Prescription Drug Addiction in Pakistan
Introduction Of Prescription Drug Addiction
Prescription drug addiction means prescription medication being used in higher quantities and for an extended period not intended by the doctor. This kind of addiction can take any from taking a relative’s prescription pain relief to snorting or injecting medication to achieve an intense high. As happens with illicit drug use, despite of negative consequences users keep on abusing prescription drugs. Prescription addiction medical care in Pakistan taking a scary turn it’s being used for recreation like all other illegal drugs
Commonly Abused Prescription Drugs In Pakistan
Stimulants, Central Nervous System Depressants and Opioids are commonly abused in Pakistan.
Opioids
Opioids belong to the class of pharmaceuticals commonly used as pain relievers. Doctors prescribe opioid tablets and injections for treating mild to severe pain. However, prescription opioids have strong addictive potential as they not only relieve the pain but can make the user excessively relaxed and high, hence quite often users end up abusing them.
Since opioids have strong addictive potential hence dependency then later on overdose is quite possible which can prove fatal.
Central Nervous System (CNS) Depressants
Central nervous system (CNS) Depressants mainly are tranquilizers, sedatives, and hypnotics. These medications slow the brain functioning and are prescribed for panic attacks, anxiety and stress. Tranquilizers are used to treat anxiety and muscular spasms while sedatives and hypnotics are the medication for insomnia.
Prescription Stimulants
Prescription stimulants treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy (uncontrollable deep sleep). These medications improve alertness, focus, and energy. Street names of these stimulants are “speed” and “higher” as they induce intense euphoria.
Symptoms And Risks Of Prescription Drug Abuse
Ways to abuse
Prescription medications are abused in a similar way to other illegal hard-core drugs like heroin and ice. Some abusers swallow dozens of tablets as a single dose or inhale in powder form while others may inject the liquid directly into the vein popularly known as opioid or heroin injection popularly known as injection addiction.
Immediate Effect
The immediate effect of abusing prescription stimulants is an increase in body temperature, irregular heartbeat and convulsion. On the other hand, CNS Depressant and Opioid abuse may affect breathing rate, disorientation, memory issues, fatigued
Long term effects
Prescription drugs are chemicals, not designed for long-term use or abuse in high quantities hence doing so may have serious neurological and psychological repercussions including unconsciousness, brain damage for life and even loss of life. Injecting prescription drugs can cause severe damage to the veins and deep wounds, especially in Pakistan injecting may transfer incurable diseases like HIV and Hepatitis. Apart from that inhaling drugs in powder form may damage nostrils hence loss of sense of smell, deformation of nose etc.
Social Effects
Social symptoms of people abusing prescription drugs include social isolation, stealing tablets and injections of elderly family members, borrowing prescription drugs from others, visiting multiple doctors with fake symptoms to get desired medication prescribed and ordering medication from illegal means.
Prescription Addiction Medical Care Treatment In Islamabad
It’s quite rare that people enter into drug addiction accidentally, most of the time they have some underlying psychological or psychiatric mental illness that should also be treated along with drug addiction treatment.
Prescription addiction medical care is quite sensitive in a way that it mostly starts with mental health issues and a person becomes addicted to the medication prescribed hence mental health issues must be addressed to achieve perpetual recovery and sobriety.
Gulf Addiction Treatment Center & Psychiatric Care offers comprehensive prescription addiction medical care where a full-time and dedicated team of multi-specialty psychiatrists, and psychologists work together every day unlike other rehabs where such professionals either don’t exist or work on part-time, it is impossible to understand the true mental health of the patient with this part-time approach or once in a week approach.
We take a holistic approach that combines prescription drug or pills addiction detoxification, inpatient rehabilitation, counseling, physical and spiritual aided treatment to help our patients achieve 360-degree recovery i.e. no stone left unturned which may drag them for relapse hence we can call ourselves truly best prescription addiction medical care treatment center in Islamabad