A dangerous trend that has emerged in the last ten years is polydrug abuse. With this kind of drug abuse, users combine different drugs in order to achieve certain results. Many people today fail to see the seriousness of abusing prescription drugs, and instead are becoming comfortable with abusing more than one substance at a time.
Abusing Prescription Drugs
Polydrug abuse began with the rise of prescription medications. People in society today are quick to pop pills when something ails them. There are now medications to manage pain, cure sleeplessness, reduce anxiety, lose weight, and increase focus. Sometimes we get so used to quick remedies that we forget about the dangers of many of these medications.
The problem starts when someone self-medicates for something without the supervision of a doctor. People share prescription medications all the time, and this in itself can be very risky. Over time, though, people begin to think they should even combine different medications as necessary for their comfort. Individuals may take a sleeping pill at night to help them sleep, and then a stimulant to get themselves going in the morning. If self-medicating with one drug is dangerous, abusing multiple medications at the same time is even more serious.
Combining Prescription and Illicit Drugs
Some people take it one step further and combine prescription drugs with illicit drugs or alcohol. This can also lead to toxicity and dangerous side effects. Prescription, illicit, and over the counter drugs can all produce serious side effects when taken alone, and when combined with each other they pose even more of a threat.
In order to prevent more individuals from getting hurt or dying from polydrug abuse, it is important that we help society develop a more healthy respect for prescription drugs. Medications can provide many benefits when taken under the care of a physician, but when abused they can lead to injury, illness, and death.