Causes of Prescription Drug Addiction
There are several factors that can be involved in the abuse of prescription drugs. These reasons may be related to biological, psychological or social reasons. Some examples of causes of prescription drug addiction include the following:
To maintain an addition or prevent withdrawal
To achieve a euphoria, or feeling of being “high”
To relieve tension, stress anxiety, depression, or pain (both physical and psychological)
To achieve a social status or to be accepted by taking a certain drug or medication
To increase alertness, concentration or work/school performance
A prescription drug addiction can also be co-occurring with other disorders or diseases, such as an eating disorder, alcoholism, mood disorders, or the abuse of other substances. If you or a loved one is struggling with a prescription drug addiction, it will be important to enlist the guidance of a professional to help address the several factors that may have led to this point. Having the help of a professional prescription drug treatment center can be instrumental in identifying any possible root causes associated with the prescription drug addiction.
Prescription drug abuse does not only occur among teenagers or individuals with a mental health disorder but housewives and successful career men and women commonly abuse prescription pills to help them sleep better and concentrate harder. Athletes are also well known to abuse Adderall for increased concentration and performance and many professional sport associations have banned this and other similar drugs for the use among athletes without a specific diagnosis of ADHD.
Prescription pill use among full-time mothers
Taking care of your child full-time can be one of the most demanding jobs and many mothers admit to experimenting with Adderall to help them concentrate, with Xanax to help relive their anxiety or with Lunesta to well them sleep better however this can create a slippery downward spiral. Some mothers have admitted to taking one or two of their child’s ADHD medication with the intention of only doing it once in an attempt to have the energy necessary to take care of a long list of responsibilities without becoming fatigued. While they may convince themselves that doing so is harmless, it can quickly escalate into a problem when they realize that, after taking the medication, they were able to get so much done and still have extra energy to give their kids the attention they want to give them that it might not be so bad if they continued to take some of the pills every now and then.
“Pill parties” among teenagers
“Pill parties” have also become a way in which adolescents can exchange or share various prescription drugs that they may be in possession of; creating dangerous cocktails that can lead to overdose. Also referred to as “Skittles” parties, teens will search out medicine cabinets for prescription pills, which they commonly mix and blindly share amongst each other to consume. Kids generally view this as a cheap and accessible way to get high, without having to invest any resources into buying and obtaining street drugs.