How addictive are prescription drugs?
It turns out that prescription drugs can be very addictive if not taken as prescribed to treat a medical condition. This is particularly true of some classes, like opiate analgesics (e.g., Vicodin for the treatment of chronic pain); stimulants (e.g., Ritalin, used to treat attention deficit disorders); and depressants (e.g. Xanax, used to treat anxiety or sleep problems). Long-term prescribed use of these medications or their abuse to get high can lead to physical dependence and in some people, addiction. These are not the same thing–physical dependence occurs because the body gets used to the effects of a drug and reacts if the drug is suddenly stopped or even reduced–withdrawal symptoms result, and these vary according to the drug being used. This can occur even in someone who is taking a drug as prescribed, and is one of the reasons why it is so important that prescription drugs be taken under the close supervision of a physician, who can monitor for any signs of potential problem
