Prescription Drug Addiction

There are three principal prescription drug classes that carry high addiction risk. These are drugs used to relieve pain, those used to address anxiety and sleep disorders, and those used to treat ADHD. The signs, the withdrawal risks and the treatments available differ for each of the three drug classes.

What Is Prescription Drug Addiction?

Taking a medicine other than as the prescriber directed is prescription drug misuse. The misuse of certain medications can result in addiction. Four common forms of misuse include taking medicine prescribed for someone else, taking a larger dose than prescribed, taking the medicine in a different way than directed and using it for a purpose other than as prescribed, such as to get high rather than to relieve acute pain.

Drugs that are commonly misused and highly addictive include opioids, sedatives, tranquilizers and stimulants. Risk factors for addiction include a lack of knowledge about the drug and its potential for misuse and addiction, a previous addiction to other substances and certain mental health conditions.

Opioids are usually prescribed to treat acute pain, such as after surgery or following an injury. Opioid misuse and opioid addiction are common simply because of the drug’s mechanisms of action, how they affect the body and the brain.

Central nervous system (CNS) depressants are a drug category that includes tranquilizers, sedatives and hypnotics and are usually prescribed to treat conditions such as anxiety and sleep disorders.

Stimulants most often work by modifying dopamine and norepinephrine levels in the brain in order to improve focus, attention, and impulsivity. They’re most often prescribed to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

It’s important to remember that taking a prescription medicine as ordered by your doctor is not an addiction. However, if you’re using the medication other than as the doctor prescribed, or if you’re taking medication not prescribed by your doctor, that is misuse and that can quickly spiral into addiction.

Many addictions to prescription drugs begin with a legitimate doctor’s order and a valid medical reason for using the drug. But once that valid medical need has resolved, you might find yourself unable to stop. That’s where the drug ceases to be a treatment and becomes an addiction.

Types of Prescription Drugs That Are Misused

Opioid pain relievers, CNS depressants including benzodiazepines, sleep medications and barbiturates, and stimulants prescribed for ADHD are the three classes for the prescription drugs people misuse most. Each class affects the brain in a different way. That’s why signs of a disorder, symptoms of withdrawal, and treatment strategies will vary depending on the substance.

Within the opioid class, fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. Among the CNS depressants, the sleep medication zolpidem has been shown to have a particularly significant potential to be habit forming.

Many of the opioids and stimulants in these classes are controlled substances due to their potential for misuse and addiction. The Drug Enforcement Administration classes oxycodone (OxyContin), fentanyl, methadone, hydrocodone combination products such as Vicodin, Adderall and Ritalin as Schedule II drugs, those with a high potential for misuse and use potentially leading to severe psychological or physical dependence.

One other medication outside these three classes, gabapentin, can also be misused.

Signs and Symptoms of Prescription Drug Addiction

The signs of an addiction to a prescription medicine include taking more of it than the prescriber directed, taking pills prescribed for someone else, using the medicine to get high, feeling strong cravings for it, and trying to cut back without success. Anyone who takes a medicine exactly as prescribed is not misusing it.

The physical signs depend on the class. Opioids tend to cause drowsiness and slowed breathing, sedatives cause sleepiness and poor coordination, and stimulants can bring a pounding heart, trouble sleeping and restless energy.

Behavioral signs

Behavioral signs show up in what a person does, such as:

Physical signs by drug class

The signs of prescription drug misuse include the following:

Sedative signs also include drowsiness and confusion, slurred speech, unsteady gait and loss of balance or trouble with coordination, trouble with memory and slowed breathing.

Psychological signs

The psychological signs of prescription drug misuse include:

Clinicians can help determine when a cluster of signs may indicate a substance use disorder diagnosis.

A prescription drug addiction diagnosis usually means a person has met at least two of the 11 criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) within the previous 12 months.

The DSM-5 criteria can also help clinicians form a preliminary assessment of the severity of the disorder, from mild, at 2 to 3 criteria, to moderate, at 4 to 5, to severe, at 6 or more criteria.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, among people with a CNS stimulant use disorder in the 2025 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, about half (47.9%) had a severe disorder and 29.8% had a mild disorder.

The signs of an opioid use disorder often look far different than that of stimulant misuse. But if your loved one is taking an opioid medication longer than typically prescribed after an injury or surgery, or if they seem to be seeking pain-relieving medications from doctors or, particularly, from friends and relatives, this may indicate a problem.

If You’re Worried About Someone

Helping a loved one you suspect may have a prescription drug addiction starts with knowing what the signs above can mean. The next step is often an open and loving conversation with your loved one, a conversation that’s done without judgment but with compassion and honesty.

When a direct conversation hasn’t helped, or you feel you might need professional support, your best option could be to bring in specially-trained experts to plan an intervention that may ultimately persuade your loved one to get the help they need.

Prescription Drug Withdrawal: Symptoms, Timeline and Safety

How risky withdrawal is depends on the drug class. Opioid withdrawal is very uncomfortable but usually not life-threatening on its own. Dehydration is a danger, and overdose risk is high if use begins again after tolerance drops.

Withdrawal from benzodiazepines and other sedatives, on the other hand, can be very dangerous. One of the most significant risks of stopping abruptly is the potential for life-threatening seizures.

Stimulant withdrawal is usually not physically dangerous, though severe depression and extreme tiredness can come with it.

Never stop or reduce a prescribed dose without talking to the prescriber.

