How Common Is Prescription Drug Abuse?
Twenty-percent of Americans who are over the age of 12 have admitted that they have abused medically prescribed drugs. Forty-four percent of people who abuse prescription drugs are under the age of 18. Oxycodone and Hydrocodone are two of the most frequently abused drugs in the United States. Incredibly, seventy-one percent of the world's oxycodone addicts live in the United States. A whopping 99 percent of the world's hydrocodone addicts live in the United States.
Who Is At Risk for Abusing Medically Prescribed Drugs?
People who have had a problem with an alcohol or illicit drug addiction are at a greater risk for becoming a victim of prescription drug abuse. Those who are in their teens or early 20s are also at an increased risk for developing a drug addiction. Many people who suffer from chronic pain or chronic injuries are also at risk for developing prescription drug abuse problems, as pain management physicians lean towards medication before other forms of pain management.
Furthermore drug addiction is a problem that is becoming increasingly prevalent among older people. Older people are more likely to take more than one prescription medication and are also more likely to live alone. People who take multiple medications are at an increased risk for abusing prescription drugs.
While many Americans are aware that prescription painkillers are addictive, many are not aware that other drugs such as Ambien and prescription sleep aids are also highly addictive. Remember to ask your doctor about the frequency and length of time you are on a medication and request alternatives to medication if you feel that you may be at risk for developing a prescription drug abuse problem.
Dangers of Abusing Prescription Medications
The risks associated with abusing prescription medications can vary, depending on the medication that is being abused. Low blood pressure, slowed breathing and coma can result from abusing opioids. Sedative abuse can cause slowed breathing, low blood pressure and memory problems. Stimulates can cause a high fever, increased heart rate and high blood pressure. People who abuse any type of prescription medication can potentially die from an overdose or a drug interaction with other medications in their body.
Prevention of Prescription Drug Abuse
It's important not only to make sure you know which prescription medications you take, but also why you are taking them and how the prescription medication works in your body. Additionally, they should follow all of the doctor's instructions and ask a doctor for alternatives if they feel that they are at risk. Remember that for many conditions medication is one of many treatment options available.
Make sure that prescription medications are clearly marked and managed in your home. You may want to secure them in a locked cabinet and dispose of them when no longer needed.
Ben Brafman, LMHC, CAP is the President and CEO of Destination Hope,
a licensed dual diagnosis substance abuse treatment center in Fort
Lauderdale, Florida. Ben has more than 20 years of experience in the
addiction and mental health fields, which led him to develop a
combination of innovative treatment protocols at Destination Hope. He
has been published on various topics including dual diagnosis and
chemical dependency, and gives back to the community by educating other
addiction counselors at his Academy for Addiction Professionals.
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Benjamin_Brafman
No comments:
Post a Comment