DO prescription drugs benefit or Hurt the Brain?
Prescription drugs can often be the answer for life-altering conditions including ADHD, chronic pain or sleep disorders. These drugs help stimulate and mimic a well-functioning brain, so there are a number of people whose lives are changed daily because of prescription drugs. Without them, they would have a lower quality of life. Not all drugs are used to treat serious illnesses. Some treat small ailments from time to time with great success. Vicodin and Oxycontin medications are used to ease pain after surgery or other conditions causing pain. Some prescription drugs cure the ailment; some make it easier to live with so that the patient can endure the condition. Prescription drugs make life easier when dealing with a short-term or some times long-term condition. Some medications have psychoactive (mind-altering) properties and, because of that, are sometimes abused—that is, taken for reasons or in ways or amounts not intended by a doctor, or taken by someone other than the person for whom they are prescribed. In fact, prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are, after marijuana (and alcohol), the most commonly abused substances by Americans 14 and older.
Unfortunately, some people who take prescription drugs that were only meant for a short time find themselves dependent upon them. Dosages, length of time on the drug and the type of drug can all contribute to the chance that a patient can become addicted to the drug. Drugs prescribed for pain and insomnia that are also narcotics or sedatives especially put patients at risk for dependency, and not all health care professionals are as careful as they should be when prescribing these drugs.