Do not stop a benzodiazepine or another sedative all at once. Quitting too fast can trigger seizures, and seizures can be life-threatening. Speak with the prescriber before any dose change, and call 911 for a seizure.

It’s important to remember that most opioid overdose deaths are in people who just finished detox. After detox, your tolerance for the drug is significantly decreased. That means that doses that you previously tolerated with seemingly minimal effect can be fatal after detox.

Continued use of central nervous system (CNS) depressants can lead to dependence, and stopping abruptly can bring withdrawal, sometimes seizures as a rebound effect.

Stopping a prescription stimulant rarely is life-threatening and the physical discomfort is often less than that of detoxing from other drugs. However, the emotional and psychological effects, though typically mild, can be significant in some people. You might experience fatigue, depression and disturbed sleep.

Suddenly stopping dextroamphetamine and amphetamine can bring severe depression and extreme tiredness. A protracted phase can include depression with suicidal thoughts. Call or text 988, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, for thoughts of suicide.

Barbiturates, phenobarbital among them, belong to the CNS depressants as well, and withdrawal from certain medications in this group can be severe and potentially life-threatening.

Every range in the table below is typical, not exact. The onset and duration of withdrawal symptoms vary by person with the drug’s half-life, the dose and the length of use.

Anyone preparing to withdraw from a medicine they depend on should consult their healthcare provider to determine if medical detox is necessary. The table below shows withdrawal timelines by substance.

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If you or someone you love is attempting to withdraw from prescription drugs, there are some important signs of a medical or mental health emergency to watch for.

When to get help:

• Call 911 for a seizure, unresponsiveness or slowed breathing.
• Call or text 988 for suicidal thoughts or any mental health crisis. The line is available 24/7/365, conversations are free and confidential, and alcohol or drug use concerns are covered.
• Talk to the prescriber before any change in dose, and before stopping any of these medicines.

Treatment for Prescription Drug Addiction

Treatment protocols depend on the drug type. Opioid addiction is typically treated with a combination of FDA-approved medication, psychotherapy, and recovery education.

There are no medications currently approved for the treatment of addiction to CNS depressants or to prescription stimulants. Treatment focuses on a supervised dose reduction where needed and on behavioral therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and contingency management.

Opioid pain relievers

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved three medications for opioid use disorder: methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone. All three have been shown to be safe and effective.

Methadone is a synthetic opioid agonist that prevents withdrawal symptoms and relieves cravings. Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist that reduces cravings and helps manage withdrawal symptoms. Naltrexone keeps other opioids from binding to and activating opioid receptors, which means you no longer get the opioid “high” and are less likely to experience cravings or relapse.

A separate medication, lofexidine, reduces the physical symptoms of withdrawal rather than treating the addiction itself. In May 2018, the FDA approved lofexidine hydrochloride as the first non-opioid medication for managing opioid withdrawal syndrome. These medications are combined with counseling and, often, with recovery education, in opioid addiction treatment.

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Sedatives and tranquilizers (CNS depressants)

For CNS depressants such as benzodiazepines, sleep medications and barbiturates, there are no FDA-approved medications for treating the addiction. If you’ve become dependent on one of these drugs, the standard treatment protocol is to taper the dose gradually under a prescriber’s management.

Tapering is now increasingly being supplemented by cognitive behavioral therapy to help people adapt to discontinuing benzodiazepines. This combination is a core part of benzodiazepine addiction treatment.

Prescription stimulants

As with CND depressants and sedatives, there are no FDA-approved medications for stimulant addiction. Treatment is based primarily on behavioral therapies that are effective for cocaine and methamphetamine addiction, including contingency management and cognitive behavioral therapy.

When someone has been taking a prescription stimulant, the first steps in care may be to taper the dosage and to ease withdrawal symptoms.

Most of these medications are prescribed for ADHD, so the relationship between ADHD and addiction is worth understanding to ensure that clients are receiving appropriate care both for their ADHD and their stimulant addiction. Alternative therapies, including non-pharmaceutical approaches, can be used to help clients manage ADHD symptoms while supporting their addiction recovery.

Treatment for any of these drug classes can take place at several levels of care, from medical detox to inpatient rehab to outpatient programs.

If you’re concerned about your prescription drug use, talk to your prescriber before changing how you take it. To explore treatment programs, you can search the rehab directory by state and city.

SAMHSA also runs the National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). It’s a free and confidential treatment referral and information service available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Services are provided in both English and Spanish.

Risks and Long-Term Effects of Prescription Drug Misuse

Prescription drug misuse is common, and it spans every drug class. In 2025, 2.4% of people aged 12 or older, or 6.9 million people, reported having misused prescription opioids in the past year, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

The survey also found that 4.2 million people had misused sedatives or tranquilizers, and 3.9 million people had misused prescription stimulants.

The most serious immediate risk of prescription drug misuse is overdose. Opioids slow breathing, and taking opioids with alcohol or sedatives increases this risk.

Sedatives, such as benzodiazepines, also carry a significant overdose risk of their own because they, too, can slow breathing.

With stimulants, the danger centers on the heart and cardiovascular system, especially if you have a preexisting condition. Overusing dextroamphetamine and amphetamine may also cause serious heart rhythm problems or sudden death.

Pills bought outside a pharmacy are even riskier because illegally made fentanyl is increasingly pressed into counterfeit pills made to look like oxycodone or alprazolam.

Unfortunately, the harm doesn’t stop with a single dose. Long-term effects of prescription drug misuse by drug class include:

Frequently Asked Questions About Prescription Drug Addiction