Look for these signs and symptoms of prescription medicine abuse

The summer is a season often spent with family, loved ones and acquaintances you don’t see as often during the year. As you prepare to spend more time with these people in the coming months, be sure to educate yourself on the signs of prescription medicine misuse.

According to a poll conducted by CVS Health, the majority of Americans have prescription medications in their homes, and many people are housing more than one prescription at a time.

In Tennessee, 55 percent of people using prescription drugs recreationally got them from a friend or relative, according to the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.

One of the best ways to help prevent addiction and prescription drug abuse is to educate yourself and others on the issue and the dangers associated with it. Knowing these signs and symptoms is an easy, but vital step to help protect your loved ones.

• Fatigue, red or glazed eyes, and repeated health complaints
• Sudden mood changes, including irritability, negative attitude, personality changes, and general lack of interest in hobbies/activities
• Secretiveness and withdrawing from family
• Decreased or obsessive interest in work or hobbies
• Missing prescription medicines from your medicine cabinet
• Additional filled prescriptions on your pharmacy record that you did not order

For more information about prescription medicine abuse, visit The Medicine Abuse Project at MedicineAbuseProject.org.