In our previous post, we went through ways of avoiding addiction to prescription medication. However, how will you know if your child is developing an addiction? This is the question we seek to answer in this post.
Generally, doctors will always prescribe medication that they are confident will cure whatever ailment that their patient is suffering from. In the case of pain medication or laxatives especially, doctors are very careful not to prescribe too much to make their patients get hooked. This is especially a concern for the paediatric population who suffer from potentially terminal diseases.
Here are a few ways to tell if your child is developing an addiction to prescription meds.
1 When you notice them obsessed with taking their meds
It’s a good thing when your kids want to willingly take their prescription medication as per the doctor’s orders however there are times this transforms into an obsession. The early onset of addiction presents itself in the form of your child developing an obsession with always wanting to take their meds at a specific time. You’ll tend to notice them checking their watch every couple of hours to find out whether it’s time to take their meds. It’s a sign of a developing problem when taking their meds becomes a preoccupation.
2 When you notice them using their meds in ways not recommended
In most cases, doctor will always prescribe drugs in the form of capsules, tablets or syrups which are meant to be taken orally in their original form. However, a common sign that you child is beginning to abuse their prescription is when you find them coming up with other ways of taking the medication such as crushing and snorting it, or injecting it. This is of course not recommended by doctors because there are specific reasons why medication is meant to be taken in its specific form.
3 When you notice them insisting on using their medication after they are completely healed
Doctor will often prescribe a specific dosage because they are sure by the time the patient is through, they will be completely healed. But, when you notice that your child is through with their prescription, completely healed but they still want to continue taking their medication then this is a clear sign that they are developing an addiction.
Just for emphasis, addiction to prescription medication especially when it comes to the paediatric population will ultimately end up resulting in more visits to the paediatric radiology wing therefore increasing the risk of exposure to cancer.