What is Prescription Drug Abuse?
The only safe and legal way to use prescription drugs is in the manner and frequency prescribed by a licensed physician, and when that medication has been prescribed for you and only you. Using a prescription – even a legitimate one – more frequently or in higher-than-prescribed doses is abuse.
Even if your prescription drug treatment starts off perfectly in line with your doctor’s recommendations, it’s possible for that use to turn into dependency and eventually prescription drug abuse. Statistics show that some 48 million Americans 12 years of age or older have used prescription drugs for a reason other than as prescribed, an epidemic that has translated in to an overall increase in overdose-related emergency room visits and an uptick in the number of people seeking help through prescription drug rehab.
Detox and Withdrawal
The first step towards beating a prescription drug habit is coming clean – both figuratively and literally. Depending on the extent of your MVP Health Care prescription drug detox may be done on either an inpatient or outpatient basis. While inpatient care provides 24-hour supervision and a safe place in which to focus on treatment, the associate cost is considerably higher as is the amount of time you must be away from your friends and family. On the other hand, outpatient facilities offer increased flexibility, a boon to those who need to keep up with school, family, or work obligations, but the decreased supervision can be troublesome for patients who struggle with willpower or who are easily distracted from their goal of long-term sobriety.
Check out your MVP Health Care prescription drug detox options to see a list of covered facilities in your area and in your network.
Ongoing Treatment
Beyond MVP Health Care prescription drug detox, there are two main types of addiction treatment.
- Behavioral – As the name suggests, behavioral treatment address the behaviors that lead and contribute to and result from drug use or abuse. Therapists teach patients how to identify and cope with triggers, how redirect their cravings, and what to do should temptation – or even a relapse – present itself.
- Pharmacological – Pharmacological intervention comes in the form of medications prescribed to help counteract the addictive qualities of drugs and alcohol or stem the compulsions that can lead or add to addictive behaviors. Some drugs treat co-existing disorders like depression or bi-polar disorder while others are specifically for drug abuse.
Many experts agree that to be effective, a comprehensive prescription drug abuse treatment plan will include both behavioral and pharmacological components, but ultimately the course of action depends on your doctor’s recommendation and what is best for you.