Prescription drug addiction is a growing problem in the San Francisco Bay Area and around the country, as more and more doctors prescribe opiate-based painkillers for both minor and major surgeries and chronic health conditions.  From Walnut Creek to Mill Valley, and Tiburon to Oakland people from all walks of life have fallen into the trap of prescription drug addiction, and many have no prior history of drug or alcohol abuse.  The problem often occurs after a surgical procedure or injury that requires pain medication, or with a persistent condition like arthritis or back pain.  In some cases, opiate dependency to pills such as Vicodin, OxyContin, Percodan, Lortab and others can happen as quickly as six to eight weeks after continuous use.  Most people do not realize that opiate painkillers are made from the same basic ingredients as heroin and they can be just as addictive.  That is why the number of prescription drug addiction cases in America has grown so quickly and now far exceeds those of addiction to illegal opiates like heroine and cocaine.

 Prescription drug addiction can affect anyone, from a senior citizen to a suburban soccer mom to a teenager.  A far cry from the “junkie” in the street, the new face of prescription drug addiction can now look a lot more like your neighbor or your spouse.  Sadly, this epidemic is also affecting many teenagers who find these drugs in the medicine cabinet at home.  Some teenagers think prescription drugs are safer than street drugs and are more willing to give them a try, not realizing the addictive power they can hold.  Anyone with a chronic pain condition is also at risk for opiate dependency, and that means the elderly are particularly vulnerable to prescription drug addiction, since they often manage multiple health conditions with several prescriptions. 

Many people believe that with sufficient will power, any obstacle can be overcome.  But recent research shows that prescription drug addiction is a medical condition caused by changes in the brain.  In fact, prescription drug addiction is now being treated more like a chronic disease such as diabetes, and successful treatment requires a multi-pronged approach.  The first step is to help a patient mitigate the difficult withdrawal process of prescription medication addiction.  When a patient decides to stop using opiates, they start to experience painful withdrawal symptoms that can include nausea, vomiting, sweating, anxiety, muscle aches and sleeplessness.  Withdrawal from prescription drug addiction can be debilitating and many can’t go through it without medical intervention.  That is why, at the San Francisco Bay Area Reliance Center™, we use a combination of the science-based addiction medication, Buprenorphine, to help alleviate withdrawal symptoms, along with comprehensive counseling and lifestyle adaptation, to help restore patients to a healthy life without drugs.

The Reliance Center™ works with each patient individually, to create an opiate treatment plan to help liberate him or her from the shackles of prescription drug addiction.  At our San Francisco outpatient facility, we have developed and trademarked an opiate detox program that helps to alleviate both the physiological and psychological dimensions of withdrawal.  This allows patients recovering from prescription drug addiction to live their normal lives, as they continue with the rest of the treatment program including comprehensive counseling and behavior therapies.  When used synergistically, these different treatment options can help free those trapped by prescription drug addiction, so they can enjoy healthy, productive lives again.

If you would like more detailed information about prescription drug treatment and the opiate treatment program at San Francisco’s Reliance Center™, please read about our evidence-based medication and counseling approach on our website, call us today at 415-788-0500, or e-mail us at info@RelianceCenter.com.  Our goal is to help each patient experience a full recovery from prescription drug addiction.