With the increase in the abuse of prescription drugs the question of who is abusing prescription drugs becomes a relevant one.  Are abusers from the middle or upper class or are most of them college students looking to have a good time?  Perhaps they can be found on the street, panhandling for every dollar they get. The answer is prescription drug abusers can be found in all of these categories and more. They are doctors, fathers and mothers, teenagers, college students, prostitutes, truck drivers – basically they come from all walks of life.  

However, there does seem to be a common theme running amongst all prescription drug abusers, when they started they felt that prescription drug abuse was a safe alternative. After all, prescription drugs are prescribed by doctors so they must be safe.  Think again. Prescription drugs are prescribed for individuals who are under a doctor’s care and advice.  Once an individual steps outside this category, taking prescription drugs becomes a dangerous proposition.  Prescription drug abuse is seen as a gateway to the abuse of more serious substances to include heroin and cocaine.  

It is illegal to take a prescription drug that is not prescribed to you.  When prescription drugs are taken in this context, it is considered drug abuse.  Drug abuse is defined in the medical dictionary as:  habitual use of drugs to alter one's mood, emotion, or state of consciousness.  If this describes your use of prescription drugs either prescribed to you or another individual, it’s time to seek help.