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According to the Mississippi State Department of Health, “Nationally, almost 70 percent of people who abused prescription drugs say they got them from a family member or friend.” This is one of the most dangerous types of prescription drug abuse because it is likely to lead to addiction, overdose, and other issues very quickly. If you have been taking someone else’s prescription frequently, you should seek help as soon as possible.
What Are the Consequences of Abusing Someone Else’s Medication?
When you take a drug that is not meant for you, there are a number of things that can go wrong. For example, you may experience severe side effects that you will not be able to foresee because you were not the person intended to take the drug. Even if you do not experience dangerous side effects, you may often notice things you didn’t expect when taking someone else’s prescription.
Some prescriptions may have dangerous reactions with other medications.
Many people take CNS depressants, stimulants, and especially, opioids that were prescribed to other people simply to experience a euphoric rush. When someone does this, though, they often aren’t taking into account the many issues this behavior can create. Some possible effects a person might experience when taking someone else’s medication include:
- Addiction
- Dependence
- Tolerance
- Overdose
- Risky behavior
- Severe side effects that, in some cases, can be deadly
- Dangerous reactions with other medications, supplements, etc. one might be taking
These drugs are prescribed for a reason, in order to keep those who do not need them from taking them recreationally. Unfortunately, though, this does occur, and it often leads to unfavorable and even dangerous results.
Do I Need Treatment for Prescription Drug Abuse?
Different drugs affect people differently, and whether or not a person will become addicted to a certain drug or experience severe effects all depends on the situation. However, there are some questions you can ask yourself to find out if you are really in trouble and if you require immediate treatment for prescription drug abuse.
- Do I take someone else’s prescription constantly?
- Am I dependent on a drug that was not prescribed to me?
- Do I experience withdrawal symptoms when I am not able to take this substance?
- Have I ever stolen from or lied to a loved one to get more of their medication?
- Have I ever stolen blank prescription pads or done something else illegal to obtain prescription drugs?
- Have I considered moving to an illegal substance to combat tolerance or to experience a greater high?
- Have I become extremely secretive about my drug use and worried someone will find out?
- Am I unhappy or uncomfortable unless I am using drugs?
- Have I lost interest in the other things that used to matter to me?
- Have I experienced severe effects as a result of my drug abuse (losing a job, losing a relationship, getting arrested, etc.)?
- Have I tried to quit or cut back on my drug use and been unsuccessful?
If you answered yes to these questions, you should seek treatment right away for your drug abuse. It is important to begin to make a change as quickly as possible to keep the problem from worsening.