If you’re taking prescription medication, you should be aware of the potential threat of abuse. Addiction to opiates is a widespread problem in the United States, and prescription drugs are responsible for more deaths each year than illegal substances like heroin and cocaine. With an addiction to prescription drugs, though, are the legal ramifications that society has placed on addicts.
Do prescription opiate addicts have to worry about being arrested?
The answer is yes. This message may be discouraging to those dealing with substance abuse, but it should not be viewed as an indication to stop taking medicines. Taking your medications correctly will help you avoid the risk of being abused and addicted.
All opiates on the market today are addictive, but there’s a consensus that opiates like morphine and oxycodone are the most addictive. Just one pill of these drugs can produce an intense high that can last for hours. As you take more pills over time, your body becomes physically dependent on them. This has several drawbacks—the main drawback being addiction. Addiction to opiate prescription drugs is one of the most severe problems affecting American society today.
Opioid addiction can lead to an overdose, which can be deadly if it’s severe enough. Other than this risk of becoming addicted—opiate addicts don’t have to worry about legal ramifications that heroin or cocaine users do. Prescription medications are just that, medications.
If you’re prescribed painkillers by your doctor, then it’s to manage your pain. You will not be arrested for taking them as long as you’re using them correctly. But if you decide to take more than prescribed or use someone else’s medication, things might get complicated fast. Some police officers may use it as an excuse to arrest you. Federal law is stringent regarding opiate abuse, and federal agents will get involved if more than five or ten pills go missing.
If your addiction gets out of control, then yes—you might be arrested for abusing prescription pills. But with any luck, an intense rehabilitation center can help you get clean without legal consequences. Police officers are encouraged to look at addiction as a severe disease rather than just “bad behavior.” If you’re convicted of prescription drug abuse, then you may face jail time or fines.
The severity of the sentence depends on the facts surrounding your case, but there are potential consequences for anyone. If you have a prescription, it’s best to keep track of how many pills are missing. After all, addiction is hard to hide from your family and friends—and even harder from law enforcement.
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Why Are Opioids and Benzodiazepines the Most Abused Prescription Drugs?
It’s a simple answer really, they work. Opioids and benzodiazepines are very effective in treating pain. These two classes of drugs have been around for decades because of their promise in revolutionizing the way people deal with chronic pain.
Many doctors will prescribe them to patients regularly because there is little to no risk of addiction. Unfortunately, the medical community has fallen prey to this myth before.
Both opioids and benzodiazepines are some of the most addictive substances on earth, which is why abusers are willing to get them illegally. If you get either of these drugs from a doctor, then they’re usually in their purest form. This doesn’t apply to the pills that are sold on the streets.
These two substances are also commonly prescribed to people with anxiety, insomnia, or alcoholism because they effectively sedate users.
Some benzodiazepines are even used as an anti-nausea treatment for chemotherapy patients. Taking these drugs for other purposes besides their intended use is dangerous because they produce intense euphoria.
If you’re looking for a natural alternative to prescription drugs, then CBD oil may be the solution you’ve been waiting for. We’ll tell you how it works, its effectiveness, and its safety in our next article. Keep your eyes peeled!
How Do Opioids Include Vicodin, Oxycontin, and Percocet Differ from Benzodiazepines Include Valium and Xanax?
Opioids are more potent painkillers than benzodiazepines, which means they can be dangerous when misused. Benzodiazepine abuse is hardly ever deadly, whereas opioid overdoses cause thousands of deaths each year.
Benzodiazepines act on the central nervous system, so they produce a calming effect instead of an intense “high.” They’re also considered a depressant, which slows down neuronal activity in the central nervous system.
On the other hand, opioids such as Vicodin and Oxycontin act on the brain’s reward center by increasing dopamine levels. They also affect areas of the brain that control pain because they’re stronger than benzodiazepines.
Opioids and benzodiazepines are both addictive, but opioids can be deadly if taken in large doses.
