Jonathan Rhys Meyers: Drug Overdose and Drug Rehab

Actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers of Tudors fame was recently rushed to the hospital for a drug overdose. Though initial reports said that the overdose was a suicide attempt, it was later determined that Rhys Meyers’ overdose was inadvertent and was related to an ongoing prescription drug addiction that has had the star in drug rehab multiple times over. He’s been to rehab five times in the past few years and was famously banned from an airline for drunken misbehavior.

When he was found in his London home after overdosing, he initially refused treatment but an ambulance was called to help him anyway. He was soon released.

The Risk of Drug Overdose is Still a Risk With Long-Term Prescription Drug Addiction

Many active prescription drug addicts believe that if they have been abusing painkillers or anti-anxiety medications for a long time, they have little to no risk of overdosing. They believe they know their bodies well enough to risk inadvertently taking too much. Unfortunately, those living with a chronic prescription drug addiction are just as likely to experience an overdose as users who are new to the drug, for a number of reasons. Here are a few:

• Mixing prescription drugs with alcohol. Many think that it’s not a big deal to take a drink or two with their medication, but this is one of the most common causes of overdose. Even just a couple of drinks can overwhelm a body’s chemistry made delicate by years of addiction.
• Taking a break. Even the shortest break due to travel, spending a few days in jail, or simply running out of your medication with no resource for getting more can reset your body’s chemistry. Another common time for overdose occurs when tolerance is lowered through to non-use or less use of the drug of choice. An accidental overdose very often occurs just through taking the “normal” dose.
• Taking doses too close together. The longer you live with an active prescription drug addiction, the more difficult it is to work through the haze. Keeping up with days, times, conversations – it can be difficult. Many overdose when they take another dose of their medication too soon after the last dose.

Avoid Prescription Drug Overdose at Rehab

It’s not always possible to get treatment in time to survive a prescription drug overdose. The risk is simply not worth taking. If you are living with a prescription drug addiction, seek treatment immediately. Contact us today at Orchid Recovery Center.