Prescription medications are essential for treating pain, anxiety, sleep disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and other medical conditions. However, using a medication differently from how it was prescribed—such as a larger dose, taking someone else’s prescription, changing the method of administration, or using it to get high—is prescription drug misuse. Repeated misuse often develops into substance use disorder (SUD), a medical condition characterized by continued substance use despite harmful consequences.
Which Prescription Drugs Are Commonly Abused?
Prescription drug addiction often affects people who originally began medication appropriately for a legitimate medical problem. The National Institute on Drug Abuse states that the major categories of medications associated with misuse are opioids, central nervous system (CNS) depressants, and stimulants. Here’s a more detailed breakdown.
Opioids
Including oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, codeine, and prescription fentanyl. They’re used to relieve moderate to severe pain. They also produce euphoria as well as pain relief, making them potentially addictive. High doses can dangerously slow breathing and cause overdose.
CNS Depressants
Particularly benzodiazepines such as alprazolam (Xanax), diazepam (Valium), and lorazepam (Ativan). They’re commonly prescribed for anxiety and related conditions. Misuse can cause dependence, impaired coordination, and dangerous sedation. Combining opioids and benzodiazepines substantially increases overdose risk.
Stimulants
Including amphetamine and methylphenidate medications such as Adderall and Ritalin. These medications are prescribed for ADHD and other conditions. Misuse may involve taking excessive amounts or using the medication without a prescription for increased alertness, energy, or concentration.
Why Finding the Underlying Reason for Use Matters
Effective prescription drug treatment should address more than the medication. It’s vital to understand why someone began misusing the prescription drug and what keeps the behavior going. For example:
- Someone taking opioids may be struggling with inadequately treated chronic pain.
- A person may be using benzodiazepines to cope with untreated anxiety or trauma.
- Someone misusing stimulants may be attempting to manage ADHD symptoms, exhaustion, academic pressure, or work demands.
Mental health conditions and SUDs frequently occur together, and people sometimes use drugs as a form of self-medication. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration indicates that co-occurring disorders like these also share underlying contributors such as stress, trauma, genetics, and changes in brain function.
Identifying these factors helps clinicians develop a safer and more effective plan. Simply removing a medication without treating the condition it was intended to address may leave the original symptoms unresolved and increase the temptation to return to misuse. For this reason, professional treatment should evaluate physical health, mental health, pain or other medical needs, medication history, and substance use together.
How Will Professional Prescription Drug Treatment Help?
Quality care is individualized according to:
- The drug involved.
- Severity of the SUD.
- Medical conditions.
- A person’s circumstances.
Depending on need, care may include outpatient treatment, intensive outpatient services, residential treatment, or medically supervised inpatient care.
For opioid use disorder, some people may benefit from medications such as buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone to reduce withdrawal, cravings, or the effects of opioids. These medications are combined with counseling and behavioral therapies as part of comprehensive treatment.
Benzodiazepines treatment requires particular caution. Someone who has developed physical dependence shouldn’t abruptly stop taking them because withdrawal can be dangerous. Experienced clinicians create an individualized tapering schedule while addressing the anxiety, insomnia, or other condition for which the medication was originally prescribed. Various therapeutic approaches and, when appropriate, non-benzodiazepine treatments may help manage underlying symptoms.
For prescription stimulant misuse, behavioral treatments are especially important because there are currently fewer established medication options specifically for this disorder.
What Behavioral Changes Support Addiction Recovery?
Behavioral treatment helps people recognize the connection between thoughts, emotions, situations, and substance use. For example, cognitive behavioral therapy teaches individuals to identify triggers, challenge unhelpful thoughts, manage cravings, develop healthier coping strategies, and recognize situations that could lead to relapse. Motivational interviewing can help people explore ambivalence about changing their substance use without judgment.
Practical behavioral modifications often include, but aren’t limited to:
- Establishing consistent sleep and exercise routines
- Learning stress-management techniques
- Developing alternative responses to pain, anxiety, boredom, or emotional distress
- Reducing contact with people or environments associated with misuse
- Improving communication
- Attending counseling or peer-support meetings
Treatment may also include family involvement and contingency-management approaches that reinforce healthy behaviors.
Find Quality Prescription Drug Treatment at Ivory Plains
Ultimately, recovery works best when treatment addresses both sides of the problem: the medical or psychological condition that made medication necessary and the substance use disorder that developed around it. Better health is possible, and seeking professional help is an important first step.
At Ivory Plains’ inclusive addiction rehabilitation program in Adair, Iowa, our board-certified professionals provide integrated care that adjusts medications safely, treats underlying symptoms, helps you or a loved one build healthier coping skills, and reduces relapse risk. We offer a safe and welcoming environment for optimal physical, mental, and emotional healing. Contact our admissions team today to learn how we can help.
