How Prescription Medications Can Lead to Harder Drugs
Art Coburn, founder of Heroin Addiction Help Guide, explains how prescription medications can lead to harder drugs.
Prescription medications — just because they are medication prescribed by a doctor does not necessarily make them safe.
The following is a guest post by Art Coburn, founder of HeroinAddictionHelpGuide.com. Art is a recovering addict and his goal is to “help others and let them know that they too can get clean and sober.” He can be reached at art.coburn@gmail.com.
How Prescription Medications Can Possibly Lead People to Harder Drugs by Art Coburn
When I was in active addiction I abused a whole lot of different prescription medications like vicodin, valium, and many others. It was not until I went to long term drug rehab that I was able to get clean and sober. I was there for 2 yrs and it helped to turn my life around. While there I participated in 12 step programs, one on one substance abuse counseling once per week, and group therapy twice a week. I also went back to school.
I would recommend long term treatment to anyone that is struggling with drug addiction and wants to change their way they live.
The most complained of problem with medications/ prescription drugs, by regular or once-in-a-while patients, is the ineffectiveness of the drugs to achieve the desired effects over time. This does not mean that the drugs become ineffective ‘literally’; it means the body and brain cells have developed some sort of tolerance for the drug.
What are drugs?
Drugs are chemical substances which change the chemical composition of cells in the body or brain to alter their current functioning. Some drugs are naturally occurring such as products of the opium poppy plant, nicotine from tobacco and tea and marijuana among others while others are man made.
Drugs working mechanisms
Different types of drugs have different working mechanisms. Depressants drugs slow the functioning of the central nervous system and the brain because they attach on receptacles to block or inhibit signal transmission. They hence: numb pain, induce drowsiness, lower concentration and thinking as well as slow the speed of automatic body processes inclusive of breathing, heart rate, respiration etc. Stimulant drugs, on the other hand, speed up the functioning of the brain and CNS; increasing: alertness, concentration, body energy, body temperature, sensations and automatic body processes etc while hallucinogens alter thinking and increase paranoia or hallucination.
Prescription medications versus hard drugs
Prescription drugs are given by doctors or pharmacists to treat ailments. They are issued with intake instructions on: dosage, interval, duration and what to avoid when taking them. Prescription drugs such as buprenorphine, cough suppressants and narcotics/ pain killers etc are depressants producing the effects mentioned earlier in this article while small dosages of cocaine and methamphetamine are stimulant drugs for treating attention deficit disorders and asthma among other body and brain in-activities. Hard drugs on the other hand are very potent/ potent (with strong effects on the body and mind) such as heroine, cocaine, crystal meth, marijuana, phencyclidine etc; and are sometimes outlawed by some authorities.
Drug tolerance
Increased tolerance for a drug develops when the body and brain start experiencing less effects of the drug after prolonged use. This is when people start saying the drug is no longer working and as such have to take higher dosages of the same drug. Most people have experience with narcotics; initially, mild painkillers work for them just fine but after some time, the same number of pill/ tablets of that drug no longer relieve the pain and they opt to take more of the drug or take it more frequently to manage their pain. When that no longer works, they switch to stringer drugs.
Prescription medications leading to harder drugs
Increased tolerance further develops into physical dependence when intake of the drug and frequency is increased and this later develops into full blown addiction- psychological and physical dependence for that drug characterized by withdrawal symptoms when one misses the usual dosage. Once addicted, the person is forced to keep taking more of the drug to avoid withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, nausea, trembling etc; while the cells become more and more used to the drug and the person has to keep taking and seeking stronger drugs to quench their addiction.
Key Takeaways
For safe use prescription medication and to avoid developing tolerance for them – hence moving on to stronger harder drugs – here are some important tips:
1. Consult a doctor or qualified pharmacist before starting on any medication. Doctors/ pharmacists, before giving you prescription, consider other body conditions, other prescriptions you are on and your general health to ensure the medication does not harm you
2. Follow intake instructions letter. Do not take more or less, more frequently, longer than you should, change administration means or use with prohibited substances; for this increases the chance of the drug developing tolerance and hence not working for you. If you don’t know what to do, always consult with a doctor
3. Make sure to use prescription drugs only when you have to. Some discomforts go away on their own without use of drugs. If you get your cells used to drugs, then they develop resistance for those and other drugs forcing you to seek for stronger drugs.
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Hi Lisa
Thank you for adding my guest post to your website it is very much appreciated.
Art
You’re so welcome, Art, and thank you for sharing it! This is such an important topic for readers to better understand.
Yeah this is a good topic, I agree.
Prescription drugs are sort of like the new gateway drug for the youth of today. I worked in a detox unit for 5 years+ and it was scary to see all the kids come in on heroin. I mean these were kids like 18, 19, 20 years old. And they all started by popping pills first, painkillers, usually on the advice of their friends. And that sort of thing is just hanging around the parent’s house of course.
Then it moves to heroin. Why? Because it is easier to get than pills, in some places! And in many ways it can be cheaper too. It all depends on the demographics of course. An unfortunate trend, to see prescription drugs become such a problem for kids.
I know adults can get addicted too but it just was shocking while working in detox to see how prevalent the problem had become among teens. Really shocked me.
Keep up the great work Art. Lisa, love your site as always. Glad to see the work you are doing and getting new discussions going like this, spreading awareness, etc.
Thank you so much, Patrick, for sharing your experiences to help raise awareness of just how HUGE this problem is among youth – 18, 19, 20. This is so young and something of which most adults are not aware! Young people (and adults) are of the assumption that because it’s “medicine,” it’s OK – not recognizing that it’s prescribed based on symptoms, age, weight, health conditions, etc. and that the young brain processes drugs (or alcohol) differently than the adult brain. Thanks so much for adding your voice to this discussion, Patrick!!
Hi Art and Lisa,
Thanks for the great information on prescription drugs. They do seem to be the gateway drug these days. “Make sure to use prescription drugs only when you have to. ” is a great tip. Drugs can be so freely dispensed even by responsible doctors, that many become dependent on prescription drugs when in fact an over the counter medication or even no medication may have been the answer. Take care.
It’s so crazy how easily these drugs are prescribed and then prescriptions renewed without follow-up visits or a calculation on how quickly the prior was used so there’s no way it’s being used as prescribed. I wonder whether we could ever have a centralized prescription data base, using SS#s for example, that would send an alert when medications are being prescribed from one or more doctors, or in conflict with each others symptoms, and/or filled at different pharmacies…. Something drastic has to be done, that’s for sure. Thanks so much for adding your comment, Cathy!!
Hi Patrick thanks for sharing this
Yes it is shocking about are youth becoming addicted to hard drugs and like you said it often starts with prescription medications. One way they get started on these is by stealing them from their parents and other relatives, friends etc medicine chest. This may have been prevented if the parents would have put there medication under lock and key.
Hi Cathy Thank you for your comment
Yes prescription drugs are really easy to get all one has to do is go to the doctor and complain about one ailment or another and they will be prescribed some type of addictive medication.
It is very important that a person recovering from drug addiction or alcoholism to inform their doctor of there addiction and this should help prevent them from returning to active addiction.