Recognising that you need Treatment for a Prescription Drug Addiction
The first problem in getting into rehab for prescription drugs is recognising that there is a problem. It can be difficult to acknowledge an addiction to prescription medication as it has been prescribed by a doctor. It makes us feel it must be all right for us to take the medication. However, when that prescription is not renewed, our anxiety at not having the medication available for the condition it was prescribed, can result in us trying to source it elsewhere.
Not so long ago, there was little control over the length of time for which prescription medication could be prescribed. It was simply renewed without the GP considering the possibility of anyone becoming addicted to the medication and this was particularly proven to be the case with Benzodiazepines such as Librium and Diazepam. However, with new legislation and NICE guidelines, which are evidence based recommendations for health and care in England and Wales, and the compulsory use by a GP or Pharmacist of the BNF, which is a general guidance on the prescribing and use of medicines, it is extremely rare for anyone to have a prescription continually renewed.
These days GPs continuously review and have a very definite end date to the prescription. Public Health England called for an urgent review of the following types of prescription medications at the end of 2019. These medications are also among the most commonly abused prescription drugs for which rehab for prescription medication is required
- Antidepressants
- Opioids such as Co Codomol or Codeine
- Gabapentinoids such as Pregabalin and Gabapentin
- Benzodiazepines such as Diazepam and Librium
- Z drugs which are insomnia medication
It is when the prescription is not renewed and we feel that the symptoms that the medication was originally prescribed for are still present that, in some cases and generally out of anxiety, we choose to look on the internet to get a supply of the drug. That is when we also try to convince ourselves that our actions are all right as we were prescribed it in the first place so it’s safe to do so. However, many websites selling medicines are not registered as pharmacies so buying from them is potentially unsafe. There is no guarantee that the medication being purchased has not been contaminated with other drugs, or is outdated, counterfeit or even the wrong drug put in the right packaging.
How does an addiction to prescription medication progress to the point where rehab for prescription medication is needed?
This long term, non-prescribed, use of a medication will usually lead to a body tolerance and the need to take more of the medication to try and achieve the same result, thus starting a dependency on that medication. Eventually the drug will have little or no effect except to hold off withdrawal symptoms. This continued use of the medication will have an effect on the brain and the individual will become depressed and anxious as there becomes an imbalance in the brain’s chemistry. This will then have a knock on effect on all of our life areas such as work, family, social, financial and health.
Is alternative help to prescription medication rehab available?
It is at this stage that the only way forward is to daily slowly reduce down the amount of medication taken, with the aim of completely stopping taking the medication we are obtaining from the internet or other sources. However, such is the severe effect of medication withdrawal that it is almost impossible to achieve that goal within the home environment. It may also be unsafe to do so due to the risk, for example, of withdrawal seizures.
There is virtually no support from your GP as it is not medication they have been prescribing. There will also be little help from the community, in part due to the length of time that is needed to safely reduce down on a daily basis and the actions you have taken to self medicate. The only way to get immediate help is by being admitted to a residential addictions unit or addictions rehab. which provides treatment for addiction to prescription medication.
What happens at rehab for prescription medication?
When being admitted for a prescription drug dependency or addiction it is very common to also find people with other addictions, such as alcohol, drugs and gambling who will be in treatment at the same time as you. This is because the most successful way of helping people with an prescription medication addiction or dependency is by the modality of the 12 Step programme established by Alcoholics Anonymous and now incorporated by all other addiction support groups.
At The Haynes Clinic, someone coming into residential care to be treated for a prescription drug addiction will firstly have a full assessment carried out either face to face or over a telephone call. This establishes a medical history and the drugs from which they need to detox. An admission date and time is arranged and it is not uncommon for someone to be admitted straight away following their assessment. They will then come under the care of the doctor attached to The Haynes Clinic.
There is one major difference with a prescription drug detox compared with detoxes for, say, alcohol, heroin or opiates and that is simply the length of time it might take. An alcohol or opiate detox is usually up to 10 days, whereas a benzodiazepine detox can be up to 6 weeks or more and, for a Pregabalin detox, it can take as long as 3 months to safely withdraw from the medication (depending on length and amount of use). The time that is needed to be in treatment to safely withdraw from the medication will be discussed with each individual as it will depend on several factors that will determine the length of each individual’s prescription drug detox.
What needs to be understood is that the addictive thinking and behaviour is similar with any addiction. There is a downward mental spiral associated with the physical and mental need to take the drug with us even taking it when we do not want to. Therefore, a daily structured therapy programme alongside the prescription medication detox is essential for long term benefit. This will usually involve workshops and written work to help us get an understanding of the 12 Steps. We will also need to change our thinking and behaviour so as not to relapse back on to using our previous medication of choice. As with people addicted to alcohol and recreational drugs, we will never be able to use safely again the medication to which we have become addicted.
The form of addiction therapy used is based upon Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. This will help us sort out and recognise our rational and irrational thinking and behaviours. At The Haynes Clinic, Yoga and meditation are other therapies offered within the structured programme. There is also the possibility of twice weekly attendance at a health club.
After leaving the rehab for prescription medication, following a stay of 28 days or longer, there is additional support available in the form of ongoing Aftercare. This is one day a week at the clinic of support and help from the therapists that you came to trust whilst in treatment. This additional support is free and is available for 12 months from the date of leaving the unit. This can be a vital source for help and ongoing direction to help keep us from relapsing, especially in those early days when we return to the home environment and get used to being back in the real world.
The sooner that we honestly mentally assess and acknowledge our problem the sooner we can get into treatment and get well.