Prescription pill addiction is when you misuse and abuse drugs that are generally safe in small doses when prescribed by a doctor for specific conditions. There are three large classes of pills that are most commonly abused, and these are categorized under benzodiazepines, stimulants and sedatives. Depending on the class of drug that’s being abused, side effects and addiction levels may vary. Opioids, also known as an opiate or narcotic, are a class of drugs that act in the central nervous system to produce feelings of pain relief and overall pleasure, which can develop into an addictive feeling. An opioid is a prescription painkiller that can be used to treat chronic and severe pain and is one of the most over-prescribed medication classes among healthcare providers. Once a person feels the compulsive urge to use opioid drugs when no longer required medically, that is when an addiction can begin. 

Opioid addiction changes the chemistry of the brain and can easily lead to a drug tolerance, meaning that over time you’d have to up your doses to feel the same effect you did initially. This is very dangerous because the more you take the opioid, the more dependent you become on the pills, and the easier it becomes to overdose. Valley Recovery Center’s drug rehab in California offers prescription medication addiction treatment that begins with a detox where you stop taking the drug in order to rid your body of the toxins that have been building up in your system over time. This is a very difficult, yet highly necessary step in the recovery process that patients need to follow in order to rid themselves of their addiction. From there, one-on-one behavioral therapy and counseling is required for our patients to be able to gain an understanding of their addiction and learn how to battle the urge to relapse in the future, as many addicts do. In order to avoid relapse, we need to get down to the root of the addiction and work together to understand it so we can fight it together.