Anyone who’s ever been through drug rehab knows that it can take time in order to get clean. Some people get through a rehab facility the first time successfully and they never go back to using or abusing drugs. Others keep going back because they go back to their abusive ways after they get out. That seems to be a common problem with celebrities, but it happens to average, everyday people, too. No matter where you are in your efforts to get clean, though, don’t give up on it. Even if you make a mistake, that’s not a reason to go back to your old way of life.

It takes a real effort to get clean and stay that way, but the rewards are far more important. They can seriously outweigh any costs you might feel that you’re paying – both financially and in other ways – by going through rehab. When you get out, make sure you surround yourself with friends and family members who are supportive to you and what you’re trying to do. If you go back to hanging out with people who abuse drugs, it’s very easy for you to get back into that lifestyle.

Avoid anyone who’s not trying to help you stay clean, and avoid places where you used to go back when you abused drugs. Also, be careful if your doctor prescribes any medication for you. Ask if it’s addictive, and be honest about your past history. It might be better for you to try other treatments or take a different medication, but your doctor won’t know that unless he or she knows your history of drug abuse. Give yourself permission to take time to recover on a mental level, too, because life will be very different for you. You’ll need a little while to get used to it.

Look at the following questions and assess whether you might have a problem with your prescription drugs.

Do you ever question that you are taking too many prescriptive drugs?
Does your family question how many drugs you are taking?
Do your friends comment on the frequency you take medications?
Do you have any guilty about the drugs that you take?
Do you feel the need to take medication to calm you down or to pep you up?

If you answered yes to four or more of the above questions, then maybe you need to take a further look into your use of prescription drugs.

It can be easy to get addicted to a drug, especially when it is prescribed. In the beginning, you have less guilt over how much you take because, after all, it was prescribed.

If you think it might be a problem, consider talking to your doctor and evaluating what it is that you are taking. If you are about to start taking a medication that can be habit forming, ask your doctor of the possible side effects and how much you should be taking.

Do not exceed the amount you are instructed to take and make sure you and your doctor are aware of the potential effects of the drug mixed with other medications you might be taking.

Before you begin a medication, make sure that your doctor is aware of your medical history, Medical and health care professionals have a way of screening you for possible future addictions with medications.

If you find that you may possible have a problem with being addicted to your medication, there is help. With anything, the first step is to take responsibility. Your doctor is there to help you, especially if he or she is the one that prescribed it for you. Take advantage of the help they have to offer and if needed you can enter a treatment and recovery program so that you can heal from the addiction.

The influx of pharmacies is a big factor in the rise in prescription medication abuse. Years ago there was just the local pharmacy and therefore it made it difficult for addicts to continue to try and manipulate the same location time and time again. However, times have changed. With virtually only a mile separating one pharmacy from the next and many owned by different companies it becomes easier to turn your drug habit into a well organized system. The idea is to simply never involve the insurance and there are drugs for the taking.

Insurance is always the roadblock for a drug addict. If an addict where to fill their vicodin at one pharmacy and have it billed to the insurance, the insurance would alert the pharmacy that they just paid a claim 2 days ago for a rather high quantity of Vicodin. This would put the addict in a difficult position to get a refill on their pain meds.

What addicts do is forego the insurance at one pharmacy and at another pharmacy they bill to insurance. The interesting part of this is that sometimes pharmacies offer a drug discount card that will allow addicts to save money and even when they attempt to early refill their medication at the same pharmacy, not only does the system not alert the staff that the medication is being filled early(because it’s not billed to insurance) but it will give them a price break on the medication.

The rise in pharmacies and the competitive nature of pharmacies nowadays is making it easier for drug addicts to support their habit and it’s saving them money too.

While everyone can use prescription cards, they may not be worthwhile in all situations. Be sure to research the prescription plan in terms of what it offers as well as its rules and regulations to be sure you’re choosing a quality program. Some programs may have eligibility requirements such as income and age. Be sure to inquire about these restrictions when looking into prescription drug cards.

Most card programs cost very little or are free, and some are government run. Others may be intended for those who do not have health insurance in order to help them afford prescription drugs. Some organizations provide discounted drug plans to their members. Two of note are AARP and the United Way.

There are cards that are available to anyone who needs them. They are usually run by a third-party company that negotiates with pharmacies to provide lower cost medicines. There may be a fee involved with some cards, but the savings on prescription drugs may well be worth this cost.

You may also benefit from discount cards associated with certain store. These usually provide a small discount on prescriptions purchased at a particular store. Every little bit counts.

Finally, drug manufacturers themselves provide discount prescription cards to those who may not have prescription plans with their insurance.These are well worth looking into if you need help in paying for your prescription drugs.

An addict coming home is dealing with his new found sobriety in a world that is certainly not sober. This is where the onus of responsibility comes on you. If your loved one is an alcoholic, it’s best to remove all liquor from the house. Perhaps they should be able to resist the temptation but it’s better to not be around it all day. If they have been addicted to medications or drugs in general it would be wise to keep all prescription medications in a locked box in a safe place. This isn’t to demean or treat the addict like a child but simply to not allow them to have to confront that temptation in their own home.

Another thing to do is to clean the house top to bottom. If the house they are coming home to looks like complete chaos then that may trigger some chaotic feelings in them. They need to come back to a stable and structured environment and that won’t happen if the house is a mess.

When cleaning do yourself a favor and check every inch of that house for secret stashes. Addicts love to hide drugs for when they are in short supply. A few simple adjustments to the home and you’ll be ready for the road to recovery.

It was once said that the higher class addicts were pill poppers as it was more dignified as opposed to buying drugs off a street corner or from unsavory characters. Well the times and perception of that have changed as now drug addicts are looking for high grade prescription medication. This is due to its ease of availability.

Common drugs such as cocaine or marijuana are often in scarce supply to a local dealer. Lots of things must happen and align for a dealer to be in constant supply of the drug. With prescription medication, it is strictly up to the addict to obtain the means to acquire the drug. Pharmacies are never in short supply of drugs like Xanax, Vicodin, and Ativan.

The means at which to obtain these prescription pills is also an attractive lure for addicts as there are several ways to do it. The first way is by simply calling in a phony prescription. Addicts usually have it mastered before they attempt it. Then there is simply forging a prescription. This is usually a result of stealing a doctors prescription paid before they realize that anything is missing.

The other, and certainly less common, method is having a doctor of compromised morals write out a prescription for painkillers or drugs like Xanax without the patient exhibiting the necessary medical symptoms to require such strong medications. These doctors usually work for cash upfront and in exchange agree to write prescriptions with no additional refills so that the patient will then have to come back and see them and pay for another office visit. As long as prescription drugs are readily available there will be addicts ready to abuse them. The trend continues.