Short Story: Beautiful Disaster

With time, my life became unmanageable and chaotic. I tried so hard to pretend I had it under control. It begun about 4 years ago I was in a pretty bad car accident, and was hit on my side I was the passenger. I went to see one of the Doctors I worked with, to get my back checked out. That was probably one of the biggest mistakes of my life. He first started prescribing me Vicodin I think I used it for about a month but it wasn’t taking care of the pain and I wasn’t getting that euphoric feeling I got the first time I took it. I went back to the Doctor complaining I was still in pain so he prescribed me 120 Percocet, I told him I still had about 100 vicodin left should I turn them in he said I could but, they

Through my observations of the Narcotics Anonymous meeting I believe that my analysis could be beneficial to the realm of medicine. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2014) released a study that displayed, “health care providers wrote 259 million prescriptions for painkillers in 2012, enough for every American adult to have a bottle of pills.” Considering the mass amount of prescriptions being written nationwide, it is not surprising that one of the members in the NA meeting I attended was able to easily obtain painkillers from her doctor. The specific interaction I encountered during the Narcotics Anonymous meeting where the woman described that her addiction was being supported by the constant prescriptions written by her doctor

Stolz explains that college students across the U.S. are taking advantage of the black market from the stimulate and using it as a study drug (2012). With easy access, students have no issue finding a source, whether it’s illegally from someone willing to sell their own prescription for quick cash, or getting it wrongly prescribed from a clinic (Stolz, 2012). Health clinics in colleges are a convenient source of medical care, but they are also providing an effortless opportunity for any student to obtain a prescription through misdiagnosis. Stolz (2012), discloses that students in college are able to simply walk in without an appointment, mention a few key symptoms such as trouble focusing and conveniently acquire a prescription for Adderall. The on-campus clinics eliminate the need for appointments and advanced prolonged testing with psychiatrists allowing the students to receive an ADHD diagnosis easily (Stolz

Nearly five years ago, Kyle Craig, a well-rounded and bright student at Vanderbilt University, took his life at the young age of 21. Kyle was described to be a “confident, but not arrogant” young man. He had a solid 3.5 grade point average and was extremely active in his fraternity. His parents said he was, “…a thrill a minute, focused, happy, achieving and social” (James). Kyle, in short, seemed to have it all together. What no one knew is that Kyle illegally looked to Adderall to keep up his “I’ve got it all together” act. Adderall is a stimulant prescription drug for those with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, also known as ADHD (FDA). Kyle took Adderall illegally and abused it much too often just to perform better academically and socially. While abusing the drug, Kyle slowly began spiraling into a dangerous state of psychosis that no one seemed to catch on to. That dangerous spiral led Kyle all the way in front of a train, taking his own life (James). Kyle is not the only young college student to suffer from the effects of stimulant or amphetamine drugs like Adderall. Almost 1,000 cases of psychosis were found to be linked to medications such as Adderall or Ritalin between the years 2000 and 2005 (FDA). Stimulant and Amphetamines are also known to heighten or produce suicidal and depressive thoughts (FDA). With all of these unsettling facts, 1 in 5 college students abuse these drugs and use them as study aids (CBN News). For the last

There is an epidemic plaguing our nation, a plague that does not discriminate between young, or old, rich or poor, the plague is the addiction to Oxycontin. A prescription narcotic first introduced 1996 by the Purdue Pharmaceutical Company ("The Promotion and Marketing of Oxycontin: Commercial Triumph, Public Health Tragedy). The drug Oxycontin was quickly marketed, and aggressively promoted. The pharmaceutical corporation in 1996 made $48 million dollars and in the year 2000 that sum was about 1.1 billion dollars ("The Promotion and Marketing of Oxycontin: Commercial Triumph, Public Health Tragedy). The miracle medication was intended for cancer patients whose pain level was not controlled with regular opioid medications ("The Promotion

