Nearly half of all Americans have taken a prescription drug in the past 30 days. Such widespread use would not be a problem if the drugs taken were always taken for the right reasons. They’re not. To be sure prescription drugs can benefit a sick person. But their overuse has created rampant abuse. Drugs originally invented, synthesized and patented to rid the body of an unwanted condition, have themselves served to cause unwanted conditions, or worse, in people. Many Americans abuse prescription drugs. In one state, deaths caused by overdose have surpassed deaths from automobile accidents. With prescription drugs so prevalent and with the stigma that once followed drug addiction now minimal, it’s more important than ever for loved ones to recognize the signs of prescription drug abuse and do something for their loved ones when they the signs appear.
The high rates of addiction spawned by prescription drug abuse has been discussed little. Only recently have we heard on the nightly news about the rampant abuse of prescription drugs. Kids selling their Ritalin on the playgrounds or buying antidepressants, or worse yet, benzodiazepines from friends who steal these drugs from others. Marijuana used to be the drug of choice among young adults. While many still abuse marijuana, prescription drug abuse has hit the teen scene hard.
People take drugs not just to get high but to relieve pain or solve problems they suffer, some physical, some mental. Drugs have a profound effect upon body and mind. At first it may appear to someone that taking drugs will solve his or her condition. He or she soon learns, however, that drugs of any kind are not the answer. They merely cover up the symptoms for a bit. Once the drug wears off, the user feels compelled to take more. It’s a loser’s game. The more you take, the worse your life becomes, the more you take, the worse your life becomes, the more you take. On and on.
Prescription drugs are particularly devious and alluring. They seem legitimate. After all, you can just walk into a store and ask for them. There is then a false reality that taking prescription drugs is okay. It isn’t and they’re not. Sure, they were prescribed by a doctor and hence don’t carry the same stigma as a cocaine, meth, heroin or the like. But that doesn’t make them legitimate.
If you suspect that someone you love is taking medication without a prescription, don’t sit back and wait. A drug habit rarely goes away on its own. Get them some help. And if you’re the one being prescribed drugs, ask your doctor to tell you about the likelihood for abuse with this prescription drug.
A Prescription Drug Addict’s Physical Appearance
- They seem drunk, even though they have not been drinking.
A Prescription Drug Addict’s Behavior and Mannerisms
- They act intoxicated.
- They slur their speech.
- They have a stumbling gait.
- Their eyes droop.
- They unpredictably fall asleep, for example at the dinner table.
- They can be listless.
Items Left Around the House which May Indicate Prescription Drug Abuse
. Bottles of prescription medicines, pills and blister packs.
The signs of prescription drug abuse are easy to spot. And important to spot as well. The incidence of injury from prescription drug abuse is on the rise. Something must be done about it.
Fritz Alders
Managing Partner, Georgia Alliance
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[...] The 1960’s ushered in a new marketing campaign for Big Pharma and their henchmen medical doctors. We were lured by the “miracles of modern medicine.” To be sure, there were a few miracles, probably quite a few. Antibiotics come to mind. Many other drugs, and certainly the drugs at the center of our current tragedy are not miracles, except perhaps for the relative few who take them to alleviate unbearable pain. OxyContin may be perfectly suited for a person with late stage terminal cancer, but it shouldn’t be prescribed so readily for more common and less debilitating conditions. For as long as it is, people whose purpose is to get high will find a way to highjack these drugs, which is all the more reason that you need to recognize the signs of prescription drug abuse. [...]