According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2 million Americans began abusing prescription painkillers in 2017, which means painkiller addiction among suburban housewives may be on the rise.
Prescription painkillers like Vicodin and Percocet are safe for treating short-term pain, but people may abuse them because they are highly addictive and can make a person feel very relaxed.
Women may be especially vulnerable to the effects of prescription pills used to treat pain because research shows that women are more sensitive to pain than men are, and they are at a greater risk of prescription painkiller abuse.
This means that a woman who is prescribed opiates following surgery or to treat a chronic pain condition can find herself becoming addicted.
People may think that the abuse of prescription pills only occurs in poor, urban areas, but the reality is that painkiller addiction among suburban housewives is a real concern.
Painkiller abuse is widespread and can affect anyone.
Suburban housewives may begin taking prescription pills for legitimate reasons, such as to treat pain following a surgery or injury, but painkiller addictions develop because of the properties of prescription painkillers.
Per the National Institute on Drug Abuse, prescription painkillers have a relaxing effect and can make a person feel high, which can lead some people to abuse them.
Painkiller addiction may develop when a person takes larger doses than a doctor prescribes, or when they use prescription pills to get high.
It is also important to understand that prescription painkillers increase the levels of a brain chemical called dopamine, which has a rewarding effect.
Over time, people may also develop a tolerance for prescription pills, meaning they will need larger doses of pills to experience the same effects.
This can cause women to seek out more prescription pills, ultimately leading to painkiller addiction.
Some people may think that painkiller addiction is not a serious concern since painkillers are prescription pills with legitimate medical uses, but this could not be further from the truth. The National Institute on Drug Abuse warns of the negative effects of painkiller abuse, which can include drowsiness, constipation, confusion, and nausea.
In large doses, prescription painkillers can cause slowed breathing and even cut off the supply of oxygen to the brain. This can cause serious complications, such as brain damage, coma, and even death.
Another consequence of abusing prescription pills is the development of a painkiller addiction, which often requires drug rehab.
When a woman develops a painkiller addiction, an addiction treatment professional will diagnose a substance use disorder, which is the clinical term for an addiction. Symptoms of a substance use disorder, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, include strong drug cravings, being unable to reduce drug use, and using larger amounts of drugs than intended.
Other symptoms can include using drugs even when it causes health problems, continuing to use prescription pills despite trouble fulfilling duties at work, home, or school, and giving up other activities in favor of drug use.
Suburban housewives who find that they are forgoing parenting and household duties or giving up leisure time activities because of drug use, or who are finding that they cannot stop using prescription pills, may have developed a painkiller addiction, even if a doctor is prescribing the medication.
Withdrawal is one of the reasons that drug rehab is often necessary for women who struggle with painkiller addiction. Painkiller withdrawal occurs because over time, the body becomes physically dependent upon prescription pills. Once a person stops using these drugs, the body has to adapt and therefore experiences withdrawal symptoms.
Prescription painkiller withdrawal can be extremely unpleasant, making it difficult for a person to stop using these drugs. For example, a woman who is a suffering from painkiller addiction may experience sleep disturbances, goose bumps, cold sweats, involuntary leg movements, diarrhea, vomiting, and pain in the muscles and bones when withdrawing from prescription painkillers.
A drug rehab can offer a detox program, where medical staff provide care, support, and supervision to women as their bodies rid themselves of drugs. This can keep them as safe and as comfortable as possible as they go through withdrawal from prescription pills.
Since prescription painkillers are so addictive and can lead to uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms, it is often difficult for women to stop using these pills without going to drug rehab.
If you have been struggling with addiction to prescription pills, a drug rehab program will often begin your treatment plan with a stay in detox to help you through the withdrawal process. According to experts, a doctor working in a drug rehab program may prescribe medications like methadone or buprenorphine to help with drug cravings and withdrawal symptoms as you detox from prescription painkillers.
After completing detox, it is important to continue your drug rehab journey with an ongoing program that includes behavioral treatments like counseling. A type of counseling like cognitive behavioral therapy can help you to cope with triggers and stress that might lead to drug use and teach you healthier ways of thinking about drugs.
A combination of medication and counseling is usually the best approach for treating addiction, so you may continue to take a medication like buprenorphine or methadone while engaged in ongoing drug rehab.
If you are struggling with painkiller addiction, and you are ready to seek drug rehab, Best Rehabs In Arizona has locations in Colorado and Arizona. We are also happy to accept patients from surrounding areas.
Best Rehabs In Arizona offers various levels of treatment, including residential, partial hospitalization, and outpatient. We also offer a detox program. If you are living with a painkiller addiction, your treatment journey with us will likely begin with detox, so you can be safe and comfortable while your body goes through withdrawal from prescription pills.
After you complete detox, our team will help you to determine the best type of treatment for your specific situation. We are a premier drug rehab center, and our leadership team has over 25 years of experience in the addiction field, so you can be confident that you are getting the best care possible for your painkiller addiction.
We are also considered a dual diagnosis treatment center, meaning we can treat both addiction and mental illness.
Once you have decided it is time to go to drug rehab for prescription pills, you have to determine how you will pay for treatment.
At Best Rehabs In Arizona, we offer an online insurance verification program so you can find out how much it will cost you to attend treatment.
Simply fill out a form on our website, and a member of our team will contact you to tell you what your insurance covers and how much you can expect to pay out-of-pocket.
We can also create a cash payment plan if you do not plan to pay for treatment with insurance.
Contact us today to begin your journey toward sobriety.
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