What We Treat / Addiction
Prescription Drug Addiction Treatment
Prescription drug misuse often begins with a legitimate prescription. Mountain View Health provides outpatient care for adults with prescription drug dependency in Seattle.
Understanding
Addiction
What Is Prescription Drug Use Disorder?
Prescription drug use disorder refers to the problematic use of legally prescribed medications — most commonly opioid pain relievers, benzodiazepines, stimulants, and sleep medications — in ways other than prescribed, or continued use despite significant negative consequences.
Prescription drug misuse can be hard to spot because it often begins with legitimate medical treatment. Physical dependence can develop even when you take a medication as directed, and the line between dependence and a disorder is not always obvious to you or your family.
Taking benzodiazepines together with opioids raises the risk of overdose. Effective treatment addresses the substance use and plans for the reason the medication was first prescribed, such as pain or trouble sleeping.
Warning Signs
Signs of Prescription Drug Misuse
Signs of prescription drug use disorder vary by drug class, but these are common indicators.
Taking More Than Prescribed
Using higher doses or more frequent doses than directed, or running out of prescriptions early.
Doctor Shopping
Seeking multiple prescribers or visiting urgent care facilities to obtain additional prescriptions.
Using for Reasons Other Than Prescribed
Taking pain medications to change how you feel, sleeping pills for recreation, or stimulants for weight loss.
Concealing Use
Hiding medication use from family, friends, or healthcare providers; becoming defensive when use is questioned.
Withdrawal Symptoms
Experiencing physical symptoms — nervousness, pain, insomnia, sweating, tremors — when the medication is missed or reduced.
Functional Decline
Declining performance at work, withdrawal from social activities, or deteriorating relationships due to medication use.
Withdrawal & Detox
Withdrawal from Prescription Medications
Withdrawal from prescription drugs varies with the drug class. Opioid prescriptions follow a similar pattern to illicit opioids. Benzodiazepine withdrawal can be among the most medically serious of all substance withdrawals. Prescription stimulant withdrawal is uncomfortable but generally not medically dangerous. How long you took the drug, your dose, and how abruptly you stop all affect severity.
Medical supervision required. Withdrawal from this substance can be medically serious. Do not stop abruptly without medical guidance. Mountain View Health does not provide detox.
Onset 8–24 Hrs
Opioid Prescriptions
- Muscle aches and cramping
- Restlessness and nervousness
- Nausea and vomiting
- Sweating and chills
- Severe drug cravings
- Dysphoria and low mood
Onset 1–4 Days
Benzodiazepines
- Rebound nervousness and agitation (often severe)
- Insomnia and vivid dreams
- Tremors and sweating
- Elevated heart rate and blood pressure
- Seizure risk — potentially life-threatening
- Delirium in severe or rapid withdrawal
Onset 1–3 Days
Prescription Stimulants
- Profound fatigue and hypersomnia
- Increased appetite
- Low mood and loss of pleasure
- Cognitive slowing and brain fog
- Irritability and low motivation
Benzodiazepine withdrawal carries a seizure risk, so stopping abruptly can be dangerous even at prescribed doses. Never stop a benzodiazepine prescription suddenly. A medical provider should supervise any taper, and Mountain View Health does not provide detox.
Our Approach
Treating Prescription Drug Dependency
Treatment for prescription drug use disorder addresses the dependency and plans for the reason the medication was first prescribed. Care includes individual and group therapy.
(253)-252-5875Clinical Assessment
Your assessment covers the class of drug, how long you have used it, and your withdrawal risk, so your plan starts at the right level of care.
Medication Decisions
For opioid use disorder, a prescriber decides whether buprenorphine or naltrexone fits. Do not stop a benzodiazepine or opioid prescription abruptly without medical guidance.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
CBT skills help you spot the habits and triggers that sustain prescription drug misuse and build other ways to cope.
Planning Around the Original Prescription
Tell your team why the medication was first prescribed, such as pain or trouble sleeping, so your plan accounts for it.
Peer Support Groups
Group therapy shows you that others share this experience and gives you peer support during recovery.
Programs at Mountain View
Levels of Care Available
Whether your plan pays depends on your benefits and medical necessity. Admissions verifies your benefits for free before you begin.
Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)
25 to 30 hours a week over 5 to 6 days, with daily individual and group therapy. You go home in the evening.
Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
9 to 12 hours a week over 3 to 5 days, with morning, afternoon, and evening tracks. It suits people stepping down from PHP and people who keep working, studying, or caring for family.
Outpatient Program (OP)
1 to 3 hours a week over 1 to 3 days of therapy and group support, for stable recovery or a step down from a higher level.
Why Mountain View Health
The Basics of Care Here
Clinical Team
The clinical team works with adults whose dependence began with a legitimate prescription.
A Free Insurance Check
Admissions verifies your benefits for free, with no obligation, and reports what your plan covers for each level of care.
Non-Judgmental Care
Prescription dependency often begins through legitimate medical care, and it is treated here without stigma.
Confidential Care
Your treatment records are protected by federal law, including HIPAA and 42 CFR Part 2. Employers and family receive no information without your written consent.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
I was prescribed this medication by my doctor. Is it really addiction?
Physical dependence can develop from therapeutic use. Whether it has crossed into use disorder depends on whether your use is causing significant impairment or distress and whether you feel unable to stop despite wanting to. The clinical team can talk through your situation without judgment.
Do I need to stop the medication immediately?
Stopping benzodiazepines or opioids abruptly can be medically dangerous. Talk with the prescriber who wrote the prescription about a safe taper. Mountain View Health does not provide detox.
What if I still need help with the reason I was prescribed this medication?
Tell the clinical team why the medication was first prescribed so your plan accounts for it. A prescriber decides whether any medication fits.
What about benzodiazepine withdrawal?
Benzodiazepine withdrawal can be medically serious and must be managed carefully by a medical provider. Mountain View Health does not provide detox, so that care happens before outpatient programming begins.
How long does treatment take?
The length of care depends on the drug class, how long you used it, and your progress. Your assessment sets the starting level of care, and the plan can step down over time.
Benefits Verification
Free Verification.
No Obligation.
Benefits verification is free, carries no obligation, and starts from a secure form. Admissions explains what your plan covers so you know your next step.
How The Process Works
- 01
Secure Submission
Provide your basic policy info through our secure form. Submitting it is confidential and carries no obligation.
- 02
Admissions Review
Admissions checks what your plan covers for partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and outpatient care.
- 03
Clear Guidance
If your plan can be run, a written breakdown usually arrives within 1 to 2 hours. It is not a guarantee of coverage.