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You’ve heard it before: just because a drug comes in a prescription bottle doesn’t mean it’s safe.
Not everyone who gets high on pills is addicted, or even engaging in deliberate misuse. (Other possible reasons include: a doctor’s misjudging the effect of a prescription, someone’s taking a dose twice due to forgetfulness, someone’s accidentally taking medication from the wrong bottle.) However, anyone on a high is in potential danger from injury or overdose. And taking any drug to the point of incoherence, on multiple occasions, is a likely symptom of existing or developing addiction.
If someone whom you know to be taking an opiate or benzodiazepine prescription develops the following symptoms for no obvious reason—and especially if you saw them take pills 20 to 60 minutes before the symptoms started to manifest—they’ve most likely gotten high on the pills. If you aren’t sure whether they’ve taken anything, don’t be afraid to ask directly. (Keep in mind that adamant denial may itself be a sign of drug abuse.) If they’re too incoherent to answer, consider any evidence at hand, such as additional pills or empty prescription bottles. And if there’s no way to be sure, treat it as described under “What to Do if Someone Gets High,” below. It’s probably a medical emergency even if drugs aren’t the cause.
Opiates’ famous pain-killing effect is due largely to their ability to help brain and body relax. (In technical terms, they work as artificial neurotransmitters, attaching to brain receptors to increase production of the natural pleasure chemical dopamine.) Hence, a person who gets high on opiates becomes extremely, often dangerously, relaxed.
Common symptoms of being high on opiate pills include:
The common stereotype of the heroin addict slumped semi-conscious in a filthy alley is merely the extreme manifestation of someone continually high on opiates. While heroin is associated with the streets, its prescription-opiate cousins have the same perpetual-trance effect when overused for long periods. Even if they’re found in a penthouse.
Like opiates, benzodiazepines are sedative drugs, so the symptoms of a high are similar:
There are fewer cases of benzodiazepine highs leading to deadly overdose than with opiate highs (in 2016, there were about 10,684 fatal benzo overdoses and 19,354 fatal overdoses involving prescription opiates, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse). However, when benzos are taken in combination with opiates—or with other sedative drugs such as alcohol—the risk increases exponentially.
Always call for professional medical help if someone becomes visibly drowsy or irrationally euphoric, seems to be losing their awareness of reality or is breathing unusually slowly. Consider it a medical emergency even if the high doesn’t seem too serious or you aren’t sure it’s due to drugs. A “minor” episode can turn deadly with little warning. Or the person may injure himself or someone else out of paranoia, poor judgment or impaired physical reflexes.
While you wait for help:
Opiate or benzodiazepine—or both—any substance abused to the point of addiction becomes the central focus of a person’s life, is seriously dangerous to physical health, and means an exponential increase in overdose risk. Besides frequently showing signs of being high, common symptoms of drug addiction include:
Even if you aren’t sure whether your family member ever had a pill prescription, don’t ignore signs of a problem developing. As with most illnesses, the earlier an addiction is treated, the easier recovery will be.
Here’s what you can do:
The best way to deal with addiction, of course, is to avoid developing it in the first place. So if a family member (or you yourself) receives a prescription for a potentially addictive drug, stay alert for any “high” episodes or signs of growing dependence. If handled right, a drug high can be limited to a one-time experience!
Whether you’re researching for yourself or a loved one, Beach House can help. We understand that this is a serious time in your life and that the treatment center you choose matters. We want you to feel comfortable and empowered to make the right decision for yourself, a friend, or a family member. This is why a counselor is waiting and available to answer your questions and help put your mind at ease regarding the next steps. Many of the staff at Beach House have walked in your shoes. If you feel you’re ready or want more information about how to help a loved one, we can help today. You can also learn why we are voted the #1 rehab for addiction treatment in Florida.
