Prescription Drug Abuse in New Bedford, MA

When most people think about drug addiction and abuse, they immediately jump to thoughts of illegal substances. However, prescription drug abuse is also a major concern in this country. In fact, prescription drug abuse is so rampant that in many areas it has surpassed all illicit drugs in the number of people who are suffering from the problem.

Prescription drug abuse can be defined as any use of a prescription drug outside of its explicit medical purpose. In other words, if a person is consuming a drug for any reason, in any amount, or in any way that they were instructed to by a doctor, then they are engaging in prescription drug abuse.

While this may not seem like a major problem to many people, the reality is that prescription drugs can be just as dangerous and deadly as the illicit drugs sold on the streets when they are not taken correctly. The Centers for Disease Control reported that prescription drugs cause 45 percent of all of the drug overdose deaths in the nation. The most deadly illegal substances (heroin, meth, and cocaine) combined, on the other hand, account for a mere 39 percent of overdose deaths.

Prescription Drug Addiction and Dependence

Among the biggest issues with prescription drug abuse is the possibility that it can lead a person to develop a prescription drug addiction and dependence. Prescription drug dependence is a form of physical addiction to a drug. It occurs when the brain changes its structure and the way it functions to better tolerate the drug being in the body on a regular basis. In order to function normally, the brain will rely on the drug for certain signals to trigger neurotransmitters and hormones to action.

An addiction is slightly more complicated by includes that physical dependence that a person develops. When a person is addicted to prescription drugs, they are not able to stop consuming that drug even when faced with the negative impacts this drug use is having on their health, life, and relationships. The mental and emotional factors that led a person to abuse prescription drugs play a major part in their addiction.

. Some of the major signs of a prescription drug addiction include:
. Lying about how much of a prescription has been consumed or having lost it
. Seeking out the same prescription from multiple doctors
. Losing interest in relationships and activities that were previously important
. Frequently appearing to be under the influence
. Suffering withdrawals when not consuming the substance

Getting Help is Important

In order to overcome your addiction to prescription drugs, it is necessary to see out the care of a professional addiction treatment program. Going it alone and trying to detox and recover without help is almost never successful and rarely leads to long-term abstinence according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

If you are suffering from a prescription drug abuse problem or addiction, you are not alone and help is available. Contact New Bedford Drug Treatment Centers at (508) 645-6878 as soon as possible to begin your recovery process.