Developing an addiction to prescription drugs is a worry that many people have at some point in their lives. This fear may lead them to question which prescription drugs are addictive and which ones aren’t. For example, many people want to know if depression medication treatment is addictive. Unfortunately, answering this question isn’t a simple yes or no.
Can People Develop an Addiction to Depression Medication?
The simple answer to this question is no. No antidepressant medications are addictive. In fact, few psychiatric medicines cause addiction. However, it’s not uncommon for people to develop a dependency on these types of drugs.
The fact that people can become dependent on a drug but not addicted is what confuses people. In general, people lump dependency and addiction together. However, these are actually two different conditions.
The Difference Between Dependency and Addiction
The confusion between dependency and addiction is easy to understand. Experts believe that most of the confusion stems from the link between dependency and withdrawal. When people stop taking a drug that they’re dependent on, they experience withdrawal symptoms.
Also, some drugs that cause addiction can also cause dependency. A good example of drugs that cause both is opiates. However, just because a drug causes both doesn’t mean that dependency and addiction are one and the same.
There are a number of drugs out there that cause dependency without causing addiction, such as depression medication. Many antihypertensives, anticonvulsants, and all steroids can cause dependency. With that said, experts would never label any of these drugs as addictive.
In contrast, drugs that cause addiction don’t always cause dependency. Many hallucinogens that cause physiological changes in the body are addictive but don’t cause dependency. For many, the difference between the two sounds confusing. However, the important thing to know is that both dependency and addiction are serious conditions.
Dependency Withdrawal Issues
Seeking professional help for dependency is very important. Just like addiction, issues can arise after someone stops taking a drug on which they’re dependent. One common problem is rebound.
Rebound occurs when people experience much more intense symptoms than before they started taking medicine. For example, let’s say that people take antidepressants to help with depression. After taking drugs for years, they could experience more extreme depression when they stop taking the pills.
This phenomenon happens because the body becomes dependent on the drugs. Removing the medicine sends the body into shock, and the symptoms become much worse.
Don’t Let Addiction or Dependency Rule Your Life
Whether you suffer from dependency or addiction, it’s important that you seek professional help. At Pinnacle Peak Recovery, we can help you overcome addiction, dependency and mental health disorders in our dual diagnosis program. Some unique addiction treatment programs that we offer include:
- Intensive outpatient programs
- Sober living
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Extended care
- Inpatient programs
Learn what it takes to overcome dependency and addiction at Pinnacle Peak Recovery. Don’t give up on yourself or a loved one just because of addiction. Reach out to us today at 866-377-4761 for more information about our addiction treatment programs.
