Prescription Drug Addiction
Prescription drug addiction is a growing problem in the United States with admissions to emergency rooms due to overdose on prescription drugs outpacing illegal drugs. Prescription drug addiction is often a result of chronic pain or a prescription after surgery or an accident. The person continues to take the opiate pain medication long after the initial event and builds tolerance. As the demand for more drug continues they often resort to doctor shopping, forging prescriptions, or buying drugs on the black market.
Posted under Teens
You Caught Your Teen Stealing Your Prescription Drugs – Now What?
Often it happens by accident. You’re cleaning up the trail of debris left by your teenaged son or daughter and baggies or plastic-wrapped packages of pills fall out of coats, jackets, jeans, purses, etc. Maybe you’re dusting their bedroom, putting away fresh laundry, or rearranging photos or other items in the room. What you discover turns your stomach to lead. Those brightly colored pills look vaguely familiar. With trembling hands, you carry the pills to your medicine cabinet and compare them with what’s there. They may be your prescription medications. Continue Reading
Posted under Elderly
Pain Medication and the Elderly
By Jill Gonzalez
As people age, they generally develop a variety of medical problems that require the regular use of medication (prescription and over the counter). Unfortunately, there are a number of risks associated with the use of multiple medications, particularly over an extended period of time.
Posted under Media Portrayals
Edie Falco on Addiction and “Nurse Jackie”
Fans of HBO’s The Sopranos are likely eagerly awaiting Edie Falco’s next role as the star of the new Showtime feature Nurse Jackie, which premieres Monday June 8th. While fans might know that Falco’s character is a veteran nurse with a bad back and an addiction to pain medication, they might not know that Falco herself has struggled with addiction, giving her special insight into the character.
Posted under Teens
Talk to Your Teen about the Dangers of Prescription Drugs
While street drug use among teens is on the decline, they’re still getting high with prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs. Prescription drugs teens are taking include opioids or painkillers, stimulants such as ADHD medications, and depressants. As parents, you are the first, and best, defense against this growing problem. Continue Reading
Posted under Drugs, Prescription Drug Addiction
Klonopin Abuse
By Leslie Thompson
Klonopin is a very popular prescription drug used to treat anxiety, panic disorders, and seizures. Commonly known by its generic name clonazepam, klonopin is part of a group of psychoactive drugs in the benzodiazepine family. Benzodiazepine drugs are some of the most widely prescribed drugs in the United States in part because of their tranquilizing effect. When taken correctly and as prescribed, benzodiazepine drugs are highly effective in rapidly reversing agitation and are often used for the short-term treatment of severe anxiety. However, recent years have shown that prescription drug abuse is on the rise, and klonopin is commonly abused.
Posted under Stimulants
Ritalin Abuse
Ritalin is a commonly prescribed Central Nervous System stimulant. The effects of Ritalin are similar to (but much stronger than) caffeine. As a stimulant, it is less powerful than amphetamines.
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Posted under Teens
Teen Prescription Drug Abuse on the Rise
With one in five teenagers admitting they’ve abused a prescription medication, Steve Pasierb, president of the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, knew something had to be done. Last summer, he launched an anti-drug campaign to educate teens and their parents about the dangers of abusing prescription medications through an internet-based campaign called “Not in My House.”
Posted under Prescription Drug Addiction
Prescription Drug Abuse: A Prescription for Danger
Vicodin, OxyContin, Valium, Xanax, Ritalin: All of these are prescription drugs that, when abused, are just as addictive and dangerous as illegal street drugs like heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamines. Many people are under the false impression that because something is legal, it’s safe. However, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of poisonings and deaths associated with prescription drug abuse, especially among teens and young adults.
The Addiction Primer
Everything you need to know to help a loved one struggling with addiction, from the writers and editors of Everything Addiction.