How does someone develop an addiction to prescription drugs?
There’s a fragile line between taking medication as prescribed and becoming addicted to prescription drugs. If you experience any side effects from the pills that your doctor prescribes, then they may end up hurting you.
The United States has the highest prescription drug use globally, and we lead by far when it comes to opioid abuse. Nearly 100 people die every day from overdose in this country alone.
A few factors can increase your risk of becoming addicted to these substances:
- Using benzodiazepines and opioids together
- Using opioids after taking alcohol or sedatives
- Taking high doses of medications for an extended period
- Being at higher risk because you’re genetically predisposed to addiction. If you have a family member that’s addicted, then your chances are higher than the average person.
What Should I Expect if I Go Into Treatment for Prescription Drug Abuse?
Going into treatment for addiction to prescription drugs can be very beneficial to your recovery. Substances like Xanax are highly addictive because they produce a feeling of euphoria. If you get them from a doctor, then they’ll come in their purest form, which gives you more bang for your buck.
If you’re addicted to benzodiazepines, then you may experience withdrawal symptoms when you enter rehab. These side effects are similar to that of alcohol withdrawal, including anxiety, nausea, vomiting, insomnia, muscle aches, tremors, seizures, and headaches.
Some prescription drugs are used in addiction treatment so that doctors can treat your symptoms through detox and withdrawal. If you’re addicted to opioids, doctors can even prescribe medications like naltrexone, which reduces cravings and help prevent relapse.
To be effective, treatment must provide a safe environment where you can share your feelings with others who understand what you’ve been through. They should also offer individual counseling, group sessions, and workshops that promote self-reflection.
What Are the Side Effects of Prescription Drugs?
Benzodiazepines may produce side effects like constipation, confusion, dizziness, fatigue, headache, heartburn or indigestion, lightheadedness when you stand up suddenly, memory loss, sleep problems (insomnia), staggering while walking, and weakness.
Opioids produce some of the following side effects: abdominal cramping, constipation, diarrhea, dizziness, drowsiness, dry mouth, euphoria, or “high” feeling that lasts only a few hours after use (this is likely to decrease over time if you keep taking opioids), itching or sweating profusely, itching or rash, nausea and vomiting, nervousness, pounding in the ears (tinnitus), reduced sexual drive (libido), restlessness, runny nose or sneezing, shivers or “goosebumps” (chills), slow breathing rate (respiratory depression), slow heartbeat (cardiac arrest), stomach pain, and weakness.
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What Is the Difference Between Abuse and Addiction?
Many people confuse those two terms, but there’s a slight difference. When you’re abusing drugs, then you’re taking them because you want to feel good or escape your problems. In this case, it may be as simple as taking a pill to relax just for that moment. On the other hand, addiction is a disease, and it causes you to compulsively seek out drugs, even though they may destroy your life or hurt those around you.
How Can I Tell if Someone Has an Addiction to Prescription Drugs?
In most cases, people addicted to narcotics will have intense cravings for them and continue taking them even though they cause harm. They may also start “doctor shopping” to get as many opioids as possible or trade those drugs for others like heroin on the street. If a friend of yours is exhibiting some of these symptoms, they may be struggling with addiction.
What are the signs and symptoms of prescription drug abuse?
Some of the signs of abuse may include being unable to control how much or how often you take a drug, using prescription drugs to feel “normal,” experiencing withdrawal symptoms when you stop taking them, and developing tolerance. In short, if someone is abusing something, they’re not able to limit themselves when it comes to intake.
What are the signs and symptoms of prescription drug addiction?
The signs and symptoms of addiction are similar to those of abuse, but they’re more intense. If you’re struggling with addiction, then you may not be able to control how much or how often you take a drug, even when there are negative consequences related to it. You may also develop tolerance, causing you to need more significant doses to feel the same effects. What’s more, you may experience withdrawal symptoms if your use of prescription drugs is stopped. These symptoms can be minor or severe, and they may cause people to take more drugs so that they go away.
