2. Types of Prescription Drug Abuse
Siobahn Morse, Executive Director of The National Institute for Holistic Addiction
Studies, explains the types of prescription drug abuse.
What is prescription drug abuse?
Prescription drug abuse is illegal, and it’s defined as taking a prescription by someone
other than for whom it was prescribed or taking it in a way or manner other than the
way it was prescribed to be taken.
For the user, prescription drug abuse is an inexpensive way to change the way that
they feel.
What drugs are commonly abused?
Commonly abused prescription drugs include opioids,
narcotics, and pain relievers such as Oxycodone and
Vicodin.
Other commonly abused prescription drugs include
depressants such as Xanax and Valium and
stimulants such as Adderall and Ritalin.
Who abuses prescriptions drugs?
According to the National Household Survey On Drug Abuse, 36 million U.S. residents
over the age of 12 have abused prescription drugs at least once in their lifetime.
This is a particularly big problem among our young people. There are 2.7 million 12-17
Types of Prescription Drug Abuse 2
3. year olds who report having abused a prescription drug, and nearly 7 million 18-25
year olds report having abused prescription drugs.
How are prescription drugs obtained?
Prescription drugs may be obtained for abuse through unethical medical professionals
who sell prescriptions. There is also something called doctor shopping where a patient
can go from doctor to doctor and have false complaints in order to obtain
prescriptions.
Patients can fraudulently refill prescriptions, and patients can also receive them from
peers and friends.
A common way to obtain prescription drugs for abuse is from the medicine cabinet in
our own home, where they can be taken from someone who has a legitimate
prescription.
How are prescription drugs abused?
Most commonly, prescription drugs come in
tablets or capsules so they can be ingested
or they can be crushed and snorted through
the nose and inhaled through the nose, also
called snorting.
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4. Sometimes the user will mixed the crushed powder and water and inject the solution.
What are the risks of abusing prescription drugs?
The risks of abusing prescription drugs
vary depending on the type of
prescription abused, but these can
include life-threatening respiratory
depression, the risk of cardiac failure,
cardiovascular disease, decreased
heart rate, and a risk of seizure.
Psychological effects of abusing
prescription drugs include paranoia,
social withdrawal and isolation. Those
who abuse drugs by injecting them also run the risk of blood borne disease including
HIV and hepatitis.
Do you have more questions about drug abuse and addiction?
Call our Toll-Free Recovery Hotline
at 1-800-303-2938 or visit our web
site at: http://drugrehabcenter.com
and discover the best treatment
options for you.
Our experienced counselors are
available 24 hours a day to take
your call and get you the help or
information you need. Our drug
rehab center offers a unique and
affordable holistic approach to addiction treatment.
Our holistic addiction and treatment program has helped addicts from all over the
United States, Europe and Canada overcome their substance addictions and achieve
long term recovery. We treat the individual's specific needs, including working with
families.
For more special reports on addiction issues, visit:
http://rehabcentersnetwork.com/addiction-special-reports
Types of Prescription Drug Abuse 4
