Prescription Drug Abuse Essay

With access to prescription drugs, people are able to treat a multitude of diseases and illnesses. These drugs help deal with pain, inability to sleep, depression, and much more. Every day we are increasingly living in a world where there is better living through chemicals. However, what most do not seem to see is the rising tide of pain, illness, and ultimately death being caused by the pills people take every day. Most keep drugs in a special place in their minds, where they see them as harmless. Sadly, this is not the case, and in some cases our prescription drugs can be just as harmful as illegal drugs (King 68).

Years ago, the common image of an adolescent drug abuser was a teen trying to escape from reality on illegal substances like cocaine, heroin, or marijuana. Today, there is a great discrepancy between that perception and the reality of who is likely to abuse drugs. A teenage drug abuser might not have to look any further than his or her parent’s medicine chest to ‘score.’ Prescription drug abuse by teens is on the rise. Also, teens are looking to prescription drugs to fulfill different needs other than to feel good or escape the pressures of adulthood. Teens may be just as likely to resort to drugs with ‘speedy’ side effects, like Ritalin to help them study longer, as they are to use prescription

To begin with, studies show that, “In 12 states there are more opioid prescriptions than people” (Brooks). Abuse and addiction of substances like opioids are becoming more of an issue with each generation. People are allowing for these substances to control them. When will people be satisfied with their life enough to not get dragged by this demon. But who are we to blame?

The rate of death due to prescription drug abuse in the U.S. has escalated 313 percent over the past decade. According to the Congressional Quarterly Transcription’s article "Rep. Joe Pitt Holds a Hearing on Prescription Drug Abuse," opioid prescription drugs were involved in 16,650 overdose-caused deaths in 2010, accounting for more deaths than from overdoses of heroin and cocaine. Prescribed drugs or painkillers sometimes "condemn a patient to lifelong addiction," according to Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This problem not only affects the lives of those who overdose but it affects the communities as well due to the convenience of being able to find these items in drug stores and such.

Throughout the United States, children take prescription drugs in order to get high. Most of the time, it is not even for recreational purposes, it is because that doctors tell them that it’ll cure some ailment they have. One of these prescription drugs is Adderall, considered to be a gateway drug for children getting high. People keep getting killed by accidental overdosed from prescription drugs every nineteen minutes, saying that it is even worse than alcohol. Some people ruin their lives by even taking prescription drugs. The niece of the pharmaceutical representative, who was a pre-med student that got into a car accident and was taking prescription drugs, died due to depression from the halting of taking prescription drugs. The niece burned herself alive by taking the oil from a lamp and lighting herself.

In the current health trends, complimentary alternative medicine has been used to control musculoskeletal pain such as back and neck pain, joint pain and arthritis. The Department of Veteran Affairs has been exploring different alternatives for the veterans with controlling noncancerous chronic pain versus the frequent use of opioids drugs. Complimentary alternative medicine practices have become more apparent and useful within the healthcare system. First, this paper will discuss the significance of complimentary alternative medicines among the veterans with chronic pain. Secondly, there will be a discussion of the three themes identified in the literature review. Thirdly, there will be a discussion with the synthesis on two

People who are addicted to opioids experience negative mental and physical effects that include nausea, weakened immune system, a lowered breathing rate and worst case, coma (Prashad 2017). Since opioid effects the immune system, individuals have an increased risk of developing HIV or any infectious deadly disease. The risk does not end there, effects of opioids also includes, hallucinations, clogged blood vessels and the risk of choking (Prashad 2017). Having a child, parent, friend or any loved one that is addicted to opioids have many affects. Parents who have an opioid addict child, may feel as they were the reason for their addiction. Parents might feel guilt by thinking their lifestyle at home was the main trigger for wanting to take

Why is it that prescription drug abuse is increasing at a high rate? The answer to this question can be somewhat complex. There are multiple reasons as to why this is happening, but the reasons all come together and create a laddering effect. Prescription drug abuse is currently at an all-time high because prescription drugs are so easy for a person to obtain. The chain reaction starts at the doctor over-prescribing medications then continues to consumers becoming what I would call drug dealers and ending with and addict or in more often than not death.

