Addiction - Prescription medication, signs of addiction

You might think that addiction to prescription drugs is largely a thing of the past but it still seems to be a growing problem.

Signs of addiction

Some signs of addiction you need to be aware of:

1) You’ve built up a drug tolerance. You need to use more of the drug to experience the same effects you used to get by taking smaller amounts

2) You take drugs to avoid or relieve withdrawal symptoms. If you go too long without drugs, you experience symptoms such as nausea, restlessness, insomnia, depression, sweating, shaking and anxiety

3) You’ve lost control over your drug use. You often do drugs or use more than you planned, even though you told yourself you wouldn’t. You may want to stop using, but you feel powerless

4) Your life revolves around drug use. You spend a lot of time using and thinking about drugs, figuring out how to get them, and recovering from the drug’s effects

5) You’ve abandoned activities you used to enjoy, such as hobbies, sports and socialising, because of your drug use 

6) You continue to use drugs, despite knowing it’s hurting you. It’s causing major problems in your life – blackouts, infections, mood swings, depression, paranoia – but you use anyway.

Websites such as helpguide.org provide great information on drug abuse, both prescription and illicit.
 
Uncovered magazine issue 3 has an in depth article on the subject of prescription medication addiction.
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