Addiction: Symptoms and Risks

*This article is excerpted from "Overcoming Prescription Drug Addiction". For more information, go to www.prescriptiondrugaddiction.com

Prescription drug abuse is often difficult for friends and family to recognize. Contrary to popular belief, one need not abuse drugs daily to have a problem with addiction; the pattern of abuse may be occasional or habitual. The abuse is usually an intensely private affair between the abuser and a bottle of pills. And, the pill taker is not subject to the social stigma associated with the shadowy world of street-drug dealing. Still, the following are symptoms of addiction:

• Showing relief from anxiety
• Changes in mood—from a sense of well-being to belligerence
• False feelings of self-confidence
• Increased sensitivity to sights and sounds, including hallucinations
• Slurred speech, poor motor control
• Decline in hygiene and appearance
• Altered activity levels—such as sleeping for twelve to fourteen hours or frenzied activity lasting for hours
• Lack of interest in activities previously enjoyed
• Unpleasant or painful symptoms when the substance is withdrawn
• Preoccupation with running out of pills

Who’s At Risk for Addiction?
Who is at risk for addiction? Medical science has also determined that those with a family history of addictions have about a threefold greater risk of developing addictions. But, in addition to family history, there are other risk factors.
The risk for addiction is greatest among women, seniors, and, as mentioned earlier, teenagers. Women are two to three times more likely than men to be prescribed drugs such as sedatives; they are also about two times more likely to become addicted. This stems in large part from the fact that women are more likely to seek medical attention for emotional problems. Seniors take more drugs than the rest of the population and have a reduced capability of breaking them down and eliminating them; this increases their odds of becoming addicted. And, the surge in teenage abuse of prescription drugs has led to dependency among many. Other groups at increased risk for addiction are medical professionals, alcoholics, and smokers.

Other factors that put one at risk for addiction:
• Medical condition that requires pain medication
• Extreme stress from family tragedy or death
• Divorce
• Excessive alcohol consumption
• Fatigue or overwork
• Poverty
• Depression
• Dependency
• Poor self-image
• Obesity

Is everyone who takes addictive drugs at risk for addiction? The answer is no. “Twenty years ago, it was widely believed that virtually anyone who took psychoactive drugs was a likely candidate for dependency, but that thinking has changed,” states Bonnie Wilford, Executive Director of the Alliance for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention. “Our change of thought has come about as a result of our increased knowledge about addiction. For example, perhaps seven out of ten people could take tranquilizers and not progress to addiction. But those who do become addicted likely have a preexisting addictive disorder, such as predisposition to alcoholism. The difficulty is, we don't always know which patients this will be.”
The “Unwitting” Addict

Many individuals who become dependent on prescription drugs are “unwitting” addicts. These are individuals who have no prior history of drug abuse or addiction. They started using a prescribed drug for a legitimate problem, physical or emotional. For example, it may have been a painkiller for a back injury or a sedative for anxiety. Then, at some point, these individuals started increasing the dosages on their own because the drug made them feel better—giving them relief from physical or emotional distress. The nature of the drug required that they continue escalating the dosages to get the desired effect. Gradually, the abuse became full-blown addiction.