Is opioid coverage overshadowing problems with drug and alcohol addiction? |
Posted: March 22, 2019 |
The size of the opioid problem and the amount of media attention it gets on the national stage brings the problem front and center for a lot of people. You’d perhaps even be forgiven for thinking it was the only problem. But of course, it isn’t. There are plenty of other substances which are just as addictive and potentially as damaging. Addiction to prescription drugs Where opioids are prescribed for chronic pain management there are other prescription drugs which carry the potential for dependency and addiction. The issue is particularly acute in the US where 5% of the world’s population consumes 75% of all prescription drugs according to American Addiction Centers, Inc. Advertising New visitors to this country are often perplexed at drug advertising in the media. For outsiders, the imperative to ask your doctor about x to deal with your moderate-to-severe illness is frankly a little bizarre. The American Medical Association has recognized that it is an issue - going so far as to request a ban on prescription drug advertising because of the issues it creates. How addiction happens In the case of people for whom the drugs have been prescribed may find the original dosage no longer works, and so arbitrarily up their dosage or take it a little earlier. Their tolerance increases and dependency sets in. Another route occurs when the original problem has been fixed, but stopping the drug makes the person feel bad and so they continue to take the drug. The other side of the problem is where people take drugs prescribed for others. The example often quoted is teenagers with access to parental drugs in the medicine cabinet. Stimulants and sedatives Besides the ubiquitous opioids, the other main categories of an abused prescription drug are those to calm us down and those to hype us up. Anti-anxiety medications such as Xanax and Valium (diazepam) and also drugs such as Ambien prescribed to treat insomnia as well as anxiety are common to use. Amphetamines prescribed for ADHD also have the same addictive qualities and while initially there is a positive from Adderall there is the potential for things to go off quite quickly. Getting help is the first step Doctors are there to help not to judge. Talking to a doctor can help before the situation escalates into a real problem.
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