowly with the buildup of tolerance. You feel like you need to take a little more just to get the same effect. Before long, you keep increasing the dosage.

Abuse of Prescription Drugs Definition Identifies Off-Label Routes of Administration

Soon, you feel the need to keep taking the medication just to feel normal. This recognition is particularly jarring for patients using opioid painkillers. They realize that they need to keep taking the drugs only to avoid debilitating opioid withdrawal symptoms. Of course, there are also the individuals who seek to reach a better high with the drugs.

In these situations, an abuse of prescription drugs definition points to the ways that people take the medications. Some pulverize pills and snort the powder. Others liquefy it for injection. Still, others will chew the drugs to achieve a higher, faster, and longer-lasting rush.

Getting Out of an Addiction to Prescription Drugs

Dealing with prescription painkillers, stimulants, or central nervous system depressants is risky. Finding yourself in a cycle of addiction is scary. It doesn’t matter how you got there. What matters now is that you see a way out.

At good-quality rehab facilities, you have the opportunity to overcome the physical and psychological facets of the habit. You work with intake counselors who help shape a treatment plan based on your needs. Possible modalities include:

• Detox programs that provide pharmacological support to counteract the pain and intense discomfort of withdrawal symptoms
• Dual diagnosis treatment that offers treatment to program participants with underlying mental health conditions
• Evidence-based therapy approaches that help you to uncover the reason for using and finding ways to handle life without it
• Group therapy sessions to provide a means for building self-esteem and compassion for others
• Holistic treatment, which includes exercise, meditation, nutritional counseling, and experiential therapies

You can leave the vicious cycle of prescription drug abuse behind. Don’t risk your life another day while using. Contact the compassionate therapists at Beaches Recovery for assistance. Dial 866.605.0532 today.