Types Of Prescription Drugs Abused (Drugteststrips)

Doctors prescribe some special medications like painkillers, tranquilizers, stimulants and sedatives to treat ailments like sleep disorders, nerve disorders and severe pain. Some people knowingly or unknowingly misuse them and get addicted. This is called prescription drug abuse. There are three types of medications that can be misused- Opiates, Central Nerves System Depressants and Stimulants.

According to National Institute of Drug Abuse, an estimated 48 million people (20%) who are aged 12 and above of US people have used prescription drugs for non-medical purposes or reasons. It is a serious and growing problem for the society. The elder people are among the most likely to prescription drug abuse or misuse, as they are prescribed more medications. And on the other side most of the younger people are abusing prescription drugs knowingly.

Types of Abused Prescription Drugs
There are chiefly three types of drugs that can be misused often that are prescribed by doctors -

Opioids: Opioids are prescribed to treat pain. Opioids are very much useful in decreasing the intensity of pain during and after surgery. Morphine, codeine, oxycodone (oxyContin), propoxyphene (darvon), hydrocodone (vicodin), hydromorphone (dilaudid) and meperidine are some of the opioids. A large single dose intake of opioid could cause severe respiratory depression that can lead to death.

Central Nerves System (CNS) Depressants: These are used to slow down normal brain function by altering the communication among the brain cells to treat anxiety and sleep disorders. CNS Depressants are classified into two types- Barbiturates and Benzodiazepines. Barbiturates are used to treat over-anxiety, tension and sleeping disorders. Benzodiazepines are used to treat anxiety, acute stress reactions and panic attacks.

Stimulants: Stimulants increase alertness, attention, and energy, which also results in the increases in blood pressure, heart rate, and respiration. Historically, stimulants were used to treat asthma and other respiratory problems, obesity, neurological disorders, and a variety of other ailments. Now they are being used to treat narcolepsy, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and depression that has failed to respond to other treatments.

Many people use prescribed drugs responsibly. But a considerable number of people are misusing them unintentionally. One should be aware of the medications they are using and should not use them beyond prescription to avoid serious health problems.

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Types of Drug Rehab Treatments for Sober Recovery (Nicholas Grimaldi)

It's been rightly said, there's no man stronger than the one who accepts that he/she is an addict and is ready to fight it. Addiction as a social as well as cultural threat is nothing new. Over the ages man has been abusing substances to experience the ecstatic feeling that is most commonly referred to as 'feeling high'. However, the antidote to this socio-cultural threat - de-addiction has never been so well-known and widely chosen as it has been in the last three decades, though the effort for sober recovery had always been there. It is only in last three decades that terms like drug rehab, rehabilitation center or de-addiction centers have been able to create awareness to a considerable extent.

What a Drug Rehab Does
Drug rehab or drug rehabilitation refers to the process of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment for those who have grown dependency on alcohol, prescription drugs, marijuana and other psychoactive substances. The purpose of the treatment processes is to help the patient overcome his/her psychological dependency on the substances so that the patient ceases to abuse substances and is able to avoid the psychological, physical, financial and social consequences of drug abuse.

Types of Drug Rehab Treatments
Treatment processes at drag rehabs are of various types, the purpose being all the very same - to make the patient physically and emotionally independent of the substances he/she is addicted to. What type of treatment will be applied on a patient depends on the condition of the patient. The will of the patient also matters in this regard, though it is always the professionals who take the final call. Let's now have a quick overview of the various types of treatments at a drug rehab.

Addressing Psychological Dependency: Most drug rehabilitation programs address psychological dependency of the patient on the substance. The patients are taught different new ways to interact and survive in a drug-free environment. The patients, in most of the cases, are advised and encouraged not to be in company with those who instigate them to try drugs or do drugs by themselves. Twelve-Step-Programs, a set of guiding principles for the addicted, encourage the addicts to stop using drugs or alcohol and even change their habits that are related to their addiction.

Medication: Medicinal courses have been found to be one of the most effective treatment types in a drug rehab. Patients who have been addicted to prescription drugs are given medicines that tend to affect the same parts of the brain. Patients with addiction to prescription opiates are given medications like methadone and buprenorphine.

Behavioral Therapy: Behavioral therapy is meant for those who have been addicted to prescription stimulants, benzodiazepines and some other drugs. Behavioral therapies are categorized into four categories. Cognitive behavioral therapy helps the patients to recognize the situations in which they are most likely to relapse. This type of behavioral therapy also helps the patients to avoid and/or cope with such situations. Multidimensional family therapy, a very significant behavioral therapy, is designed to support the patient with improved family functioning. Motivational interviews and motivational incentives are two other types of behavioral therapies that motivate the patient to change their behavioral pattern, undergo treatment for sober recovery, and abstain from using the drugs again.

Nicholas Grimaldi is a member of a reputed NGO that is associated with running de-addiction campaigns and raise funds for drug rehabs. She shares her knowledge and experience of the various types of treatments for sober recovery at a drug rehab.

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