Prescription diet pills may seem harmless, but they actually can prove to have dangerous side effects. They also have the potential for abuse and addiction. While they can help someone to maintain or lose weight, someone may also misuse diet pills. Understanding how diet pills work and their risk for abuse can help to prevent addiction. If you or someone you know is struggling with diet pill addiction, seek the help you deserve today.
Prescription Diet Pills and Abuse
Diet pills are specific pills designed to help someone maintain or reduce their weight. These pills interfere with your body’s natural processes regarding weight. This could mean that they suppress your appetite, increase your metabolism, or block fat. While prescription diet pills are regulated under the Controlled Substances Act, they can still be abused. Some diet pills even contain chemicals that can become addictive. These types of pills may contain amphetamines. They will often only be prescribed short term, as they can be addictive.
Abusing a diet pill is using it for anything other than its intended purpose, not following instructions, or taking one without a prescription. Those who are wanting to lose weight or maintain their weight are likely to abuse diet pills. Diet pills also contain some of the same ingredients found in Adderall. Someone may want to stay more focused or have an energy boost and take a diet pill. Common side effects for diet pills include headaches, nausea, and diarrhea. If not taken correctly, more dangerous side effects could ensue, such as stomach pain, liver damage, and even overdose.
What is Addiction?
Addiction is considered a brain disease that requires treatment. This is because one of the primary organs that drugs and alcohol affect is your brain. The main area of your brain affected is called the reward pathway. When drugs and alcohol enter your body it abnormally affects the chemicals in your reward pathway. Generally, when something positive happens, your brain shoots off dopamine. This means that your brain will want to replicate this scenario in order to bring you joy. However, drugs and alcohol disrupt this process. When they enter the body, your brain’s dopamine levels skyrocket. This will cause your brain to seek out more of this substance, leading to intense cravings and impulsive behavior.
Addiction affects all facets of a person’s life. A person suffering from addiction will feel like the thought of diet pills is overtaking their life. Their brain will have difficulty focusing on anything else, no matter how hard you try. You will constantly be thinking about new ways to obtain this drug, as your brain has registered the diet pill use as positive. How addiction affects your mind and body varies. However, it can lead to serious and even life-threatening effects.
Who Can Become Addicted?
Addiction can happen to anyone. There are risk factors involved with developing an addiction. As each person reacts differently to different drugs, how someone will react to diet pills will vary. Environmental factors, genetics, and medical history all play a role in when a person will become addicted. If misusing a diet pill, the risk for addiction is greatly heightened.
When Does an Addiction Form?
An addiction can form at any time and nobody plans on becoming addicted. A common misconception is that if an addiction has not formed right away, then it will never form. An addiction could take weeks or months to develop. The length of time it takes will vary, depending on several different factors. Your risk level is something you will want to talk about with your doctor or healthcare provider. They will be able to access your medical history and potential risk factors. If you notice yourself beginning to experience negative side effects from taking diet pills, it is important to get in touch with a healthcare professional, as they may be able to adjust your dose.
Symptoms of Diet Pill Addiction
Spotting signs of a diet pill addiction can be challenging, especially if someone is not displaying any outward signs. However, there are things you can look for in order to warrant a conversation. If you notice anything out of the ordinary about you or your loved one regarding diet pill use, the best thing to do is to reach out. You may notice that your loved one has been taking more pills than what is described. There may be prescription diet pills in the house, but the prescription was not written for them. They may begin talking to you more frequently about diet pills and seem more interested in them. You may have seen more laxatives around or have noticed them mixing diet pills.
While those symptoms are more specific to diet pills themselves, there are also general symptoms of addiction. These could include your loved one suddenly losing or gaining weight. You may notice that your loved one has not kept up on their personal hygiene and have not showered for a few days. Their general responsibilities are not being taken care of and they have not been meeting commitments. Their relationships, both family and friends, may begin to suffer.
How to Spot an Overdose
One of the worst case scenarios that can happen around diet pill abuse and addiction is an overdose. If you suspect an overdose is occurring, it is important to contact emergency services immediately. While an overdose may be difficult to spot, there are signs you can watch for. These include hallucinations, tremors, and shortness of breath.
Seek Treatment Today
If you or someone you know is struggling with diet pill addiction, it is important to seek the help you deserve. Left untreated, addiction can lead to dangerous and even life-threatening effects. The sooner treatment is sought, the sooner someone can get back on the path to a happier and healthier life. Addiction requires professional treatment.
Detox to Rehab provides you with thousands of resources and rehabs at the tip of your fingers. Their dedicated professionals will help you navigate treatment centers and information to find the best fit for you and your needs. Call today to learn more about how they can help you start the road to recovery.
