Prescription Drug Addiction and Its Risks

Most people don’t realize what a drug addiction is, never mind understanding that there are addiction treatment centers full of people who are suffering from prescription drug addiction.  Addiction is basically characterized by a craving for a substance which cannot be controlled through will power or a strong character.  Unfortunately, many people don’t realize that the same addiction and cravings that happens for street drugs and alcohol can also be related to prescription drugs.  And with drug rehab for teens growing regarding these types of drugs, education is very needed. 

The American Society of Addiction Medicine states that addiction is “a disease process characterized by the continued use of a specific psychoactive substance despite physical, psychological or social harm.”   They are very bluntly referring to prescription drug addiction and all that accompanies it.

So, exactly who is at risk for this type of addiction that causes people to fill addiction treatment centers?  Women are at the greatest risk as well as the elderly and teens.  For whatever reason, doctors prescribe drugs for women, especially sedatives, two to three times more than men.  Obviously, seniors take more drugs for age related ailments which increases the possibility that they will become addicted at some point in their lifetime.  Unfortunately, generally speaking, the elderly are usually the last people to think they have a prescription drug addiction and enter an addiction treatment center. 

The group that is on the rise is young people from age twelve to seventeen and eighteen to twenty five.  For whatever reason, other than woman, that age group is given more prescription drugs for non-medical reason than anyone else.  Drug rehab for teens is on the rise and a good portion of it is not from street or recreational drugs.

There are risk factors for addiction that can signal that a person might have a prescription drug addiction.  First one and the most popular is that you have a medical condition that requires constant pain medication.  Secondly, be aware if there is a history of addiction in the family or also alcoholism.  Poverty and overwork as well as depression and obesity are also major risk factors for addiction.  And with the numbers growing not only for illegal drugs, it’s very important that we are aware that prescription drugs are still very much a drug and intervention from an addiction treatment center might be necessary.