Advertisements for prescription and over-the-counter diet pills seem to be everywhere, from television, to magazines, to the Internet. Shoppers also see these diet pills prominently displayed at different stores.
If diet pills are everywhere, they must be safe, right? Not exactly. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recalled a number of diet pills and issued public notifications about others. Diet pills can be abused, just as many other prescription drugs.
Many take diet pills to lose weight, which is how an addiction can innocently begin. Dieters then take even more pills in an effort to lose even more weight, and eventually develop a dependency. Many diet pills claim to suppress the appetite, and contain caffeine and other stimulants, so they boost a person’s energy as well. People who grow tolerant on such pills need more pills to feel this energy, and when they do not use them, they become depressed and suffer other side effects.
Some people who abuse diet pills have eating disorders as well, so they should visit professionals to examine and treat their eating disorders as well as their diet pill addictions. Effective diet pill addiction treatment in California can provide this specialized help.
Short-Term Signs of Diet Pill Addiction
There are many unpleasant symptoms of diet pill addiction that can be seen in the health, mood, and behavior of people. Changes in physical health could include
- nausea and stomach problems
- sleep troubles
- teeth grinding
- heart problems
- chest aches
- tremors
- fatigue
Symptoms of diet pill addiction that are related to mood and behavior include
- depression
- anxiety and paranoia
- dramatic mood shifts or erratic behavior
It is notable that other symptoms of diet pill addiction include low-self esteem and body image, because concerns about personal appearance and low-self esteem are two reasons people use and abuse diet pills in the first place.
Long-Term Signs of Diet Pill Addiction
Even when doctors prescribe diet pills, they typically only prescribe them for a relatively short period of time (twelve weeks or under). Taking them longer than that, or in ways they were not intended to be used, could be a sign of diet pill addiction. Using diet pills for prolonged periods of time could have negative long-term effects on different systems of the body and could cause
- pulmonary hypertension, which affects the arteries in a person’s lungs and causes high blood pressure.
- damage to the kidneys and liver.
- heart attacks, especially if combined with energy drinks or other stimulants.
- dependence (addiction) on the diet pills, especially if people take increasingly higher doses and become tolerant to the effects of diet pills.
These symptoms are dangerous and can be fatal. Effective diet pill addiction treatment in California can reverse some of these symptoms, such as liver damage. It can also prevent some of the other signs, such as heart attacks.
What Happens During a Detox of Diet Pills?
To reverse or prevent such symptoms, diet pill addiction treatment in California uses detox. Detox from diet pills eliminates the physical effects of the pills from the body. Diet pill addiction treatment in California at a facility such as Monarch Shores involves treating patients at specific detox centers.
These centers have medical staff and therapists to help people gradually and carefully remove diet pills from the body. The medical staff can monitor patient vital signs, while therapists help patients handle psychological issues associated with withdrawal.
[image_cta_headline_sub_headline_two_buttons_cta_shortcode]
What Happens During Withdrawal from Diet Pills?
Withdrawal of diet pills can produce some unpleasant side effects:
- nausea and sickness
- headaches
- muscle pain
- weight gain
- exhaustion
- agitation
- depression
Diet pill addiction treatment in California can help treat patients during withdrawal from various diet pills. For example, if you are nauseated, doctors might prescribe you with an anti-nausea medication. If depressed, therapists could talk with patients and help them develop strategies to help with depressive symptoms.
Spotting and Addressing Diet Pill Addiction in California
It is not always easy to spot diet pill abuse. Addicts are good at hiding diet pills and abusive habits. If you are abusing diet pills, it can be difficult to see you have a problem. You may think you are handling everything well. Why wouldn’t you like a product that helps you lose weight?
Still, after using diet pills for a while, it can cause you to behave differently. For example, you might
- participate in new pastimes or associate with different people than before
- isolate yourself from their loved ones
- engage in risky behavior. Maybe you are selling drugs, stealing, or doing other things to acquire diet pills or money
- experience legal difficulties
Helping Address and Treat a Diet Pill Addiction in California
If you recognize that a loved one is abusing diet pills, it can be difficult to approach this subject. People abusing diet pills might angrily deny having a problem, lie about using, or make it difficult to talk about diet pill abuse in other ways. It is important to react with reason instead of emotion during those conversations.
Diet pill addiction treatment centers in California, with the resources you need, can help you to address addiction. This support can be crucial during the rehab process, and throughout continued recovery. Finding treatment for diet pill abuse is easy if you call Monarch Shores. Our counselors can help you to make the arrangements to help you stop diet pill abuse and start connecting with loved ones.