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Addiction to prescription medicines

This addiction begins entirely legally: with a doctor's prescription, with real pain, with real sleeplessness. That is precisely why it is the hardest one to admit — both for the person and for the family.

How legitimate treatment turns into an illness

The pattern repeats from case to case. The medicine is prescribed for good reason and for a short period. After a while the old dose stops working and the person increases it themselves. Then comes a second pharmacy, a third doctor, a “supply just in case”, and irritation every time the question of stopping is raised.

The difference between treatment and addiction lies not in the medicine but in the purpose. Medicines are taken in order to get back to life. In addiction they are taken in order not to feel life — and that is exactly why stopping becomes impossible without outside help.

Why the medicine must not be stopped abruptly

This is the main thing a family needs to know. Stopping tranquillisers or sleeping pills suddenly and on your own is dangerous: it can bring on a state far worse than the one everything started with. So coming off them is done gradually and under supervision — and that is where our programme begins.

The illness itself does not go anywhere once the medicine is stopped. We see it every day: without the drug, the person is left with the same sleeplessness, the same anxiety and the same inability to bear tension that they were escaping in the first place. Stop at that point, and a return is a matter of weeks.

What the programme includes

Assessment and a supervised withdrawal, then work on what will take the medicine's place: a sleep routine, techniques for handling anxiety, psychotherapy and group sessions. We do not promise that it becomes easy straight away; we give people the tools that make it bearable without a substance.

We also work with the family separately. With pharmacy medicines, relatives often keep the pattern going themselves — buying the drug, arranging things with the pharmacy, hunting for it when it is out of stock. It is done out of love and out of desperation, but it helps the illness rather than the person.

Drug addiction treatment

Opioid addictionStimulant addictionCannabis addiction

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Other areas of help

Alcohol addiction treatmentGambling addiction treatmentRehabilitation programmeFor the familyThe centre by city

Reviews on our Google profile

5.0of 17 reviews

These reviews are not written by us: they sit on our Google profile, where the owner cannot delete an inconvenient one.

irina irina2020
I, Andrey, am now a former drug addict. My entire family struggled with this disease for a long time, but it kept coming back, and I started using again. I completed a rehabilitation course at the ISTOK Center. The center offered classes on specialized rehabilitation methods for addicts. The management and staff were positive and responsive, and everything contributed to my treatment and recovery. The center has a home-like atmosphere. Everything is thought out and calculated so that the addict can truly reflect on their problem and make the right choice, quitting alcohol and drugs. I recommend the ISTOK Center to anyone facing addiction and wanting to change their life for the better by making the right choice. Thank you again for your hard and necessary work and for instilling faith in people.
Сергей Можевенко2020
My name is Sergey, I live in Kharkiv, and I'm 39 years old. Alcohol abuse has been a long-standing problem for me. Recently, I've also become addicted to drugs. I couldn't quit on my own, not the first time, not even the hundredth time. Unfortunately, changing my life for the better was beyond my power. Based on reviews and advice from a friend who had already gone through a similar journey, I learned about the Istok rehabilitation center. The Istok rehabilitation center has restored me to a normal, active, social, and positive life! It has excellent conditions, knowledgeable staff, and the most professional and qualified addiction specialists and psychologists. Here I learned that alcohol addiction is a terrible disease, but by following certain rules, you can live a full life and never return to this addiction. With the help of this center, I returned to my family and work. Thank you so much for my life!
Mаріна Ксьондз2020
Hello. I'm Marina, 28 years old, and I live in Kyiv. I've had problems with drug use for a long time. I tried to quit, but all my attempts were unsuccessful. Finally, I decided to seek help, and I received genuine, professional, high-quality help, with care and support at the Istok Rehabilitation Center. This center is a godsend for alcohol and drug addicts. Excellent living conditions, qualified staff, and psychologists specializing in addiction. I was told that addiction is incurable, but it's possible to live happily with it; you just need to adopt new principles. Thanks to this center, I overcame all my problems. This is the center you should trust...

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