Last year, 24-year-old Brandon Jacoby was found dead at his Westlake Hills home. Toxicology reports show he died of a drug overdose and police say they found dozens of empty pill bottles underneath his bed. The pills in those bottles had been prescribed to friends and one member of his family.

Jacoby’s father, David Jacoby, was the prescribing doctor. According to the Texas Medical Board, David Jacoby's medical license has been suspended for writing bogus prescriptions.

The medical board found the abuse began in 2009 when Dr. Jacoby wrote prescriptions to others, but gave some of the pills from those prescriptions to his son Brandon. Officials with the Travis County's Sheriff Office said no criminal charges have been filed.

Angela Vickery with the Austin Recovery Rehabilitation Center says stories like Jacoby’s aren’t rare.

“Quite common, it's very common. When you say 'how often', we hear tragic stories from families all the time," she said.

Experts at the rehabilitation center say asking for help is the first step in fighting the dangers of drug addiction. They also say studies have recently shown that prescription drug abuse is on the rise.

"We tend to look for a quick easy way to fix things, 'What's going to be the quickest?' You know, 'How can I deal with this uncomfortable feeling quickly?' whether it's pain or emotional," Vickery said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates there are over 20,000 prescription overdose deaths every year.

That's more than deaths from cocaine and heroin combined.