Prescription Drug Addiction

Prescription drug addiction is a serious problem in society today. Non-medical use of drugs like Opiates, Central Nervous System (CNS) Depressants, and Stimulants can result in abuse and prescription drug addiction. According the National Institute on Drug Abuse, approximately 48 million people (20 percent of the US population), age 12 or older have used prescription drugs for non-medical reasons during their lifetime. In 1999, an estimated 4 million people, about 2 percent of the population age 12 and older, were currently (in the past month) using prescription drugs illegally. The numbers for these are as follows: 2.6 million misused pain killers, 1.3 million misused sedatives and tranquilizers, and 0.9 million misused stimulants. Prescription drug addiction is characterized by compulsive drug use and drug seeking behavior.

Prescription Drug Addiction is Two Problems, Not Just One

Prescription drug addiction may be a physical and/or an emotional dependence, but it is not some mysterious brain disease. Similar to other addictions, a person suffering from prescription drug addiction is using prescription drugs to solve some perceived problem or problems in his or her life (i.e. pain relief). The continued use prescription drugs to combat these perceived problems is what leads to prescription drug addiction. When used for pain relief, prescription drugs are often continued after the pain is gone. Eventually, prescription drug addiction itself becomes an even greater problem than the original problem or problems that the prescription drugs were supposed to solve.

 Successful Prescription Drug Addiction Treatment and Rehabilitation Solves Both Problems

Many people start using prescription drugs to get some sort of pain relief. This is where our drug and alcohol addiction treatment program differs from other programs. We have dedicated staff members that are trained to deliver various assist processes that help to relieve and heal the body, thus eliminating the need for pain medication. The assist processes are somewhat similar to a massage. The purpose of this is to get you into communication with your body, and allow it to heal itself. Also, as part of our drug treatment, we offer a Detoxification program, in which we use a Sauna to eliminate drugs and toxins from the body. Many of our students have stated that this process has freed them from the pain that originally lead them to prescription drug addiction in the first place. Prescription drugs or other pain relievers do nothing more than mask over the real problem(s) that a person is going through. Without handling the underlying cause of the problem(s) that lead to the prescription drug addiction, the solution is just temporary at best. This is why we heal both the mind and the body, since both must be rehabilitated for a person to be happy and successful.

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