Posts Tagged ‘painkiller addiction’

Corey Haim’s Death Another Casualty in the U.S. Prescription Drug War

Monday, March 15th, 2010

Corey Haim’s death Wednesday brought another influx of attention to the prescription drug debate in America, though its misunderstanding could be the most costly side effect of the nation-wide disease.

Prescription drug abuse isn’t just for the wealthy. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, over 45 million Americans or over 20 percent of the country’s population have used prescription drugs for non-medical reasons. This dangerous and easily misunderstood addiction goes unnoticed by many and receives less press than other more “street” addictions.

What seems to be most concerning about the upsurge in high-profile deaths recently is that the concept of prescription drug dependency takes a sidecar to voyeur. In the case of Brittany Murphy, the notion of her drug habits elicted responses desiring to “out her” as something less beautiful and more disturbed, a demotion of image or an affirmation of her flaws.

With Corey Haim, the responses simply imply this was the natural course of things. Even his own certainty that he’d be “a chronic relapser for the rest of my life” (from an interview on CNN’s “Larry King Live”) gives little resistance to the idea.

The opposition of Murphy’s rumored closet addiction and the very public knowledge of Haim’s should bring to light the scope of the problem rather than act as both circus sideshow attraction and circle of life philosophy.  Other high profile deaths within the last couple years (like Heath Ledger and Michael Jackson) that should also bring a wider view of the disease seem to be doing little by way of public action.

Sure, states are starting to pass laws putting restrictions on those who prescribe, but how about starting from an obvious point of concern: the labeling.

One of the most difficult issues with this type of addiction lies in the problematic directions on many painkiller labels. Those who are actually taking the drug for a legitimate problem may inadvertantly become hooked. Painkiller labels reading “Take 1 or 2 tablets or as necessary” creates an ambiguous statement. What does “as necessary” really mean?

These drugs are extremely easy to adapt to. After a relatively short time of taking them, the “Take 1 or 2 tablets” begins to take a backseat to “or as necessary” and begins the slope toward addiction.

Without changes to these most basic of problems, how can we expect to change the situation? When doctor’s offices situate themselves in strip malls and you can go to different doctors for the same problem, it makes getting these drugs very easy and makes painkiller addiction less of a celebrity problem.

Yes, state and national governments try to come up with ways to limit or track prescription drug issuance by passing new laws and creating databases. In the meantime, Middle America silently self-medicates behind bathroom doors.

Tags: Brittany Murphy, celebrity drug addiction, Corey Haim, painkiller addiction, prescription drug abuse, prescription pill addiction
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As WV Senate Tackles Prescription Drug Abuse, Ambitious Business Women Battle Its Effects

Monday, March 8th, 2010

On March 2^nd West Virginia’s senate cleared a bill aimed at tackling prescription drug abuse. Modeled after New York’s program, it utilizes a national database physicians must use in order to prescribe or dispense painkillers and other drugs. Hoping to not only save the state money, but also tackle a problem robbing the nation of productive citizens left and right, bills like this have begun to emerge rapidly as numbers surface regarding just how many people die every year from prescription drug overdoses, specifically those of painkillers and mood-altering drugs like ADD/ADHD meds Ritalin and Adderall, fast becoming as common on the drug scene as pot, but wearing a much more accepted face.

The massive amount of women trying to make it big in the professional world who use as a means of staying focused and getting a leg up on the competition is particularly interesting to this growing problem. MSNBC recently published an article bringing to light the lengths women go to in order to stay ahead and the detrimental effects it has not only on their health, but also on the career they’re so intent on furthering.

Drugs like hydrocodone and vicodin rank high on the list of painkillers used, as they provide jolts of energy and provide focus. Unfortunately, they’re also incredibly difficult to quit using. As women become hooked they experience intense withdrawal, just like those using hard street drugs. Consequently, those who thought they had complete control over their lives and habits find themselves battling to stay alive.

This is quickly becoming commonplace, as the article explains, “According to IMS Health, a research firm that tracks prescription drug use, the use of stimulants has nearly tripled over the past decade,” and painkillers are no different.  Women are particularly vulnerable, as they are 55 percent more likely to be prescribed narcotics and anti-anxiety drugs, as the article points out, and with a mindset geared toward perfection, these victims quickly spiral out of control.

Addiction to painkillers like Vicodin, Norco and Oxycontin generally remains a tightly kept secret by those abusing, fearing reputation, backlash and career detriment. As the addiction takes hold, users must take more and more in order to keep the effects, teetering dangerously close to overdose and many times tumbling in. Because of its hush hush nature, many times treatment for painkiller addiction or prescription drug abuse remains neglected until it’s too late.

Hopefully with the increase in legislation, addiction and abuse will become more visible, and those who need painkiller addiction treatment will receive it. With more national media attention on this problem and popular shows like VH1’s Celebrity Rehab and A&E’s Intervention, painkiller addiction symptoms are coming to the forefront, helping those affected more easily identify and seek treatment, and in so doing, lifting the veil from this secretive world after the glass ceiling.

Tags: addiction, addiction in women, addiction intervention, medication addiction, painkiller addiction
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