Prescription Drug Interventions
Intervention for those addicted to prescription drugs may be necessary to get those people the help the professional they need. In an intervention, those who are closest to the addict will let the addict know about the damage that prescription drug abuse is causing to the addict, their family and friends. Ideally, this confrontation will convince the addicted person to begin a drug treatment program and move forward with a life free of drugs.
Intervention for those addicted to prescription drugs is complicated by several factors. First, people who abuse prescription drugs are particularly resistant to the label of “drug addict.” Secondly, people who abuse prescription drugs frequently have conditions that cause chronic pain, so full cessation of painkillers is not possible. Lastly, even people who do not have legitimate painful conditions may feel like they do. Luckily, if an intervention is performed strategically, it is likely to succeed in convincing the individual to address his or her problem via a prescription drug rehab program.
The Orchid Recovery Center is well-versed in the power that prescription drugs can hold over women. Every element of treatment at The Orchid is designed to release the grip prescription drugs have over the individual – and help provide the tools necessary to get clean and stay sober.
Challenges with Interventions for Prescription Drug Addiction
Many people who become addicted to prescription drugs are first introduced to those drugs by a physician’s prescription for a real and legitimate condition. However, over time and usage, the individual becomes more and more dependent, eventually moving from prescription drug abuse to full-on addiction. For many of these users, however, the idea of being a drug addict appears unlikely. The image of an addict is someone who buys drugs on the corner, not someone going to the doctor and getting a prescription. This leads to denial and a lack of self-awareness about one’s condition.
The Orchid helps families perform more effective interventions that reduce shame and increase the chance that the individual will begin to understand the depth of their prescription drug addiction.
Another challenge to an effective prescription drug intervention is the presence of a legitimate painful condition. For someone who has a truly painful physical condition, the prospect of going without painkillers altogether is neither realistic nor welcome. Coming to that person in an intervention and suggesting that they are an addict who must give up his or her medication “cold turkey” is not going to be well accepted.
At the same time, no medical condition is likely to be improved by the addition of an addiction to prescription drugs on top of it. For these people, an interventionist must make very clear the difference between legitimate, prescribed use and abuse. It is a “fine line” to walk – which is why a professional drug interventionist is so valuable to have on hand for the meeting.
The third challenge of interventions with someone addicted to prescription drugs involves the confusion between legitimate and illegitimate pain. For some addicts, the mind is powerful enough to create pain where there is no physical cause for it. After all, if the person believes that taking the prescription drug is only permitted in the presence of pain, and the addicted mind wants that pain the mind will create the pain to justify the medication.
Often the intervention can be made more successful if it follows an event that highlights the damage that the prescription drug addiction is creating in the person’s life. If, for instance, the individual runs out of medication and undergoes painful withdrawal symptoms and cravings, they might begin to question their attachment to the drugs. Alternatively, if someone undergoes a physical problem because of excessive prescription drug use, that might be a wake up signal.
The professionals at The Orchid Recovery Center understand these challenges, and the obstacles they present in getting someone into a drug treatment program. From intervention to aftercare, The Orchid is there to help the recovering addict and her family address important issues – all the while staying hopeful and uplifting the individual in mind, body and spirit. For more information about gender-specific treatment for women, contact The Orchid today.