Understanding Prescription Drug Addiction and Finding Effective Treatment
Many heroin addicts say their need for constant “juice” started with an innocent visit to their doctor’s office. Whether it’s pain pills after surgery or an innocuous-looking sleep aid, just because a doctor prescribes a legal medication doesn’t make it safe or risk free.
Even if someone is not misusing or abusing their medication, they can develop a dependence on many types of prescription drugs. Addictive drugs flood the brain with feel-good chemicals, instigating repeated use and dependence on the drug to achieve the same pleasurable or normal feeling.
In time, people require more of the same medication to achieve the same level of feeling. This is called tolerance.
Once someone develops a tolerance and their medication is not working the way it used to, they seek more of the drug, sometimes without their doctor’s approval. This forms an addiction that becomes stronger and more challenging to quit.