| Prescription Drug Abuse and Recovery |
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21-year-old Dan* had always loved the thrill of sports. Growing up, he excelled in football, baseball, and basketball, and later in extreme sports like snowboarding and skateboarding. The summer after Dan graduated from high school, a shoulder injury from snowboarding and football required two major surgeries. His doctor prescribed Percocet and Vicodin for the pain from the surgery. Dan would never be the same. Even after he had recuperated, Dan continued to take the medication because, he said, “I felt amazing while taking the pills.” Before he knew it, he was addicted, and when the pills ran out, Dan began to experience the harsh reality of withdrawal. He turned to the black market for painkillers, and soon started a horrific relationship with heroin, a cheaper substitute for the prescription opiates. Dan’s life began to spiral out of control. He maxed out his credit cards and stopped paying taxes and rent. He stole from his family, pawned nearly everything he owned, and spent a $15,000 CD on drugs. Dan failed out of college, and after stealing from his employer, he was fired from his job. “I rapidly lost my health, mind, and every person I was close to,” Dan says. “This wasn’t like me. I had always been a very respectful, smart person with values and morals.” Fortunately, Dan’s parents helped him turn his life around. They checked him into a detox program, and he completed aftercare at Community Mental Health Affiliates’ (CMHA) Alliance Treatment Center in New Britain. He attends meetings with his family, has a treatment plan to stay drug-free, and is committed to living drug-free. Dan’s story has a happy ending, but unfortunately, cases like his are on the rise. Treatment admissions for prescription pain killer misuse have risen dramatically over the past decade, and in 2006, 16.2 million Americans age 12 and older had taken prescription medication for non-medical purposes.** The most commonly abused prescription drugs include opiates (painkillers such as Oxycontin and Vicodin), depressants (anxiety and sleep disorders treatments such as Xanax and Valium), and stimulants (treatments for attention deficit disorder such as Ritalin and Adderall). Prescription drug abuse is particularly high among teens and adolescents, who often mistakenly believe that these drugs are safe and acceptable. Kids are learning at an earlier age that pills are an easy solution to life’s problems. Not to mention the fact that these drugs don’t come from a shady drug dealer on the street; they’re available for free in the medicine cabinet at home or from a family doctor. Teens who otherwise may never touch street drugs may abuse prescription drugs. "When we look at prescription medication abuse and dependence among adolescents and young adults, we are confronted with much bigger challenges than ever before,” says Victor Incerti, CMHA Vice President of Residential Services. “How we manage the treatment of pain, depression and anxiety is one place to start. Prescription medications are too often the only treatment that is offered. Drugs are promoted as safe, quick, affordable and shareable. They aren't, and they shouldn't be. And in the hands of those they are not prescribed to, they are more dangerous than illicit drugs and as deadly when mixed with other substances." As a recovering addict, Dan agrees. “If only I had been made aware of the dangers of opiate-based medications and their highly addictive properties, I may not have progressed into the disease of addiction,” Dan says. “The public needs to know about the dangers of pain medication and there should be stricter rules as to the amounts given out by all doctors.” So what can you do to keep yourself and your kids safe from prescription drug abuse? The following are a few helpful tips from the CT Prescription Drug Task Force: IF YOU USE A DRUG PRESCRIBED BY YOUR DOCTOR:
IF YOU HAVE CHILDREN OR TEENAGERS LIVING WITH YOU:
September is National Alcohol & Drug Addiction Recovery Month, a time to encourage those who are living with addiction, and honor those who, like Dan, have won the battle with drugs or alcohol. There is hope for recovery and for preventing prescription drug abuse from spreading. But as Incerti says, a paradigm shift is necessary to get to the root of the problem. "We come together as a community to celebrate recovery this month, but the struggle continues for us to pull one life at a time from the insidious grip of addiction. We need to confront our denial, reach out to one another and be someone's support one day at a time," Incerti says. "Recovery is more than just not using. It is changing the way we think, changing how we manage pain, depression and anxiety by incorporating life-style changes that work and building support networks that provide connection and meaning to our lives." CMHA’s Substance Abuse Action Council (SAAC) Sponsored Events to Celebrate National Alcohol & Drug Addiction Recovery Month: Celebrate Recovery: A Free Public Forum Prescription Drug Take-Backs:
For more information, contact SAAC at (860) 826-4985 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . *name changed to protect privacy |
