Addiction is a deeply personal illness that affects people in very different ways. This has much to do with the many different factors that influence a person’s choices including family history, genetics and socio-environmental pressures. These days there is a darker side to addiction that is fast-becoming an epidemic in America: prescription drug abuse.

Prescription painkiller abuse has become a significant problem in America in recent years due to the rising use of opioid-based medications for chronic health conditions. Many people working in the addiction field believe that the fact opiate medications are initially prescribed by physicians has made the problem somehow “acceptable”.

It is important to remember that despite seeking drug and alcohol treatment, it doesn’t guarantee you a life of sobriety.  Living with addiction becomes habitual to sufferers and represents a comfort zone they are reluctant to leave, but once committed to rehab and recovery; these issues can seem less overwhelming.

Addiction to prescription drugs is becoming an increasingly large problem in the US and that’s mainly because what initially starts out as a necessary course of medication for genuine pain management can easily trigger damaging and unhealthy behaviors in people. The issue is further clouded by the fact it is almost an enabled addiction, as these are not street drugs or narcotics but medications that are commonly and legally used in daily life.