Prescription Drug Addiction: Understanding the Risks, Treatment Options, and Path to Sobriety

The regulation of prescription medication creates a false sense of non-risk. However, the rise of the opioid epidemic and polysubstance use has highlighted the pitfalls of prescription medication. At Profound Treatment, we recognize the lack of knowledge on how prevalent addiction is. Therefore, we are committed to providing a comprehensive and individualized substance abuse program that addresses your specific health needs. With greater knowledge of prescription drug addiction and individualized support, you can heal and foster long-term sobriety.

Understanding Prescription Drug Addiction

Many people associate drug addiction with an illicit substance. However, prescription drug addiction can include the legal and illegal attainment of prescription medication. As Medline Plus notes, prescription drug misuse occurs when medicine is used in a way that is different than how your doctor prescribed it. Some of the ways prescription medication can be misused include:

• Taking another person’s medication
  • For a legitimate or illegitimate medical complaint
• Consuming a larger dose than prescribed
• Taking your medication in a different way than intended
  • Crushing tablets to snort or inject
• Using your prescribed medicines to feel euphoria

Understanding the ways prescription medication can be misused sheds light on the rise of the opioid epidemic.

The Rise of the Opioid Epidemic and Its Impact

A variety of prescription medications other than opioids are abused. However, the opioid epidemic highlights the devastation of medication mismanagement. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), opioid-involved deaths in the United States have been increasing since 1999, with approximately 82,000 out of 108,000 drug overdose deaths involving opioids in 2022. Moreover, the opioid epidemic can be broken into three distinctive waves:

• First wave
  • More doctors prescribed opioids in the 1990s
  • Natural and semi-synthetic opioids and methadone
  • Overdose deaths increased in 1999
• Second wave
  • Rapid rise of overdose deaths in 2010
  • Overdose deaths involving heroin
• Third wave
  • Rise in overdose deaths in 2013
  • Overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids
    • Illegally made fentanyl and fentanyl analogs (IMFs)

Now, the opioid epidemic has entered a new era. As the Current Opinion in Psychiatry notes, a fourth wave of high mortality has grown. In particular, this fourth wave of overdose deaths has involved methamphetamine and cocaine. Thus, the co-use of stimulants and opioids speaks to a growing polysubstance epidemic.

Commonly Abused Prescription Medications

People, unsurprisingly, associate prescription drug addiction with the opioid epidemic and opioid use disorder. Yet, a dependence or addiction to prescription medication can include several medications. Listed below are some of the prescription medications most commonly abused:

Opioids

• Fentanyl
• Morphine
• Hydrocodone
• Oxycodone
• Codeine

Central nervous system (CNS) depressants

• Benzodiazepines, tranquilizers, barbiturates, sedatives
  • Zolpidem
    • Ambien
  • Alprazolam
    • Xanax
  • Clonazepam
    • Klonopin
  • Diazepam
    • Valium

Antidepressants

• • Fluoxetine
    • Prozac
  • Sertraline
    • Zoloft
  • Paroxetine
    • Paxil
  • Escitalopram
    • Lexapro

Stimulants

• Amphetamine
  • Adderall
• Methamphetamine
• Methylphenidate
  • Ritalin

Further, the variety of prescription drugs that can be abused is reflected in the prevalence of misuse of one or more different prescription drugs. As the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) presents, prescription drug abuse can include multiple disorders, such as stimulant use disorder (STUD). Listed below are some statistics on the prevalence of prescription drug addiction and overdose deaths in the United States:

• 14.3 million (5.1%) people misuse prescription psychotherapeutic drugs
• 3.7 million (1.3%) people misuse prescription stimulants
• Approximately 5,859 overdose deaths involved antidepressants
• 4.9 million (1.7%) people misuse prescription tranquilizers or sedatives
  • 2.2 million (0.8%) people had a prescription tranquilizer or sedative use disorder
• 3.9 million (1.4%) people misuse benzodiazepines
  • Approximately 12,499 overdose deaths involved benzodiazepines
• 8.7 million (3.1%) people misuse prescription pain relievers
  • 5.0 million (1.8%) people had a prescription opioid use disorder
  • Approximately 16,706 overdose deaths involved prescription opioids

The prevalence of prescription drug addiction can feel daunting, but understanding risk factors can support sobriety.