By: Lakeview Health
America has become a “pill popping” nation. No matter what ailment may appear, most Americans feel confident there’s a pill that will solve the problem. Even more alarming is the notion many people are willing to combine medications in order to get the desired effect. That is what has become known as polysubstance abuse.
More About Polysubstance Abuse
It’s surprising how many people like to think of themselves as amateur pharmacists. They are courageous and idealistic in the way they self-prescribe drugs to treat their ailments or simply get some form of emotional relief. The fact that they combine prescription drugs, or worse yet, prescription and illicit drugs, could certainly be classified as reckless behavior. On its own, every drug known to mankind becomes dangerous when misused or abused. In a recent study, the American Society of Addiction Medicine reported that there were 47,055 drug-related deaths in 2014. While nearly 60% of those deaths were attributable to heroin or painkillers, the rest occurred because of the misuse or abuse of prescription medications such as anti-depressants. It’s alarming to consider that the abuse of two or more drugs in combination increases the danger by a factor of 10.
The Dangers of Polysubstance Abuse
When people start mixing drugs, they are effectively wandering into uncharted territory. Scientists are well aware of the side effects and potency of any singular drug because of the hours of required testing that are performed. Unfortunately, there isn’t much call for scientists to start testing drug combinations just because some amateur pharmacist has an idea for a new treatment. The lack of knowledge about the possible side effects of untested drug combinations creates a danger that could easily be life threatening. Additionally, the potential addictive properties of uncommon drug combinations are unknown, which exposes the user to the possible creation of an addiction without them even considering the possibility. It’s this type of reckless behavior that leads some people straight to the front door of a substance abuse treatment center like Lakeview Health in Jacksonville, Florida.
About Lakeview Health
Lakeview Health is a licensed treatment center that specializes in using a comprehensive selection of treatment modalities to help patients who are suffering from the disease of addiction. Aside from standard therapy and counseling, our facility embraces the use of dual diagnosis therapy, family therapy, aftercare follow-up programs, the 12 Steps of Recovery and an in-house detox program for men and women who need it. All of these programs are part of a treatment process that is directed toward educating patients and teaching them the coping skills they will need to avoid relapses in the future. When you’re ready to begin the fight against your addiction to one or more substances, our licensed counselors and clinicians at Lakeview Health are prepared to take you through a safe and highly successful treatment process tailored to your specific needs. With one call to (866) 704-7692, you can get back on track with the life you were meant to live without the need for drugs.
