7.5 million Americans are addicted to prescription drugs in the United States according to a 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health [1].
There’s a common misconception that if a drug is prescribed by a doctor it must be completely safe.
The problem is that people are getting prescribed medications for a symptom — for which the drugs usually eliminate — only to find it increasingly difficult to stop taking the medication later on.
The addictive nature of certain prescription drugs makes it hard to stop taking when the prescription comes to an end. People are driven by a subconscious mental force to renew the prescription — or find illicit alternatives to give them the same relief.
Sedatives, anti-anxiety medications, stimulants, and anti-depressants are all habit-forming — and highly addictive.
Understanding how addiction works, and what you can do to stop it in its tracks is the first step on the road to recovery.