Prescription drugs seem more benign than illicit drugs because they come from doctors and pharmacists. Unfortunately, even when taken as prescribed, it’s easy to misuse prescription drugs. From painkillers like opioids to benzos and Adderall, prescription drug abuse is common across the United States and here in New Hampshire. Prescription drug treatment is the safest, most effective way to stop abusing prescription drugs and find holistic mental and physical health management alternatives.
If you or someone you love is struggling with symptoms of prescription drug addiction, know you are not alone. A Better State provides holistic trauma-informed prescription drug addiction treatment that won’t compromise your schedule. With daytime and evening partial hospitalization programs (PHPs) and intensive outpatient programs (IOPs), we have the treatment program for you. Call us now at 781.412.1488 to learn more about the signs of prescription drug abuse.
Common Signs of Prescription Drug Addiction
While prescription drugs are designed in labs, highly tested, and regulated by the FDA, they can be accessible to misuse. For many, prescription drugs like Adderall, OxyContin, and Xanax treat real symptoms of deeper issues like trauma, depression, anxiety, and chronic pain. Prescription drugs work like bandaids, alleviating symptoms without healing deeper mental and physical health problems.
For many people, prescription drugs escape difficult feelings and emotions. Like many drugs, prescription drugs alter brain chemistry by releasing dopamine. While the brain makes dopamine every day, supplemental dopamine can cause someone to crave more. This is called the “dopamine reward effect.” This effect alone can lead to substance use and addiction.
Common signs of prescription drug abuse include:
- Mixing medication
- Taking more medication than prescribed
- Seeking multiple prescriptions
- Combining medication with alcohol
- Crushing, snorting, chewing, and injecting medication
- Seeking illicit drug alternatives
Because prescription drugs change a person’s brain chemistry, they can be challenging to stop taking without mental and medical help. Working with a prescription drug addiction treatment program is always safest to avoid relapse and adverse health effects and decrease the risk of a drug-related death.
Do I Need Prescription Drug Abuse Treatment?
It can be hard to realize when it’s time to seek treatment for prescription drug use. Craving prescription drugs are often the first sign it’s time for help. When the brain becomes dependent on a prescription, it will experience withdrawal when the medication leaves the bloodstream. This is normal.
Unfortunately, when someone tries to stop taking a prescription, they will experience withdrawal. Without professional help, withdrawal often leads to relapse, overdose, and other drug use. If you’re concerned about withdrawal or other adverse effects with a medication, talk to your doctor about adjusting your prescription and other options. If you are taking medication other than how it is prescribed, it’s time to speak to someone about treatment.
Start Prescription Drug Addiction Treatment in New Hampshire Today
Are you struggling with signs of prescription drug abuse? Don’t wait. Call A Better State today. At A Better State, we believe in a different kind of addiction recovery. Instead of treating symptoms of addiction and mental health conditions, we help clients uncover the root cause of their addictions. With a focus on trauma-informed treatment for substance use, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), we believe in accessible treatment.
With daytime and evening IOP and PHP programs, our New Hampshire clinic provides a range of evidence-based individual, group, and family therapy programs to help you and your loved ones heal from prescription drug use.
Learn More About the Prescription Drug Abuse Symptoms from A Better State
Prescription drug misuse affects people across the country. If you’re struggling, we can help. Contact us now at 781.412.1488 to learn more about our program and start treatment today.
