Are Prescription Drugs Less Dangerous?

Prescription drugs are those that are prescribed by a physician such as a psychiatrist that can have serious powerful effects on the mind and body. Prescription drugs have a lower chance of causing harm and when used as prescribed by a doctor. However, when they are not taken as prescribed by a psychiatrists order, then the risk for prescription drug abuse increases dramatically.

In fact, there has been an increasing problem with prescription drug abuse resulting in overdoses (CDC, 2013). The CDC (2013) reports a five times increase of the number of women who died from overdose on prescription drugs. This means that in one year the total of deaths from prescription drug abuse more than tripled. These figures do include people that used prescription drugs to intentionally commit suicide. People who commit suicide are typically experiencing major depression.  People who abuse prescription drugs are often also suffering from major depression.  When depression and drug abuse occur together, this condition is referred to as a dual diagnosis disorder or co-occurring disorders.

Prescription drugs are the second-most abused category of drugs after marijuana. About 70 percent of people who abused prescription pain pills obtained them from relatives or friends and only about 5 percent got them from a drug dealer or over the Internet. Overdose due to opiate drug abuse are now increasingly due to abuse of prescription painkillers. Veterans are also showing increases in prescription drug abuse.  Active duty military members have increased illicit drug abuse from 5% to 12% from 2005 to 2008, primarily due to prescription drug abuse.

Prescription drug abuse of opiods is quite common among women.  48,000 women have died from prescription pain killer overdose in one year (CDC, 2013). The number of women who are addicted to prescription drugs are at a higher risk of over dosing.

Many people think abusing prescription drugs is less dangerous than abusing street drugs.  There are some differences between prescription drugs and street drugs. Prescription drugs have known quantities of active ingredients.  Street drugs have an unknown source and may be “cut” or “laced” with different chemicals not known to the user. This can result in negative effects such as the flesh eating cocaine (Moissee, 2013). However, prescription drug abuse is not less dangerous than other types of drug abuse.

Abuse of prescription drugs can result in drug addiction and require treatment at a drug rehab center. A drug rehab center treats multiple drug addictions including Oxycontin and Vicodin, well-known prescription pain killers that are often prescribed after surgery or for chronic pain.

Prescription drug abuse may result in symptoms as: failure to fulfill major role obligations; use in situations that are physically hazardous; continued use despite persistent family or other interpersonal problems and legal problems. The term drug dependence includes such symptoms as: taking larger quantities than intended; inability to cut down on drug use; spending more time in activities to obtain the drug; and continued use despite health or social problems caused by the drug.

Because our treatment center relies on evidence based practices, our Substance Abuse Intensive Outpatient Program shares many common methods with other successful rehab programs.  The foundations of our dual diagnosis treatment program for prescription drug abuse also rely on the principles of harm reduction, motivational interviewing, stages of change and cognitive behavioral therapy to promote recovery from dual diagnosis disorders.  In fact, our Intensive Outpatient Program in Memphis, TN that has been proven to be effective in the treatment of prescription drug abuse in peer reviewed treatment outcome studies.   Our treatment center  provides services to those who need more treatment than one hour a week, but less than 24 hour care, by providing three hours of treatment per day, three to five days per week, in an intensive outpatient setting.  If you or a loved one is showing signs of prescription drug abuse or need drug treatment rehab, you should be assessed by a trained mental health professional who can help design a treatment plan that can result in recovery.  Prescription drug abuse treatment can be highly successful.  Call us at 901-682-6136 to schedule an appointment.