How Did Prescription Drug Addiction Begin?

Prescription drugs are used as a safe and standardized method to handle physiological disorders. These drugs are often needed to provide relief when other methods may not be able to do so. Prescription medications are used under the care of physicians and health professionals that have the discretion and authority to prescribe them as needed. A benefit to this method of treating disease is the ability to carefully monitor how and when a patient is exposed to the treatment. The need and use of prescription medications help some avoid the stigma of living with a disease or disorder, but the common misuse of prescription drugs leads to its stigma.

The Practicality of Prescription Drugs

Prescription medications offer a more practical and convenient method to treat ailments compared to many other forms. They are portable methods of treatment with dosages carefully controlled by those that prescribe them. Because they are monitored by professionals, prescribed drugs can sometimes be used for prolonged periods if necessary. Many medications produce drastic improvements in patients’ health compared to their state before introducing the drug. Unlike surgical solutions, the presence of a prescription drug does not result in a permanent change when used correctly, and the patient can terminate use when directed by a doctor.

Prescription Drug Addiction Begins

There are many factors that led to an increase in prescribing and use of prescription medications. Better acceptance of common disorders over time including those related to anxiety and depression contributed to increased use. Social acceptance of using prescribed medications to treat certain disorders improved over time relieving some of the stigmas around them. Research over time led to greater discoveries and the ability to classify many physical and mental disorders in ways that were more beneficial to patient health. With these classifications came new research in pharmaceuticals that allowed for better ways to treat various illnesses to give patients more fulfilling lives.

The Ease of Acquiring Prescription Drugs

The ability to obtain a drug often depends on the willingness of the medical professional treating the patient. As recognition for certain disorders increases, physicians may be more likely to offer appropriate drug solutions as an effective means of treatment. diverse helps contribute to an increase in the number of people within a population that may start using or misusing drugs. Other people acquire prescription medications through illegal means. Many sellers of street drugs have developed with the trends to sell prescription drugs along with normal “street” substances. Some patients also sell their medications to others to earn an income. Other users take the risks of purchasing drugs through the black market.

How Does Prescription Drug Addiction Start?

The drawback to many medications is their ability to become habit-forming. The most highly-addictive drugs must be carefully monitored to ensure proper effects on the body. If a patient is not careful with their dosages, he or she can experience addiction even without having intentionally misused the medication. Once the body becomes used to functioning in the presence of a particular drug, the patient may develop a tolerance. When this occurs, successively higher dosages are needed to produce the same effects as before. If this pattern is followed by the patient, the body may not be able to carry on even its regular processes without the drug’s presence, and addiction occurs.

The Physical Effects of Addiction

Specific drugs will have varying physiological effects on the body. When the addicted patient goes for prolonged periods without that drug, numerous detrimental effects will occur to the body because it is no longer able to operate in the state to which it has become accustomed. Symptoms of drug withdrawal are often the extreme opposite of the physiological responses the body experiences from exposure to the drug.

These symptoms persist until the drug is taken again in the needed dose or the patient receives treatment to combat the addiction.