The Rising Threat of Prescription Drug Addiction
Is it hard being you? Do you have trouble getting to sleep?
There truly is no definitive answer to these questions – the answers will be different for all who pose these questions to themselves.
Everyone seems to find a method to dealing with their madness – which sometimes brings about more madness.
Marilyn Monroe used Numbutal, Seconal and Chloral Hydrate.
Whitney Houston’s autopsy report came back with a deadly cocktail of alcohol mixed with Xanax and other prescription drugs.
Hockey enforcer, Derek Boogaard saw his downfall in Hyrocodone, Ambien, Zolpiden, Xanax, Restoril, Oxycodone, and a mix of others.
So what does a cultural icon, a pop star princess and a fighter on the ice all have in common?
They all share drugs that at one time were prescribed by doctors.
For decades, prescription drug use has been the source of solving issues and creating others for those in the limelight. Whether it is about dealing with anxiety, battling sleepless nights or nursing both old and new injuries – prescribed pain killers have been numbing the nation to the point for where is has just recently surpassed car crashes as the number one cause of accidental deaths.
With the aforementioned public figures, there is a noticeable increase in the various types of different drugs being used. Marilyn is noted as having primarily used these three different drugs (others have been noted in many others periodicals over the years), Derek is noted as using more than half a dozen different prescription drugs. What does this mean? Does it mean that prescription drugs are used more heavily today?
“What happens over time is not that people stop using prescription drugs, or stop needing treatment – drugs of choice change over time.” Dr. Philip L. Herschman, Chief Clinical Director of CRC Health Group said.
The good doctor joined CRC in 2002 bringing more than 35 years of experience in the health care industry to his position – in particular, he brings expertise in the behavioral healthcare services field.
“For example, in the recent past it was cocaine. There were different drugs that jumped out as the ones that were being abused and were focused on. The current wave is prescription drug use, primarily opiates such as Vicodin, OxyContin and Percocet.”
Opiate drugs are known for their withdrawal symptoms which have proven fatal for those who have developed addictions.
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