How do I know that I’m addicted?
If you start taking a drug for reasons other than those intended, have a desire to quit but can’t, keep taking drugs even though they’re causing harm to you or those around you, and spend a lot of time trying to get medications, then you could be addicted.
What are the signs that someone else is struggling with addiction?
Suppose a friend exhibits some of the following signs. In that case, they may be struggling with an addiction: they can’t limit themselves when it comes to intake, experience withdrawal symptoms if they stop taking the drug and develop tolerance, start taking a medicine for reasons other than those intended, desire to quit but can’t, spend a lot of time trying to get drugs and keep taking drugs even though they’re causing harm.
How dangerous are prescription drugs?
Some of them can be very dangerous because you take them exactly as prescribed. Taking the wrong dose or mixing it with other medications, for example, can lead to death. That’s why it’s essential to keep them out of the reach of children and lock up anything containing opioids like a gun safe.
What are the long-term effects of prescription drugs?
The term used when referring to the long-term effects is called addiction. This happens when you need to take a drug to feel normal. With tolerance, you need bigger and bigger doses to get high or even feel normal when you stop taking prescription drugs, withdrawal symptoms like nausea, diarrhea, sweating, and shakiness or tremors.
Over time, your body can become dependent on certain prescription medications. You may know this as an addiction. This happens when the drug affects your brain over time, and you must take it to feel “normal.” As tolerance develops, you will need an increased amount to get high or feel normal, and withdrawal symptoms will occur if you stop taking them.
What are the short-term effects of prescription drugs?
Short-term effects can be drowsiness, blurred vision, dizziness, and nausea, leading to impaired driving ability. Some prescription medications will slow your reflexes or make it hard to think clearly, all of which could lead to severe injury or death.
Some of these drugs cause sedation, so you may feel drowsy or tired after using one. Some can also cause blurred vision, dizziness, and nausea. In some cases, they’ll even slow down your reflexes or make it hard to think clearly, all of which could make driving dangerous.
What Addiction Treatment Is Valium Used For?
Valium addiction is becoming a common trend among the young generation. Although the drug has been banned for use medically, people are getting their hands on it to get high. Valium plays an important role in treating anxiety and insomnia but only when taken under medical supervision.
What Are the Street Names for Prescription Drugs?
A list of commonly known street names for different prescription drugs:
- Adderall (dextroamphetamine mixed salts): “hillbilly heroin” and “little pep pills.”
- Ambien (zolpidem): “roofies” and “benzos”
- Darvon (propoxyphene hydrochloride): “D-Bombs” and “DP’s.”
- Dilaudid (hydromorphone hydrochloride): “juice,” “milk of amnesia,” or “dex.”
- Fentanyl: “drop dead,” “China white,” or “China girl”
- Loritab (lorcet): “norf,” “”D-400’s,” and “peach-pills”
- Morphine: “”black tar”,” “brown sugar,” and “”H””
- Oxycontin (oxycodone hydrochloride): “kickers,” “oxycotton,” or just “oxys.”
- Percocet (oxycodone and acetaminophen): “perks” and “pepps.”
- Vicodin (hydrocodone bitartrate/acetaminophen): “vikes,” “hillbilly heroin,” and “lortabs.”
What Should I Do if Someone Tries to Sell Me Prescription Drugs?
It’s essential to call the police if you’re offered drugs like these, no matter who the person is. These medications are often manufactured illegally and could be incredibly dangerous, and some pills even contain toxins or poisons that can kill you.
If you think you or someone you know may have a problem with prescription drugs, get help from professionals right away.
If someone’s trying to sell you one of these powerful drugs illegally, don’t buy any from them. Buying prescription medications on the street can be incredibly dangerous, especially if they’re not appropriately manufactured and contain toxins or poisons that can kill you. If you think you or someone you know may have a problem with prescription drugs, get help from professionals right away.
