People unaware of their own addiction to prescription drugs

It is thought that many people are suffering secret addictions without realising it. Prescription drugs can lead to subtle dependencies that are often overlooked, even by those who are taking the drugs.

The BBC told the story of a French academic who was prescribed benzodiazepines by his doctor. He had been feeling under a lot of pressure while trying to cope with his mother being diagnosed with cancer and his father also being unwell. Benzodiazepines are prescribed for anxiety and insomnia.

The academic, who is also a teacher and wishes to remain anonymous to protect his career, explained: “My doctor in France didn’t explain that there could be an issue with dependency on the benzodiazepines. After several months I stopped taking them, but a couple of weeks later I became very sick and suffered physical and mental problems as a result of not taking the medication.”

After his father died, the academic was prescribed another course of benzodiazepines. He experienced mental and physical collapse, lost over two stone in weight, and even became suicidal. It was only when he spoke to the Forum For Action On Substance Abuse (FASA) that he realised he was addicted to the drugs.

The FASA says that this is common problem, as people are rarely aware that their prescribed medication has resulted in an addiction.

There are various symptoms indicating that a person may have become addicted to a drug, the most common of which are irritability, paranoia and anxiety.

Long-term use of prescription drugs can be very dangerous, and regular drug testing could help to highlight when a person has a problem that they are not aware of.