According to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, six percent of Americans over the age of 12 have abused prescription drugs in the last year.
Twelve percent of all prescription drug abusers have an addiction, and the majority of those have an addiction to opioids, with four out of five pharmacy-filled prescriptions being opioids.
Given the rise in prescription drug abuse and, in particular, opioid abuse and overdose, it’s important to recognize the key signs of prescription drug abuse in yourself or others.
Most Common Signs of Prescription Drug Abuse
There are many signs of prescription drug abuse, and they will vary depending on the person and the substance, but there are a few that remain the same no matter the type of prescription drug.
Mood Swings/Changes
One of the first is unexplained mood swings and changes in behavior and mood, particularly irritability and anger.
This is something that will happen when an individual is using and when they are going through withdrawals, and it often occurs alongside other symptoms.
Prescriptions with Other Names
One of the signs of prescription drug abuse is someone having prescription bottles with another name on them. If you find that someone close to you has multiple bottles in their medicine cabinet, bathroom drawer, or purse with different names, those may have been purchased illegally or even stolen and are one of the more common signs of prescription drug abuse.
Doctor Shopping
One of the signs of prescription drug abuse is called ‘doctor shopping.’ This refers to an individual who travels to several different doctors reporting the same symptoms in order to get multiple prescriptions simultaneously.
If you or someone close to you has prescriptions from different doctors for the same or similar drug, this could be an indicator of doctor shopping.
Relationship Problems
Addiction to prescription drugs can cause significant relationship problems, particularly within the immediate family. This can relate to mood swings and behavioral changes, as well as financial issues within the family.
More commonly, however, individuals who are struggling with addiction will neglect personal and professional obligations because they are trying to get more prescription drugs, they are high, or they are recovering from prescription drugs.
This can include forgetting to pick children up from school, forgetting to go to meetings or appointments, or not being available when otherwise meant to be.
Financial or Legal Troubles
Finally, financial or legal troubles are very common for those who are struggling with addiction. Signs of prescription drug abuse can include not having money for things like bills or groceries despite making enough money for those items because the money is being spent on prescription drugs or illegal drugs.
Legal issues can come from driving while high or charges of possession. Legal issues can arise with regard to work problems.
When you notice these or other signs of prescription drug abuse, it is important to get the right type of professional care, starting with detox.
Getting Treatment for Prescription Drug Abuse with Multi-Concept Recovery
At Multi-Concept Recovery, we understand how important it is to get the right level of care and find affordable treatment options.
When you or someone you love is showing signs of prescription drug abuse, sometimes a comprehensive level of care can seem out of reach. That’s why we offer financial assistance to make it easier for you to pay for addiction treatment. That’s also why our rehab centers help you verify your insurance benefits before you start so you know what to expect in terms of costs.
We also go above and beyond to facilitate access to our programs for those in need. If you or a loved one have a pending legal issue, we can provide legal advocacy. If you need transportation assistance, we have sober companions to help you.
Our goal is to give access to a wide range of therapies, including CBT, motivational interviewing, EMDR, mindfulness and meditation, music therapy, art therapy, and more. Whatever signs of prescription drug abuse you or someone close to you might be showing, you can get help at Multi-Concept Recovery.
To learn more about the signs of prescription drug abuse or to check out our financial assistance options, call our admissions team at 844-920-1362.
