Prescription Drug Abuse

Prescription drug abuse and addiction is one of the fastest growing forms of addiction in the world. Statistics show more and more drug rehab treatment admissions for prescription drugs as their primary substance of abuse, while the numbers reporting prescription drug abuse along with their primary drug of abuse is reaching epidemic proportions. This is a wide category covering painkillers, anti-depressants, and many of the numerous ‘medications’ being prescribed to handle emotional and physical pain. The black market for these substances is huge and these are available on many street corners and campuses. The side effects of these substances, even after cessation of use can be almost intolerable and contributes to escalating rates of violence and suicide, especially among our young.

An inpatient drug rehabilitation center is one where the individual resides at the center for the duration of the treatment, rather than returning home daily. This is an important factor in resolving drug addiction. Drug cravings and environmental factors can and more often than not do affect the drug addicts resolve to get clean and fully face the factors that will lead to rehabilitation for a lifetime. On top of this is 24 hour care when needed. Another big benefit is the fellowship of recovering addicts and the care and concern that they offer each other. It may not appear this way when the addict is on the street, but years of experience at Narconon Arrowhead shows that this factor of addict helping addict is vital and major contributing factor to full recovery.

All drug rehab programs are not created equal; there are many different types and formats. There are long term, short term, in-patient, out-patient, traditional 12 step, and non traditional to name but a few. One big difference to be aware of is whether or not the drug rehab programs you may be looking at are drug free or whether the program embraces the use of other or substitute or additional drugs and ‘medications’ in an effort to control or alleviate addiction. Narconon Arrowhead is a long term, non traditional, drug free approach to the problems of abuse and addiction. These points set us apart from many of the other drug rehab programs available. We start with the assumption that the being is basically good and despite any appearances to the contrary actually wants to attain a completely drug free productive life. The Narconon program embraces many, many different factors that stop or inhibit the individual from reaching this goal. The majority of Narconon staff are ex-addicts and alcoholics themselves and know what it takes to get lasting results – we’ve been there! When examining the various drug rehab programs look for one thing – LASTING results and success.

If we understand rehabilitation as restoring someone or something to a previous or improved state, then we can get a good idea of what should occur at a drug addiction rehab. A truly effective drug or alcohol addiction rehab does much, much more than simply get someone off drugs. The assist the individual in locating and handling the barriers to continued sobriety. The barriers of cravings (mental and physical), guilt created and felt that is hard to live with, and depression as the result of the addictive lifestyle are the barriers that left unhandled, leave the entire subject of addiction unhandled. With these points fully handled and addressed one can achieve lasting sobriety, with unhandled the only other choices are death or jail. This is the reality of addiction no matter how harsh it may sound.

Prescription drug addiction generally occurs with those medications which suppress pain of a physical or emotional nature. Painkillers suppress physical pain and many are taken at levels exceeding recommended dosages and tolerance builds up fast, abuse then continues in an attempt to handle the pain, or just out of fear of future pain. Medications such as anti-depressants are designed to suppress various forms of mental stress or duress. Abuse of these is similar to painkillers in that dosages are exceeded and tolerance builds leading to more and more of the drug needed in an attempt to maintain emotional balance. Prescription drug addiction in both these cases results from trying to mask the symptoms rather than treating and resolving the underlying causes of the physical or emotional pain.