Prescription drug addiction is a growing epidemic in our country. It is one of the overlooked types of addiction, because the possession of prescription drugs is not illegal in itself. Even controlled prescriptions can be legally given to an individual. This makes it easier to access, more difficult to refrain from, and harder to identify a growing addiction problem. If you or someone you know is struggling with prescription abuse, consider the following characteristics of an opiate dependency.
Frequency of use
Most prescriptions are prescribed with a recommended dosage instruction. It is often in the form of X pills X times per day. There may be some amount of variation in the prescription, such as with pain medications. The pain medication may provide the patient with a limit, rather than a strict dosage instruction. This is because people experience different amounts of pain, at different times of the day. These instructions and limits should be followed closely, especially with pain medications. The body can build a tolerance quickly, and you may soon find that require additional medication for the same amount of pain relief.
Over 20 million Americans over the age of 12 have an addiction (excluding tobacco). A large percentage of this population is opiate addiction. When you find that you are regularly increasing your dosage, or that you are now exceeding the medication limitations, it may be time to seek treatment at a ibogaine clinic. It is also important to note if you are still taking the medication, even after the pain has decreased.
Thought pattern surrounding medication
A normal thought pattern involving prescription medications would be a desire to take it when the pain increases. However, if you find that you are continually thinking about and counting down the hours until you can have more, there may be a dependency problem that requires drug treatment. Whereas pharmaceuticals should be an afterthought, many people with an addiction struggle with removing the thought of it from their mind.
Illegal retrieval
Most prescription addictions are noticed after the patient is no longer prescribed the medication. They may find alternative ways to retrieve it. They may pay money to suppliers for it. They may steal it from friends and family. If you find that you are spending the majority of your time figuring out how you can get more prescription medications, an ibogaine treatment center may be beneficial. The illegal retrieval of opiate medications often lands the person in legal trouble, rather than an ibogaine treatment center.
Problems at home, work, or school
One of the best identifiers of an addiction is trouble at home, work, or school. When your prescription drug use has affected these areas of life, the addiction is beginning to take over your life. You are likely to see negative life consequences before long without effective treatment. If you ignore the warning signs of the addiction, it may be too late to fix these areas of your life after long.
Problematic withdrawal symptoms
The withdrawal process of opiate addiction is much different than other types of addictions. The body can chemically become dependent of the medications, making withdrawal not only difficult, but also dangerous. An Oxycodone addiction, for example, needs to be handled carefully. An ibogaine treatment center for opiate addiction will eliminate upwards of 98% of opiate withdrawal symptoms, and significantly alleviate PAWS (post acute withdrawal syndrome). The medical treatment in the ibogaine treatment center makes the entire process safer with ibogaine detox.
The country is currently seeing drastic increases in prescription medication addictions. Over the course of the past decade, the landscape has changed dramatically within the United States. There were over 259 million prescriptions written for painkillers during 2012. This represents a 400% increase in prescription opiate use in only 10 years. In some ways, the prescription addiction is more difficult to overcome than other types of addictions because it is harder to identify and users can justify its use easier. An ibogaine treatment center can be effective in opiate addiction detox and in the successful treatment of a prescription addiction.