Addiction Treatment Program Warns Prescription Addiction on the Rise in Women
Arche Wellness facility in Pittsburgh PA
Allison Park, PA (PRWEB) August 23, 2010
Today Arche Wellness has announced a new effort to create awareness of prescription drug addiction amongst middle aged women. Since 2008, the center has seen a significant increase in middle aged women, with no previous substance abuse history, becoming addicted to prescription medications. “Most of these women have never taken an illegal drug in their lives, but they come to us very addicted to multiple prescription drugs after being prescribed addictive medications without being properly warned of their risks,” said Erin McClelland, MS, founder and Executive Director of the program. “Often times they aren’t even aware that they are experiencing symptoms of addiction.”
Arche Wellness attributes the rise in addiction amongst middle aged women to two different factors, over prescription and lack of education. “Doctors are prescribing these medications because the pretty, glossy information sheets given to them by the drug companies make them seem safe. But physicians don’t see what these people go through once they become addicted like we see them,” said McClelland.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reports that “several indicators” suggest prescription drug abuse and addiction is trending upward in our country. The Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) monitors illicit and medical drug use reports in emergency rooms and found that the most frequently reported prescription medications in drug abuse related visits are benzodiazepines (anti-anxiety medications) and opiates (pain killers). “This data is consistent with what we are seeing in the treatment population,” said McClelland. “We see menopausal women being prescribed benzodiazepines, painkillers and sleep medications at an alarming rate and becoming severely addicted without even realizing these drugs are addictive. It’s becoming so common that we’ve starting calling it the Stepford Triad.”
While illicit drugs like heroin and cocaine have often been viewed as the most addictive and dangerous drugs of abuse, Erin McClelland identifies prescription drug abuse as far more biochemically damaging and more difficult to stop. “These drugs aren’t natural like heroin. They are manmade and specifically designed to provide powerful and immediate relief from the symptoms they treat. This also means they alter body chemistry more significantly making the changes harder to undo and overall recovery far more difficult,” she said. Arche Wellness reports that prescription drug addicts experience far more gastrointestinal distress such as leaky gut and malabsorption, higher levels of anxiety and depression and a substantially longer and more intensive treatment process than patients addicted to illicit drugs.
Arche Wellness will be offering a number of educational forums and seminars throughout September in an effort to educate consumers about prescription drug abuse, enabling addiction and toxicity in middle aged women. For more information contact Arche Wellness at 1-877-55-ARCHE or visit archewellness.com.
###