Prescription drug addiction, like cocaine or heroin is a very expensive habit. Even though drugs like OxyContin and Xanax are prescribed by doctors they are every bit as capable of destroying an individual like any illegal street drug. The social, economic, physical and emotional effects of prescription drug abuse are the same as any illegal drug.

Because some prescription medication is very similar to heroin it is not uncommon for someone’s addiction to start with prescription drugs and then progress to heroin. Both are psychologically and physiologically addicting and can result in severe withdrawals if the addicted does not have the drug in their system.