Prescription Drugs Addiction Treatment In Toronto
The prescription drug addiction and overdose epidemic is one of the most significant health challenges facing the modern world. Since the 1990s, prescription medications such as opioids, benzodiazepines, and amphetamines have been prescribed in ever increasing numbers across the globe. This has led to a sharp rise in the number of people suffering from prescription drug addiction and the number of overdose deaths has skyrocketed.
Freedom From Addiction offers a safe and secure environment to undergo prescription drug addiction treatment in Toronto. Our highly trained medical experts can assist with the withdrawal process, and our groundbreaking therapy programs help addicts understand the reasons behind their addiction and give them the tools necessary to defeat their issues and lead a drug free life.
What are Prescription Drugs?
Prescription drugs are any kind of medication that is originally prescribed by a medical professional to treat a known issue. The drugs that are the most common cause of prescription drug addiction are opioids (oxycontin, methadone, etc), benzodiazepines (Xanax, valium, etc), and amphetamines (Adderall, Ritalin, etc). These drugs are legal, although tightly regulated, making possession and consumption within the bounds of the law.
The effects of prescription drugs will depend on which kind are being taken. Commonly abused drugs include:
Opioids
The effects of opioids are commonly across the entire spectrum of similar drugs, including heroin and opium. The main desirable effects are euphoria, decreased anxiety, a feeling of warmth, numbness, and drowsiness. Physical effects include constricted pupils, lowered heart rate, suppressed breathing, nausea, and vomiting. Effects can last from a couple of hours to up to 12 or more depending on the dosage and kind of opioid taken. Prescription opioids are generally ingested in pill form, however, these can be crushed up to snort or be injected as well.
Benzodiazepines
Benzodiazepines, also called benzos, are a class of drugs known as mild tranquilizers. The main effects of these prescription drugs include reduced anxiety, sleepiness, muscle relaxation, anterograde amnesia, and dissociation. The physical effects of benzodiazepine use include decreased libido, suppressed breathing, dizziness, reduced concentration, and decreased appetite. Effects can last for a few hours to 24 hours or longer, depending on the kind of benzodiazepine taken and the route of administration. Prescription benzodiazepines are usually ingested in pill form, but can be crushed up to be snorted or injected as well.
Amphetamines
Amphetamines are often prescribed to treat ADHD and assist with weight loss. Common effects include increased concentration, euphoria, increased libido, increased wakefulness, and decreased appetite. Physical effects include improved reaction time, reduced fatigue, increased muscle strength, tachycardia, and hypertension. Effects usually have a rapid onset and last anywhere from two to eight hours. Prescription amphetamines are usually ingested in pill form, but can be crushed up to be snorted or injected as well.
Tolerance, addiction, and withdrawal to all of these prescription drugs can form very quickly and subtly. As they are usually originally taken as a medication to treat a condition, many users do not realize they have become addicted until they experience withdrawal symptoms. Some of the withdrawal effects can be potentially life threatening, making addiction an extremely likely possibility. Long term use of many prescription drugs comes with a variety of negative side effects including cognitive impairment, liver damage, and behavioural changes.
Signs of Prescription Drug Addiction
The symptoms of prescription drug addiction will vary depending on what kind of drug is being abused. Some common symptoms for the above mentioned prescription drugs can be:
- Erratic behaviour
- Loss of appetite and weight loss
- Cognitive impairment
- Insomnia and sleep disturbances
- Increased anxiety and inability to cope with stress
- Financial issues stemming from drug use
- Apathy or avoidance of social interactions
These are just some of the signs and symptoms that can indicate a prescription drug addiction. If you notice any of these in yourself or a loved one, you may be dealing with an addiction problem and should seek prescription drug addiction treatment as soon as possible.
Prescription Drug Addiction Treatment At Freedom From Addiction
Freedom From Addiction is Toronto’s premier prescription drug addiction treatment centre. We focus on a comprehensive detox and healing process that gives clients the tools they need to take back control of their lives.
As prescription drugs are initially used as a therapeutic medicine, addiction can happen subtly without the user noticing. Withdrawal can occur just a few hours after the last dose, and can involve muscle spasms, severe aches, chills, nausea, vomiting, and more. Going through these symptoms on your own can be very challenging, and most users who attempt to do so will relapse quickly. Freedom From Addiction offers a state of the art medical detox facility, where users can go through withdrawals in a supervised setting. This allows our medical staff to monitor their condition and provide medications that can alleviate some of the more unpleasant symptoms.
