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.
50 comments
I agree addiction can happen at any time! You could go through most of your life living carefree then suddenly something drastic happens and this could spark something in you that had been lurking beneath the surface! Your chances of being addicted to something never expire.
My friend got addicted to diet pills. She weighed 250 lbs and got down to 110 lbs. She had to go to rehab.
I know a lot of people that are addicted to prescription pills. It’s just so sad. Thanks for writing this article. It will be a eye opener for a lot of people who may not know that prescription pills can cause harm if overused
In fact, this is the genesis of drug addiction. Thanks to Detox To Rehab for this piece of information.
Addiction can happen to anyone and anytime and for anything. There are risk factors involved with developing an addiction. In the case of an overdose scenario, it is important to contact emergency services immediately.
This content is highly educative and useful. Addiction can occur at any level and at any time. One should follow the prescription of a pharmacist strictly.
Yes it can if doctor’s prescription is not duely followed. This what many people do nowadays. Thank you for this information guys.
It can cause addiction because People tend to take drug indescriminately without been to use it. Once the drug cures an ailment they tend to use it for another.
Anyone can truly be addicted to drugs if care is not taken. Always use the medicine prescribed for your health challenges.
This is so educative. Most diet pills that I know have side effects. The more reason I chose other means of reducing weight instead of taking pills
The truth is that one can be addicted to any substance that is consistently used.Abusing a diet pill is using it for anything other than its intended purpose taking one without a prescription. or not following instructions
Every pill is a medicine, therefore, it can be abused through addiction. Thanks to Detox To Rehab for this piece of information.
People should know that a seemly harmless thing when taken in excess can become dangerous to get heskh. Caution should be taken when one is taking diet pills
This article is very educative. Not only does it spell out the possibility of addiction from the unregulated usage and abuse of diet pills. It also reiterates important facts about the occurrence of addiction.
Addiction is good for nothing. Irrespective of how it started, it has to be avoided.
Addiction can happen at any time and to anybody, we just have to be very careful and not be carried away by the circumstances we find ourselves. Detox to rehab thank you for sharing these post, it will surely help someone who is addicted.
It can be very addictive. Euphoria the series has shown me alot and I’m glad i took out time to watch it. Thanks for putting this out there for people to know.
It is the most powerful means through which people get addicted. Thank you so much for these information.
I agree addiction can happen at any time. But I don’t think prescriptive diet pills can be addictive.
Because of eat too much and we all weight increase,but they try to loss it but actually it pills can addict to some one,horrible
This is the easiest way for addiction. Once you are accustomed to a drug, it can easily enslave you.
Yes, Nowadays addiction is really becoming an integral part of youths life day by day. Also they use prescribed pills as their addiction.
Yes of course. This can propel drug addiction. The necessary agencies meant to curb this is swing into action.
It is possible for a diet pill to enhance drug addiction if not properly managed. Thanks for this piece of information.
Sure it can, if the intake is high it can affect some parts in the body.they may land in the rehab center.
I have a seen a friend got addicted to this diet pill. He thought the essence of it was to help him reduce weight but it got out of hand for him. Glad he met a doctor who helped him to recovery.
This is the best article I’ve read recently. The article is too interesting, comprehensive and well detailed
Yes pills can be addicting I always here stories of addicts that starts from from that. A rare case which the very healing that theyseek lead to something much worse.
It can be addicting because all manners of substances were used in the making of the drugs. Sometimes the intake may be high.
Anyone can become addicted to this pill. The side effects posted in the article makes it even dangerous to get addicted to it. Users should be very careful to use it.
Wow very educative and well detailed. Thank you so much for this vital information detox.
Yes it can cause addiction because of the higher the intake the higher it will react in the body.
Any pill can be addicted to if one developed unnecessary love towards it. If not taking according to the prescription, it can cause a lot of damages.
Many people don’t know they can get addicted to some pills. The best they can do is to try and avoid overdose which may lead to addiction for them.
Any drug takes excessively amounts to drug addiction. Thanks to Detox for the reminder.
I believe more information should be given when one is given a prescription… And doctors prescription should be demanded at pharmacy when getting some drugs.
That’s why it is said, excess of everything is abuse. When we take excessive dietary pills without control, that’s a means of substance abuse.
Of course, it can if its usage is excessive. Thanks for this piece of information.
It shouldn’t but it can due to the attitude of people towards medicine prescribed by the doctors. Thanks for this piece of information.
To stop addiction, we must avoid self medication totally. Thanks for sharing this information here.
Abusing a diet pill is using it for anything other than its intended purpose, not following instructions, or taking one without a prescription. Thanks for sharing this educative information about diet pills here.
You can get addicted to anything if you find pleasure doing it constantly
I’m glad I came across this article, before now I never knew there was anything like diet pill and that someone can be addicted to it. This article has done a great job in shedding more light to it. Great job.
This is why the ripple effect of drug addiction is very bad. This is an higly informative piece.
This is also a form of addiction. It is not good at all. Thanks
There is no drug without side effect. Constant use of a drug leads to addiction.
This is another form of addition. It is not good enough. Thanks.
Thanks for the awesome article and it has actually answered my question of whether a prescription diet pill can be addictive. Now am wondering if the person is addicted do they get high from the diet pill or what is the thing that makes the pill addictive?
This article is indeed informative. Nonetheless, prescription diet pills are harmful to people’s health. Kudos go to Detox for this piece of information.
afterall pills are also drugs and over using any thing leads to damage so we should always use it efficently