Did you know that 70% of people who abuse or become addicted to medical opioids will get these drugs from family members or friends? Whether a person is suffering from this mental illness or not, though, using another person’s medications is a dangerous activity that can result in severe consequences to your health. While taking care of our medications is relatively simple, how are we supposed to make sure our loved ones aren’t taking these drugs? Obviously, one of the best ways to keep your drugs safe is to lock them up in a cabinet (or another container) so these friends and family members cannot steal, use, or (in a particularly unfortunate scenario) sell them on the street. Let’s take a closer look at how you can safely store and get rid of prescription medications.
Keep Track of Your Drugs
No matter what activities you are completing throughout the day, you must always try to keep tabs on your drugs (particularly if these substances have a high risk for abuse or addiction). Make a record of how many pills are contained in each bottle as well as your refills. If you find that you have to refill your prescriptions too often, someone may be stealing your drugs from you.
If you are the parent of a teenager, closely and vigorously monitor their drugs, particularly if these are substances that can easily be abused. Due to the potency of opioid painkillers, teens can easily become addicted if they use these substances after an injury or surgical procedure. If you can find an alternative to these dangerous drugs, speak to their pediatrician or family doctor about other medications besides opioids. (The same tactics can be used for ADHD medications like Adderall and Ritalin.)
Dispose When No Longer Needed
Monitoring drugs is easy, but how are you supposed to get rid of potent drugs? If you do have expired drugs or medications that are no longer required, you can always take these drugs to a collection site. (These sites can be found at pharmacies or police stations.) To find one of these sites in your area, you can visit the official website for the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).
Seeking Treatment for Drug Abuse and Addiction
Always remember that drugs can never have control of your life unless you let them. Only you have the power to take the first steps toward creating a better life. No chemical in the world (no matter how strong it may be) can ever permanently ruin your life.
Are you suffering from a severe case of drug abuse or addiction? Do you have a friend or family member who is coping with this dreadful illness? No matter the case, get in touch with Asana Recovery today to speak with our team of counselors and healthcare experts. We are ready to walk you through every step of the detox and withdrawal process and rehabilitation and guide you towards living a happier, healthier, and freer lifestyle.
If you are interested in one of our residential treatment or supervised detoxification/withdrawal programs, we are ready and waiting to speak with you at your disclosure. Call Asana now at (949) 438-4504 to learn how to overcome your drug addiction or abuse.
