Prescription drug misuse and addiction refers to the use of medications 
in a way other than for which they were originally prescribed or to a much greater extent.
This is a serious and growing problem in Australia – current estimates suggest that more than 1.5 million Australians misuse prescription medications and this issue is a key focus of the National Drug Strategy for 2010 – 2015.
At South Pacific Private we are finding increasing numbers of our clients are being treated for prescription drug addiction (PDA), though often it is not the primary reason they were admitted for treatment.
There are three key categories of prescription medication open to misuse:
Narcotic painkillers
- Opiates (eg: codeine, oxycontin)
Sedatives and tranquilizers
-
Benzodiazepines (eg Valium, Xanax)
-
Tranquilizers (eg Stilnox, Rohypnol)
Stimulants
Steroids and many over the counter drugs, especially when mixed with alcohol or other drugs, can also be abused with serious health and other negative consequences.
There are several factors influencing the increase in Prescription Drug Addiction:
Misperceptions about the safety of prescribed medication
Many people assume that because a drug is prescribed it is safe to take, even in doses and ways other than how it was originally prescribed. However, prescription drugs act directly or indirectly on the same brain systems affected by illicit drugs so they carry the same risk of addiction, and can lead to a variety of other adverse health effects if misused.
Increasing environmental availability
There is increasing access to prescription medication through online pharmacies and illegal supply strategies.
Varied motivations for their misuse
People misuse prescription medications for a variety of reasons: to manage anxiety, pain, or sleep problems; to counter the side effects of illicit drugs (used as uppers or downers), to enhance performance, or to get “high.”
The signs and symptoms of PDA include:
- Exceeding the recommended dose or frequency of a medication
- Increased tolerance (needing more of the medication to have the same effect)
- Mood swings
- Desensitized emotions
- Decreased motivation
- Blackouts and forgetfulness
- Defensiveness around medication use
- Hiding, or lying about, medication use
- Complaining of vague symptoms to get more medication
- Seeing several doctors and/or pharmacies to get more medications
- Using pills prescribed for others
- Lack of interest in treatment options other than medications
Prescription drug addiction is characterized by continued use of the drug despite negative consequences and efforts to control or stop using. Negative consequences of PDA may include health, financial, career, legal, family and relationship difficulties, and poor self care.
Overcoming prescription drug addiction is very difficult to do alone because, as with all addictions, there are underlying causes and environmental factors which need to be addressed to support you in finding and sustaining the motivation to stop using, and start living a life free of the compulsion to medicate yourself.
Recovery from prescription drug addiction requires both removing the drug from your life, and learning to live purposely with all the personal and recovery resources needed to prevent relapse.
As with all addictions, recovery from PDA is likely to be more successful when underlying causes and environmental factors are addressed at the same time as you stop using.
Withdrawing from a prescription drug addiction can be challenging, uncomfortable and even dangerous when attempting it alone. For this reason a professionally supervised detox is strongly recommended.
If you wish to know more about PDA follow this link to a Research Report published by The US National Institute on Drug Abuse. http://www.nida.nih.gov/PDF/RRPrescription.pdf
If you are concerned about your own use of prescription medications, or someone you care about is struggling with this issue, please phone SPP to arrange for a free private and confidential assessment.
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