Prescription medications are written for people who have underlying mental health or medical need. When the prescription is written, the medication becomes part of the necessary treatment. However, some drugs are highly addictive, and long-term use of them can lead to addiction. How do you know when you’ve crossed that line from prescription use into prescription addiction? It’s not always easy to recognize, but it is critical to understand. At Memphis Recovery, we can help you with prescription addiction in Tennessee.
How Does Prescription Addiction Begin?
It is not always easy to understand how prescription addiction begins and where care for pain or mental health disorders stops. For example, a person taking benzodiazepines for anxiety will experience anxious feelings if they stop using that medication. They cannot just stop taking the drug. Yet, at some point, the drug is no longer helping with anxiety but is instead feeding an addiction. When does that happen? Here are some signs that prescription drug use has changed into an addiction:
- When not using the medication, you crave it. It’s intense, and you think about the next dose often.
- When you don’t use the drug, you experience muscle or bone pain, headaches, or fillings of being ill.
- When the drug is not used, emotions become severe and may include hallucinations and paranoia.
- Even when using the medication, you think about using more or when the next dose is due.
- You have intense feelings of anger or frustration happen when your prescription runs out.
Look for the change when using medication for relief turns into a need for the medication to get through the day. That’s a clear indication that addiction has formed.
It’s also important to recognize the outcomes of medication use. A person using prescription medication for proper treatment can still function normally and engage in daily life with ease. Their medication is less likely to control their health and outcome. People with an addiction are solely focused on that addiction. It is the priority of their lives, and they often put most everything else aside to get it.
Signs Your Loved One Has a Prescription Addiction
Observe the way your loved one acts to determine if a pill addiction is occurring. For example, is their medication running out too soon? Do they find themselves unable to wait for their doctor to prescribe a new one? That may mean “doctor shopping” to get more than one refill. Other times, a person may no longer need the medication because the circumstances have changed. They may no longer have physical pain, for example, because their injury has healed. That could indicate a risk for addiction as well.
What Can Be Done About Prescription Addiction?
When it comes to pill addiction in Tennessee, it’s hard to know the specific treatment until you have a formal assessment with a medical professional and therapist at Memphis Recovery. Once this is done, an individualized treatment plan is created for you to address your specific needs. However, prescription addiction can be very effectively treated with the right psychotherapy and medications. This may include treatment options we offer such as:
- Substance abuse treatments
- Outpatient rehab programs
- Intensive outpatient program
- Partial hospitalization program
- Youthrehab program
For prescription addiction in Tennessee, it is best to turn to a professional at Memphis Recovery who can offer insight into your health and medical needs. It is not always safe to stop using a drug on your own. You may need supervision and support as you do.
Don’t Put Off Getting Care – Call Memphis Recovery Today
Prescription addiction is complex and debilitating, putting people at risk for numerous health risks. Yet, it is not always safe to suddenly stop using these drugs. Instead of making that decision, seek out treatment from Memphis Recovery. Call our compassionate counselors at 901-272-7751, or contact us onlinetoday.