Prescription drug abuse is defined as using prescription drugs in a way that is not prescribed by a doctor or using someone else's prescription. People abuse prescription drugs for a variety of reasons (Misuse of Prescription Drugs). Some people abuse them to get high, others keep using to avoid withdrawals from the drug. Whereas stimulants such as adderall are often abused by students to improve academic performance.

In the United States of America, there is prescription drug abuse epidemic that continues to be a growing concern. Prescription drugs cause a large amount of overdoses and result in an abundant amount of deaths each year. A government study conducted shows this epidemic is scarily on the rise, “A recent government study found a 400% increase in prescription drug abuse between 1998 and 2008” (Schreiner 531). The excessive use of prescription drug abuse is leading to nonmedical use of the drugs, and creating addiction. Furthermore society is paying an extreme amount of money in this battle. With this drug abuse on the rise, legislators must create a law preventing doctors and pharmacists from over prescribing prescription medications as well a law to require they both participate in drug monitoring programs to prevent drug abuse. Now is the time that doctors and the pharmaceutical industry must be held accountable for their role in causing one of America’s worst addictions. The over medication of prescription drugs in the United States must be brought to an end by legislators creating laws to stop

Many people in America have overdosed on prescription drugs just by abusing them. Prescription drugs that are prescribed and sold in the United States has quadrupled the years. As a result of over prescribing leads to more abuse in the medication and/or more overdose deaths in America. But, however certain people may still need the medication to live and have a well functioning body but still abuse their prescription by taking more than instructed too and end up overdosing in the process of abuse. Many people in America don't even have to have the medication to be prescribed to them, some people just sell their prescription to random in their in the need of cash or if the other just wants something to make them feel good or relaxed. After just buying one pill, the buyer will the need to have more than just one pill, so they'll grow and addiction and start taking more than one at a time, which will lead to their

When it comes to prescriptions, people ask: what are prescription drugs? Who benefits from prescription drugs and why are prescription drugs important to society? Throughout a person’s entire life, prescription drugs absorb the body and whether the issue is for headaches, cramps, or sickness, prescriptions is there to make a person feel better. Moreover, different types of prescription drugs treat different types of illnesses or reduce the symptoms. However, people do better toughing it out than taking a prescribed drug. A person who has a cold and is taking a prescribed drug has a higher risk of a disease while another person who has a cold and is not taking a prescription drug does not. Due to the issues, prescription drugs need to reform

Currently, prescription drug addiction is the most serious problem among all the other drug addictions that exists. Several researches have shown us that, addiction to any drug whether legal or ill-legal, is a brain disease which can be treated efficiently. But similar kind of treatment is not apt for all the individuals who suffer from prescription drug addiction. Prescription drug addiction is not at all different from addiction to some other substances or from alcoholism. However, for medical reasons, no one is prescribed to take cocaine or alcohol.

There are many people who are using illegal substance in the world with a survey carried out showing that in 2010; about 3% of world’s population was taking them. Taking illegal substances is using a drug for a purpose rather than what it is intended for with quantity and means used being harmful (Joan: 1). There are many types of substances that are being abused today such as alcohol, bhang, barbiturates, heroin. Alcohol is illegal in some countries and where it is regal, some illicit brews are illegal. In other words illegal substances are drugs that law does not allow their use (Alcoholrehab.com: 1). When two contradicting opinions or perceptions are in the person’s mind is what is referred to as Cognitive dissonance. This paper seeks to evaluate whether self-medication using substances that are illegal, helps them avoid cognitive dissonance.

Drugs consume the lives of many adults, teenagers, young children, and babies. Drugs have been introduced into our lives in a number of ways, either by prescription by an accredited doctor, over-the-counter, or on the street. Substance abuse is the leading cause of familial dysfunction and breakdown. Nine out of 10 families suffer hardships at the hands of family members who partake in what appears to be recreational drug use. What starts out as recreational use quickly escalates into the dark world of drug addiction. According to the dictionary, addiction is the compulsive need for and use of a habit forming substance such as alcohol or heroin characterized by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal. I will examine the process of drug addiction, the effects it has on abusers and their family, and the road to recovery.