Drug abuse: Addicted to prescription?

By Riffat Sadiq
Addiction. The word brings to mind the use of illegal drugs, abused by junkies huddled in dark corners. Hardly anyone thinks of the drugs in their own medicine cabinet, prescribed by a certified physician. Yet, unfortunately, the incidence of addiction to perfectly legal, commonly prescribed drugs is increasing every day.
Healing, in the strictest sense, is not just confined to doling out medicine but requires a holistic approach. Responsibility, empathy and trustworthy attitude on the part of professionals go a long way towards speeding up the recovery process. Unfortunately, many health professionals do not bother to go into details and merely treat the surface problem as it appears.
Many female addicts in a rehabilitation centre report that when they consulted doctors in case of severe tension and disturbed sleep, they were prescribed tranquilisers. Over time, use of tranquilisers led to addiction. Painkillers prescribed after surgery can also lead to addiction.
Prescribing medicines based on incomplete history and injecting painkillers without informing the patient of the precautions and risks can have serious, far-reaching consequences. When a patient complains of disturbed sleep, health professionals should try to discover the underlying factors and refer these patients to psychologists/psychotherapist to be counselled in this regard.
At the very least, doctors themselves must try to counsel the patient on the spot and think carefully before making out a prescription. It is their responsibility to make the patient understand the dangers of the drug they are going to take.
Causes behind emotional disturbances vary between men and women. In men, usually, the pressure to be the bread-earner can take a toll. Job and workplace conflicts/politics, heavy workload and a feeling of inadequacy due to not being able to provide the best for their family can lead to frustration and stress. Domestic issues like disturbed conjugal life, demands and expectations of family members, etc. also lead to tension and may cause hypertension, lack of sleep, etc.
For women, the issues may be somewhat different. Conflict with in-laws, the pressure of dealing with one’s own parents, lack of attention from partner, lack of amenities, the burden of household chores and managing the children, not having enough time to socialise and a feeling of lack of control over their own life can adversely affect their health.
Furthermore, in our society, unmarried women often suffer feelings of loneliness and deprivation owing to society’s attitude towards them.
These factors lay the ground for emotional turmoil that is reported to doctors in the form of headache, tension, disturbed sleep, tiredness, body aches, loss of appetite, etc. Tranquilisers prescribed in such cases simply take the patient deeper into the abyss of depression.
Some of the media too, is playing a very irresponsible role by promoting the use of painkillers and tranquilisers.
Advertisements for over-the-counter analgesics and anti-histamines simply promote the concept that pills can be popped like candy whenever the need arises. Health authorities need to instruct manufacturers to include warnings in their advertising.
There is also a very disturbing trend of self-medication prevalent in our society. Once the patient has been prescribed a certain medicine, he/she tops-up the prescription as and when they feel the need. People also, often take medicines on their friends’ recommendation instead of visiting the doctor themselves.
We need to create awareness regarding the fact that even seemingly harmless drugs should be taken with caution, as per a doctor’s advice.

Ref : http://www.dawn.com/2011/03/06/drug-abuse-addicted-to-prescription.html