Our exclusive prescription drug addiction treatment program combines a range of different techniques to maximize the chances of staying on the path of sobriety. We use in depth behavioural therapy to help retrain clients’ brains on how to handle cravings and stressful situations, giving them the tools they need to survive in the outside world. We also utilize individual and group therapy to help clients work through the root causes of their addiction and why they might have continued to use the drug after they were no longer therapeutically useful.
In addition to these treatments, we also offer personalized fitness routines and meals in our exceptional facility in Toronto. Physical activity has been shown to improve mental clarity and reduce the chances of relapse in addicts, as well as providing a range of physical health benefits. We offer group fitness classes, as well as gym equipment for clients to use on their own.
Freedom From Addiction takes pride in being the leading prescription drug addiction treatment centre in Toronto. We have received the prestigious Qmentum grade accreditation from Accreditation Canada, something only a handful of addiction clinics have achieved across Canada. Our focus on holistic prescription drug addiction treatment allows our clients to regain control of their lives while rebuilding important social connections.
Contact us today and find out how we can help you.
Patients who are addicted to prescription drugs exhibit a variety of telltale behaviours including lying to their doctors about physical symptoms in order to score more pills, taking prescription medications that belong to someone else, or even grinding up the pills into a powder and snorting them in large quantities. Substance abuse is generally defined as continually engaging in destructive behaviour despite the overwhelming negative consequences on one’s life and taking high volumes of prescription drugs certainly falls under that category.
This is a grey area for a number of reasons. It’s highly inadvisable to purchase prescription drugs from online sources unless you’re buying them directly from the manufacturer and can verify the legitimacy of the supplier or online pharmacy. In most countries like the United States, it’s illegal to purchase prescription drugs online that are imported from other countries, even if you’re purchasing them directly from the supplier. On top of that, purchasing prescription drugs online is very dangerous because you might not always know exactly where the drugs were manufactured and what ingredients are included in them.
According to the National Institute On Drug Abuse (NIDA), the following are a list of the most commonly abused prescription medications: prescription opioids, over-the-counter cough/cold medications, prescription stimulants, steroids, prescription sedatives and tranquilizers, inhalants, and methamphetamines.
There are a number of extenuating factors that can influence the symptoms a patient who’s addicted to painkillers might exhibit. Oftentimes, they might lie about being in chronic pain in order to convince their physicians to renew their prescriptions against their better judgment. Genetic predisposition and the extent of the abuse or addiction also play an important role in determining the symptoms. There are a number of physical and social cues that can indicate if a person is addicted to prescription drugs. These include constant isolation, drastic mood swings, unparalleled euphoria, stealing money or other things from loved ones in order to obtain more drugs, lying to everyone you know, and visiting different doctors to trick them into prescribing you painkillers.
The following symptoms indicate that someone you know might be in need of prescription drug rehab: if they’re constantly lying to you about what they’re doing or where they are and who they’re with; erratic behaviour or mood swings; complete and total social isolation; and constantly missing work and neglecting other important obligations. These are just a few of the major signs you should be aware of if you suspect someone you know and love might be indulging a little too much in prescription drugs.
The cost of enrolling in a drug rehab centre can vary depending on a few different factors including the length of your stay, the extent of your addiction or abuse, as well as whether you’re enrolling in an inpatient or outpatient program. At Freedom From Addiction, we exclusively offer inpatient drug and alcohol treatment because we believe this is a more effective and long-lasting method of treating our patients.
Legally, your employer can’t fire you for enrolling in a drug rehabilitation or drug detox program. However, whether or not you’ll physically be able to continue working throughout the duration of your treatment depends mostly on whether you choose to participate on an inpatient or outpatient basis. Inpatient drug rehab programs are typically more intensive and in-depth because the require patients to live on the premises full-time for any given period of time, depending on how well their treatment goes. Outpatient programs are a little less focused and riskier because they allow the patient to continue living their life uninterrupted, which can present opportunities for more triggers.
There is no precise deadline by which you’re expected to complete your treatment. In fact, overcoming a prescription drug addiction can be a very overwhelming and daunting endeavour. That’s why we discourage our patients from putting too much pressure on themselves, as this can actually increase the risk of relapsing. That said, we do encourage our patients to set achievable and realistic goals for themselves, which our staff will also help them work towards.
While the success rate of prescription drug addiction is fairly high, so is the rate of relapse for a lot of patients. However, relapse shouldn’t be viewed as a failure in your treatment trajectory. Rather, relapse is simply an indicator that further treatment or an adjustment in your treatment plan may be necessary. In fact, most people are likely to relapse several times throughout their treatment and recovery period. Think of it as an opportunity to continually re-evaluate your priorities and set more attainable goals for yourself and work with an incentive program to reward yourself every time you accomplish a goal.