Everyone is aware of illegal drugs and how addictive they are, but there is a growing number of young people on college campuses worldwide who are getting addicted to prescription drugs. While they are legal, there are a number of issues that arise from taking them for non medical uses. Here is a look at five issues that arise from being addicted to prescription drugs.
1. Loss of Interest in Activities
One of the biggest issues that arises with prescription drug abuse is a loss of interest in activities. One may find that they no longer want to be around family and friends, participate in school work, or do the activities they once enjoyed. As the addiction progresses, it can lead to absences in class or a poor work performance. The addict may find themselves wanting to sleep all the time because the medicine makes them drowsy or they may suffer the opposite and develop insomnia.
2. Mood and Personality Changes
Developing an addiction to prescription drugs leads to changes in one’s mood or changes their personality completely. They become irritable and easily agitated. Moods may vary as the person taking the prescription drugs feel elated one moment and depressed the next. The person taking the medicine may start to act impulsively indulging in odd behaviors and actions. These strange behaviors may increase if the addict starts to go through withdrawals with their moods becoming unstable.
3. Deterioration in Looks
Abusing prescription drugs causes a variety of negative changes in a physical appearance. They may have bloodshot eyes or their pupils are dilated smaller or larger than normal. Another negative chance in appearance is a change in appetite. Depending upon the prescription drug being abused, weight loss or weight gain is common. Friends and family members start to notice slurred speech or tremors from the addict. Halitosis or bad breath is also a symptom that their prescription drug abuse.
4. Legal Issues
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As the addiction grows the addict will find it difficult to keep getting the drugs. They may start visiting different doctors, pain clinics or even hospital emergency rooms for prescriptions. Often they will complain about losing their medication or that something happening to it. This desperation often leads to illegal activity of getting the medication without a prescription from a friend or someone they know that has it or sells it. These actions lead to getting arrested and possibly having to serve time.
5. Drugs Take Over Everything
After someone gets addicted to prescription drugs they find the drugs take over their whole life. They are constantly thinking about taking their medication and new ways to get it. They find they avoid their family and friends except if they need money or if they trying to get medication from them. A poor performance at work can lead to termination and serious financial problems.
For those dealing with legal prescription drugs, detox rehab is an excellent option to overcoming this scary addiction. Rehabilitation provides support and help for the addict when they need it the most and help them get their lives back in order.