Table of Contents

Medical Reviewer
Hillary Nolan, PMHNP-BC, Medical Director
Author
Matt Otto, LCADC, Program Director
Prescription Drug Rehab Centers in Kentucky
At Roaring Brook Recovery, we are committed to helping those who are struggling with prescription drug addiction. Our individualized treatment programs are designed to meet the unique needs of each participant. We understand that addiction is a complex disease, and we approach treatment accordingly—with compassion, care, and a dedication to helping our participants achieve long-term sobriety. Substance abuse treatment in Kentucky can save your life; don’t wait to get help.
What is Prescription Drug Addiction?
Prescription drug addiction is associated with any type of addictive substance, but in Kentucky, it is most commonly associated with opioids. For that reason, being able to find reputable prescription drug rehab centers in Kentucky is essential.
- Data has found that Kentucky is among the top 10 states most heavily affected by the opioid epidemic across the United States, particularly with regard to prescription opioids
- The overdose mortality rate in Kentucky is 32 out of every 100,000 people, fifty percent higher than the national overdose rate
- State data has found that opioid overdoses represented forty-eight percent of all drug overdoses in 2000 and seventy-five percent in 2021
- Kentucky had nearly 2,000 opioid overdose deaths in 2021.
These facts indicate that there is a need for interventions and recovery programs to help individuals with a prescription opioid addiction overcome cravings and triggers.
How Prescription Drugs Affect the Brain/Body
Prescription drugs work in many ways to regulate things like pain by controlling, mimicking, or otherwise interfering with neurotransmitters and their respective receptors.
In the brain, there are individual brain cells called neurons, chemicals that travel between neurons to facilitate communication called neurotransmitters, and receptors located on the outside of neurons designed to receive messages from neurotransmitters.
These messages that are received in the brain affect how your body functions, what type of pain you feel, how your sleep unfolds, whether you feel hungry, and your mood.
Under normal circumstances, your body produces neurotransmitters to be received by the receptors, each paired to one another, like dopamine as a neurotransmitter that is only received by dopamine receptors or serotonin as a neurotransmitter only received by serotonin receptors.
Prescription drugs mimic this communication by connecting with the neurotransmitter receptors and activating or deactivating them. Prescription pain medication like opioids might attach to your opioid receptors and trigger a higher release of dopamine than your normal neurotransmitters would, helping you to feel better. Some might turn off your pain receptors so that you don’t notice the pain to the same degree.
Prescription Drug Abuse: How Pain Management Becomes Addiction
So, how can prescription drugs prescribed by a doctor for things like pain management lead to addiction?
One of the most common functions of pain medication like opioids is to increase the attachment to dopamine receptors, release higher than normal quantities of dopamine, and produce results that are more substantial than what your body would normally produce.
This means that the level of pain relief you get or how good you feel as a result of taking medication is better than the pain relief you would get normally or how good you could possibly feel through things like rest, diet, exercise, or over-the-counter medication.
Unfortunately, when you stop taking that drug, your normal quantities of neurotransmitters are no longer enough. Your body and brain start craving higher doses and more interactions to replicate that same positive feeling.
Over time, you start to crave more and more to achieve the same feeling, but as your body develops a tolerance to your prescription drugs, you need more and more just to feel normal. This can lead to the development of an addiction.
Signs of Prescription Drug Addiction
If you or someone you love is misusing prescription drugs, there are some signs and symptoms you can look out for:
- Taking larger doses than prescribed or taking the medication more often than prescribed
- Taking someone else’s medication
- Not being able to stick to set dosage amounts or schedules
- Visiting multiple doctors in order to receive multiple prescriptions
- Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when not taking the drug
- Continuing to use despite negative consequences such as job loss or financial trouble
These are just some of the signs that may indicate a problem with prescription drug abuse. If you are concerned that you or someone you know is struggling with an addiction, we urge you to reach out for help.
