Signs of Prescription Drug Addiction

Abuse of prescription medications is reaching the level of an epidemic in America.  The Drug Enforcement Administration is beginning to take more aggressive measures to reduce this problem.  To determine whether someone in your life has become addicted to prescription medications, consult the signs enumerated below.

Signs Universal to All Prescription Drug Addictions

• Doctor Shopping – An illegal practice, going to multiple, unassociated physicians to obtain prescriptions for the same drugs and filling them at unrelated pharmacies.
• Self-Treating – Doctors have gone through extensive training to know how to direct patients to use medications.  Deviating from these orders in any way – including taking a higher dosage, increasing the frequency of administration, and changing the route of administration (such as crushing and snorting or injecting the drug) – are considered to be prescription drug abuse and may be a sign of addiction.  If they are unwilling to consult their doctor when new symptoms arise or current symptoms require additional management, you should be concerned.
• Stockpiling – Hoarding drugs in an attempt to always have a supply on hand.
• Mixing Substances – Mixing prescription medications with other substances (illegal drugs, alcohol, etc.) to enhance the effect.
• Defensive Behavior – If you start asking questions about the person’s use and they seem sensitive about the topic.
• Extreme Changes – Whether this means neglect of personal hygiene, missing appointments, avoiding responsibilities, withdrawing from social activities, weight loss or gain, new found pessimism or positivity, or other unusual behaviors, otherwise unexplainable changes in combination with other signs could point to addiction.
• Continued Use Despite Consequences – If using the medication is causing negative effects (job loss, financial instability) but the person refuses to reevaluate his or her use.
• Illegal Acquisition or Other Activity – In addition to doctor shopping, trading or stealing medications or other illegal means of obtaining them.
• Sensitivity to Sensory Stimuli – Increased sensitivity to sound, light, etc.
• Withdrawal Symptoms – The onset of withdrawal symptoms when the person stops (voluntarily or involuntarily) taking the drug.