Not all drug addiction is due to illegal substances. Some people end up addicted to perfectly legal medications that are used in the wrong way. Unfortunately, after surgery or a painful injury, people can easily get addicted to pain medications. Long after the pain has subsided and the need for pain medication goes away, these people find themselves craving and needing constant input of meds.
In fact, many people looking for drug treatment around Salt Lake City, New York City, and Orlando, are looking for help to recover from prescription drugs. However, many people aren’t sure if their need for medication is truly due to pain or if it’s because they are addicted. Here’s how to tell if your habit might be an addiction instead.
Inconsistent Moods
Mood swings and inconsistent moods are both indicators that you might have a prescription pill addiction. These shifts can come on suddenly or in response to your body craving more of the medication. Most people are generally okay if they have enough of the medication in their system, but they struggle with their moods when it’s not in their system. This makes it difficult for relationships because people never know what they will experience when they are around. These mood changes are hard to ignore and mean that you might have a problem.
Anger/Frustration
This goes along with mood swings, but people with prescription pill addictions tend to get angry more easily as well as experience frustration and constant irritability. People like this will gaslight others, blame them for their bad moods, and take their anger out on people who did nothing wrong. This anger and frustration is a good indication of a prescription pill problem. Seeking out therapy, detox, and group counseling can help them recover fully from their addiction.
Erratic Sleep
One minute you’re sleeping, the next, you’re up at 3 am with more energy than you know what to do with. The day you feel exhausted and fatigued and then sleep for 12 hours straight. These erratic sleep patterns are one of the symptoms of pill addiction. Insomnia is another. When you struggle to fall asleep at night it can impact everything from your mood to your ability to focus on work and other tasks. Your health will also suffer because sleep disturbances lead to a weakened immune system, weight gain, and more.
Inability to Make Good Choices
Trying to make wise choices is important. It can help you at work, at home, make career decisions, and so much more. Impulsive behavior and an inability to make wise choices are signs that you may have an addiction to pills. When you can’t think through the pros and cons and you don’t seek out good advice, you might end up making financial or lifestyle decisions that will have a ripple effect on your life.
Symptoms of Withdrawal if You Don’t Use
Want to know if you’re addicted to those prescription pills you keep taking even though your surgery was last year? What happens if you don’t get them? Do you feel anxious, nauseated, dizzy, or in pain? Are your muscles cramping and your stomach feels like it’s tied up in knots? These are all symptoms of withdrawal and it is a sign of prescription pill dependence. Going to a rehab facility can help you detox in a place that will help you minimize these symptoms and start on a path to recovery.
Increased Forgetfulness
Are you suddenly forgetting things you should know? You can’t remember important family birthdays or anniversaries. You keep misplacing everything from your keys to important documents you need. Increased forgetfulness is one of the things that happens with prolonged prescription pill abuse. Memory loss or deterioration is not only challenging, but it could become permanent if you don’t recover from addiction.
Gastrointestinal Changes
Stomach pain, constipation, or painful GERD are some of the gastrointestinal changes you could experience if you are addicted to pills. Over time these changes can cause polyps and other cellular changes that can lead to cancer. It’s best to speak up if you need help overcoming prescription pill addiction. Your family and friends will likely be there for you after your detox and start walking the path to recovery.
