Effects of Prescription Drug Abuse
Siobhan Morse, Executive Director of The National Institute for Holistic Addiction Studies discusses addiction and the effects of prescription drug abuse.
What is Addiction?
Addiction is a chronic, progressive, sometimes fatal disease, and it’s characterized by relapse.
Relapse is a return to using even after periods of abstinence.
The abuse of any type of drug, even a legitimate prescription, can lead to changes in the structure and function of the brain.
Effects of Prescription Drug Abuse
For most people the decision to begin taking prescription drugs is at the recommendation of their health care provider.
Some prescription drugs cause changes in the brain and the body that can lead to dependency on the drug. This means the body and the brain become reliant on the drug to perform normal functions such as sleep, stress management, and the management of pain.
Examples of these types of prescription drugs include opioids, or painkillers, sedatives, and sleep aids. Extended use of these drugs, even as prescribed, can cause physical and psychological dependency which can lead to abuse and ultimately addiction.
It is important to remember that addiction is not the user’s fault. If you are reading this report, the chances are you’ve been affected by either your own use or someone else’s use.
Prescription dependency abuse and addiction does not only cause problems with the user, but also everyone around them.
Effects of Prescription Drug Abuse
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