Withdrawal from Prescription Drugs
When you stop using prescription drugs, you may experience a range of potential withdrawal symptoms. For opioids, this might include:
- Restlessness
- Irritability
- Loss of muscle control
- Cold flashes
- Muscles or bone pain
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Seizures
For stimulants, this might include:
- Irregular heartbeat
- Insomnia
- Weight loss
- Irritation
- Fever
- Anger
- Paranoia
- Seizures
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Mood swings
- Cravings
- Depression
With such a wide range of potential symptoms and the risk of complications for those who have used multiple substances, it’s important that you go through professional detox before starting any treatment program. Depending on the prescription drugs you use, this might include medication-assisted treatment or MAT.
To find qualified facilities, you might search “prescription drug rehab centers near me,” but be sure to check that they offer the right types of care for your situation.
How Our Prescription Drug Addiction Treatment Program Can Help
At Roaring Brook Recovery, we offer effective outpatient treatment for those struggling with prescription drug addiction. Our programs are designed to meet each participant where they are in their journey and help them build the skills they need for long-term sobriety. We offer both inpatient and outpatient treatment options so that participants can choose what level of care is right for them. Our programs include trauma therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, family therapy, 12-step meetings, and much more.
Why People Don’t Get Help
According to data from self-reported opioid users, a high portion of the population with an opioid use disorder or prescription drug addiction failed to get the help they need. Why?
- Stigma: One part of this is because of stigma associated with substance abuse, whereby people don’t feel comfortable reporting that they have a problem or asking for help
- Limited Access: Another part of this is the limited access to harm reduction services or prescription drug rehab centers in Kentucky
- Criminalization: A big part is people’s reticence to seek help for fear of being charged with crimes
Prescription Drug Addiction Resources in Kentucky
The state offers several limited resources, and these are often the extent of available services that people with addiction to prescription opioids know about.
SSPs
In many parts of Kentucky there are facilities that dispense prescription medications like buprenorphine or methadone. There are 82 operating Syringe Service Programs SSPs in Kentucky. These are community-based prevention programs that offer access to sterile syringes or other injection equipment with a safe place to dispose of them, and testing, vaccinations, and substance use treatment.
Unfortunately, with 62 counties, the total number of programs is tantamount to one program per county.
Naloxone
Kentucky has a standing order naloxone prescription, which means that it can be given to anyone without a prescription, in an attempt to help reduce the number of prescription opioid-related overdoses and overdose deaths.
Prescription Drug Rehab Centers
If you are looking for more comprehensive treatment, the next level of care is participating in prescription drug rehab centers in Kentucky.
These offer a range of inpatient or outpatient programs that include services for safe detox from opioids and other prescription medications followed by continuing access to individual and group therapy as well as other holistic programs to aid in recovery.
Why Choose Roaring Brook Recovery for Prescription Drug Rehab
At Roaring Brook Recovery, we offer specialized prescription drug rehab in Kentucky with an abstinence-based program. Each level of our outpatient programs for addiction and/or mental health has a 12-step focus with trauma-informed care.
We offer MAT, working primarily with a goal-oriented treatment process over the course of your 12-week program. During that program you will have access to a multidisciplinary team: psychiatric nurse practitioner, master level clinicians, and psychiatrist.
They will help hold you accountable and work with you during individual, group, and family therapy sessions, as well as neurofeedback, hiking, art therapy, and breathwork sessions. We ensure our programs evolve to meet your needs.
At Roaring Brook Recovery, we specialize in treating prescription drug addiction and have helped countless individuals reach a place of sustainable, long-term sobriety. Our prescription drug addiction treatment program in Lexington, KY is tailored to meet each participant’s individual needs so that they can recover in a way that feels right for them.
Centrally located just outside the city of Lexington, our facility is easy to get to no matter where you come from, using the I-75 or I-64, or smaller highways like 25, 27, 60, 62, or 68. Don’t wait to get help. Reach out today.
Call Roaring Brook to help you search for the right prescription drug rehab centers in your area.