Sedative addiction is a dangerously worrying aspect of everyday society that grows with each year. For example, in 2008 in the state of Texas alone, an estimated 7,000 people were arrested for illegally possessing or using prescription sedative drugs, and this figure has since annually increased. Many people who suffer from drug addiction struggle to avoid a life of continuous sedative use. Possibly the most difficult aspect for a sufferer to live with is the challenging withdrawal effects of any medication that someone has become addicted to over months or years of uninterrupted use.
A sedative is a prescription drug that helps to encourage sleep or an inherent feeling of relaxation and calm. They are also referred to as central nervous system (CNS) sleeping pill depressants, and are taken by those who feel high levels of anxiety and depression, or those suffering from insomnia (sleeplessness). Because the majority of sedatives have highly addictive qualities, a prescription is required from a doctor. Utilizing medication on a daily basis can create a powerful, controlling dependence that develops into an all-consuming element of a person's life, where both the body and brain fundamentally rely on sedatives to cope.
People who regularly take sedatives can swiftly build up a tolerance for the drug's inbuilt effects, and a larger dose is needed every time afterwards to generate the same required effect. A habitual compulsion to sedative abuse can transpire without the person becoming aware of it, especially if they have been prescribed medication for long-term treatment for medical conditions such as chronic back pain after a surgical operation. Sedatives offer a euphoric feeling with an overall sense of well being and serenity, and typically fall into three categories:
Sedatives that help keep a person peaceful and tranquil without forcing them to go to sleep
Sedatives that wholly promote sleep, and help insomnia sufferers to fall asl00eep quicker
Sedatives that aid in keeping people asleep for longer periods of time, so that they do not wake up at some stage during the night
Approximately 60 million people each year are prescribed sedatives by their medical doctors, and, within even as little as a month of persistent use, someone can develop a dependence on the medication they have been prescribed by a doctor. After taking a sedative, the user will feel drowsy, and may also develop coordination problems and/or garbled speech patterns. Memory loss or a severe lack of attention may become a routine trait, and some people may tend to lapse into a stupor and become unresponsive. At times, the seriousness of an addiction can altogether snowball out of control into a full-blown physical and psychological dependency.
Withdrawal symptoms include high levels of nervousness and anxiety, as well as tremors, aggression, restlessness, increased heartbeat and/or breathing, a lack of appetite, and a rise or fall in blood pressure. The power of an addiction will usually mean that an abuser of sedatives will try to maintain their drug usage even if it begins to cause difficult problems on a daily basis, normally meaning that interpersonal relationships frequently suffer. To gain more access to the sedative medication that they crave, many addicts choose to visit different doctors in an attempt to acquire multiple prescriptions that meet the demands of a user's addiction-led lifestyle.
When an addictive dependency forms over time, withdrawal symptoms are always difficult to deal with, and the entire detoxification process can become hard to endure. However, you should never allow sedative addiction to worsen before someone seeks the help they deserve. If you think you have a problem with sedatives, addiction treatment can help you on the road to recovery.
