Prescription Drug Addiction Treatment

The effect of prescription drug abuse has begun to revolutionize the image of addiction. Through the innovation of technology, addiction is now recognized as a treatable disease rather than moral degeneration. From prison sentences to treatment centers, people in addiction can now hope, through appropriate intervention, to resume normal lives. The shift toward rehabilitation for all substances of abuse especially for prescription drug addiction treatment has been placed on an evolutionary trajectory that is focused on education, healing and restoration.

While many of the traditional methods of treating addiction remain intact, they have been reevaluated and enhanced in many ways to make recovery safer and more sustainable. The need to halt habituated drug use through the process of detoxification is not a new premise. However, it is no longer relegated to suffering in a prison cell or being overlooked in an emergency room bed. Drug treatment centers now provide state of the art facilities that are medically equipped and staffed with experienced, qualified personnel to address the complexities of the drug withdrawal process.

According to the Mayo Clinic, the signs and symptoms of prescription drug withdrawal symptoms are dependent on the specific substance of abuse. Prescription drug addiction can occur from medication, such as:

1. Opioids that contain Oxycodone such as OxyContin and those with Hydrocodone such as Vicodin and Lortab.
2. Anti-anxiety medications can contain Alprazolam with brand names such as Xanax or Diazepam such as Valium.
3. Sedatives containing zolpidem such as Ambien.
4. Stimulants that contains methylphenidate such as Ritalin.
5. Dextroamphetamine and amphetamine such as Adderall XR

The withdrawal symptoms from these various medications can produce any number of acute effects that can range from mild to severe. The severity typically depends on the duration of the addiction, how much drugs was being consumed on a daily basis and the physical health of the patient at the time of detoxification.

Prescription drug withdrawals can escalate into a life-threatening condition that necessitate immediate emergency medical attention. For this reason, the detoxification process at most drug treatment facilities is a medically monitored procedure. The primary goal of the detoxification process is to...

1. Alleviate undue suffering.
2. Prevent a resumption of drug use in order to relieve withdrawal symptoms.
3. Mitigate any medical crisis situation.
4. Maintain behavioral and physical stability.
5. Prepare the patient for the rehabilitation process.

People going through drug withdrawals often become confused, paranoid and suicidal with paranoid ideation being the most common. When this occurs, the individual may be at risk of causing severe harm to themselves or others.

Overcoming prescription drug addiction is more than halting drug use and making it through the withdrawal process. Neurological changes that occur during addiction often present addiction problems after detox that put recovering addicts at risk for relapse. As such, it is important to address the psychological and social components of addiction which occurs in the rehabilitation phase of recovery that includes counseling, medication administration, patient monitoring, relapse prevention education and training and implementation of aftercare activities that support long term sobriety.

Madison drug rehab centers can help you find a treatment center. Dial (877) 804-1531 for more information.