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Prescription Drug Addiction

While an eating disorder can become a serious medical condition it can also lead to an extremely dangerous prescription drug addiction. There are a large number of people who choose to couple their eating disorder with prescription drug abuse in an attempt to manage feelings, lose weight or “control” any undesired weight.

Prescription Drug Addiction – Symptoms & Consequences

Prescription drugs fall into three main categories: opioids, central nervous system depressants and central nervous system stimulants. Prescription drugs that are commonly used in conjunction with an eating disorder are the stimulants Ritalin and Dexedrine and depressants including Xanax and Valium.

When prescription medication is abused for an extended period of time the abuser can develop a prescription drug addiction. A prescription drug addiction is characterized by:

• Excessive use of the drug
• A chemical dependence on the drug
• Drug tolerance

As a person gets deeper into their prescription drug addiction certain symptoms will begin to show. Some of the symptoms are:

• Severe mood swings
• Anxiety
• Irritability
• Depression
• Sadness
• Lack of energy

Prescription drug addiction can have many serious consequences, including:

• Loss of employment
• Poor grades
• Poor attention span
• Deteriorating interpersonal relationships
• Isolation
• Medial problems
• Legal difficulties

As with any other drug addiction, overdose is also a possibility.

Prescription Drug Addiction and Eating Disorders

Most individuals struggling with an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia have two goals; the loss of weight and the management of feelings. The person will try to achieve these goals through starving, purging or excessively exercising. Eating disorders have serious medical and psychological complications. A prescription drug addiction exacerbates an already dangerous eating disorder making prompt treatment imperative!

Individuals who have an eating disorder and a prescription drug addiction are considered to have a dual diagnosis. With the help of detox and medical stabilization, a patient can overcome their addiction. Once the drugs are discontinued, the patient can begin the process of breaking any binging, purging or restricting behavior. Our comprehensive dual diagnosis treatment program includes:

• Medically-supervised drug detox to manage the drug withdrawal process
• Drug rehabilitation
• Nutritional counseling
• Individual therapy
• Experiential therapy
• Relapse prevention
• Group therapy
• Family therapy
• Aftercare

If you are suffering from a prescription drug addiction or eating disorder, please call our nationally recognized toll-free helpline today at 1-800-542-4610. Find treatment centers that can help you recover your health and reclaim your life. Caring professionals are standing by 24/7 to assist you and all calls are confidential.