Too often, someone who is prescribed medication does not take the drug according to the doctor’s order. This can build up a tolerance to the substance and eventually progresses to an addiction. While taking a prescribed medication according to a doctor’s orders may seem harmless, the high rate of addictions that develop from such an innocent starting point is a harsh reality to face.

If you have found yourself like an estimated 18 million other Americans who have misused prescriptions in the past year (according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse), it’s time you seek treatment. With the right help you can overcome prescription drug abuse and get your life back.

Identify barriers to recovery

If you’ve tried to break free from prescription drug abuse before and it hasn’t worked, it’s time to identify what’s getting in your way.

Chronic pain: The vast majority of individuals who have a prescription drug addiction start using the substances legally as medical pain relief. Often, a tolerance builds before the pain subsides, and a person is left facing an addiction in an effort to numb the discomfort.

Availability of prescription drugs: Breaking an addiction can be extremely difficult if you have a prescription yourself or if you know someone who does. Many individuals also keep extra medication or fill prescriptions they don’t use, so the drugs are easy to obtain.

Negative thinking: Recovering from substance abuse can feel entirely physical at times and entirely mental at others. Negative thinking can leave you in a rut that seems impossible to climb out of. That’s why changing thought patterns is crucial in recovery.

These common barriers and more may seem impossible to overcome, but knowing the challenges you’re up against is the first step to recovery. If you can’t identify obstacles on your own, talking it out in therapy or counseling can shed light on your situation and break down those barriers.

Committing to change

Once you’ve identified and acknowledged the barriers that have prevented you from overcoming prescription drug abuse in the past, you need to decide to fully commit to getting the help you need. If you’ve tried on your own to kick the habit and it hasn’t worked, agreeing to start prescription drug detox in a licensed facility is the next step you need to take.

Starting treatment

A prescription drug rehab program can equip you with the skills and resources you need to fight your triggers for the best foundation to recovery. In rehab for prescription drug abuse, you’ll learn to change negative thought patterns, identify triggers and develop tools to help you cope in the face of cravings.

Continuing treatment

Your treatment will generally start with inpatient services, especially as you detox from drugs and experience withdrawal symptoms. Once your body is flushed of toxins, you will transition to outpatient or partial hospitalization services, which are less intense but still offer crucial support.

In a prescription drug rehab program, you’ll be connected to continuing services. With most continuing treatment you can definitely expect therapy or addiction counseling and additional life skills assistance, such as help with employment, education or housing.

Recovery success is correlated with long-term treatment, so continuing services is critical to your success.

Build up a lifestyle that supports recovery

While professional services are essential, participating in treatment alone is only part of the puzzle. A lifestyle that jeopardizes your progress needs to change, and the sooner you start the better.

Switching social circles, taking care of your body, getting better sleep and finding stable employment might be necessary to protect your sobriety. While these changes will take time, slowly making lifestyle changes enhances the effect of your treatment and makes recovery last. Moreover, you’ll learn all about creating a healthy lifestyle in your continuing treatment, so you don’t have to worry about doing this alone.

Starting treatment for prescription drug abuse

Silver Ridge Recovery is a rehab facility that caters to midlife adults. Licensed and certified staff at Silver Ridge Recovery can help you change thought patterns, build skills to break an addiction and build up a life that makes recovery more sustainable. Call 855-945-7788 to find hope and healing.