The first study conducted by Teter, McCabe, LaGrange, Cranford, & Boyd (2006) found that there were no differences in the illicit use of Adderall between men and woman. The second study was led by Sean McCabe et al. and was designed to study the non-medical use of prescription stimulants by college students in the United States. In the study, Sean McCabe et al. found past-year Adderall abuse rates to be 5.8% amongst males and 2.9% amongst females. The results also showed past-month abuse rates of 2.8% for males and 1.6% for females (McCabe et al., 2005). After adjusting for other factors, McCabe and his colleagues determined that college men were almost two times more likely than women to report non-medical use of Adderall. The two studies found conflicting results; however, the study conducted by McCabe et al. was done on a sample that was twice as large as the sample collected by Teter et al. and collected from 119 four-year universities, making it more reliable and a better representation of the Adderall abuse scene throughout American

Getting involved with opioids now days seem fairly easy, our young ones are becoming addicted to these medications because our doctors don’t care. Doctors are just signing off prescriptions left and right. But in reality physicians have responsibilities, such as obtaining physical examination, a medical history, develop a written treatment plan for their patients, and comply with controlled substances laws and regulations. In a lot of cases doctors don’t want to deal with their patients so they will just prescribed medications to get people in and out of the office, to keep up with their hectic schedule, and don’t want to find the root of the cause, or maybe they just don’t have the time. Other ways to get opioids include within relatives, visits out of the country, pharmacy and hospital theft, and “stealing from grandma’s cabinet” (Inciardi, Surratt, Kurtz, and Cicero 2007). Despite the overload of opioids in our country almost 80% of the world 's population today has no access to morphine. And an estimated 33 million people, need specialized medical care but have no access to even basic care and symptom control. This terrible lack of pain relief can be attributed to our governments need to control and regulation.

Most people are familiar with prescription medications; almost everyone has taken them at one point or another during their lifetime. Not all prescription drugs are addicting, but a large number of them are. Prescription drug abuse is a disease that has become a major problem in the United States, which affects over six-million Americans. Prescription drug abuse not only affects the individual, but can additionally have far-reaching consequences that affect family, personal health, employment, communities and society as a whole. Research has shown that at least 10% of people prescribed an addictive medication will become dependent on the medicine. Due to prescription drug abuse, states are beginning to monitor doctors who prescribe certain medications, more closely, which may scare some physicians away from prescribing helpful medications to people who truly need them.

At The University of North Dakota, 18 year-old freshman, Zac was stressed about his schedule; balancing academics, work, and athletics all while maintaining a social life. With another busy week ahead and an important exam coming up, he felt the need to do something about his situation. He knew caffeine it wouldn’t be enough this time. Within 10 minutes, he found himself knocking on the dorm two doors down and within 15 minutes had Adderall in his possession. This pill that was supposed to be a one-time thing became a daily ritual in order to make it through the day. Zac, like many others who abused the prescription had become addicted. Adderall is a highly addictive medication most commonly prescribed to those who have ADHD or attention deficit

Who would’ve gone through five days of feeling a slight burning sensation when they could experience a dry mouth and an upset stomach instead? Even though I’m a track star that goes through grueling workouts everyday, I am still a crybaby after all. Even though the use of the drug has brought about more side effects over the past two years that include, but are not limited to, sleep apnea, severe constipation, and complications to both my heart and my lungs, I am still happy that I avoided the temporary pains of surgery from two years ago. Even the thought of experiencing pain was soon pacified by the wonderful drug Hydrocodone. With each refill of my prescription, I began to feel as if I was invincible, like Superman minus the flying and the cape. One time I experienced a paper cut and almost had a panic attack, but then everything was fine as soon as I took my Hydrocodone. Before every track practice, I would even pop a pill in order to forget about how exhausted I was. It was therapeutic; It was my insulin and I was the diabetic recipient. That’s why I was so surprised when my coach reported me for drug abuse when he saw me taking three pills at once. He called me a “drug addict” and said I needed to be admitted into this thing called “rehab”. I was at a loss for words and I couldn’t think clearly, but I couldn’t tell if it was from my

Adderall is a familiar name that has been around for years. It is typically used for medical purposes for people with disorders such as ADHD and narcolepsy. It is a necessary drug for those who need it. However, in the last decade, it has become more than just a drug to calm those who are hyper or keep someone with a sleeping disorder up. It is being used by college students to keep them awake whether it is in class, for a test, to study late at night, and regular citizens in the country are abusing it. College students and citizens are abusing the drug and it has major affect with it, especially if they were not prescribed it. However, knowing where Adderall originated from, what it is intended for, and the side effects of the drug must

Concerning pharmacotherapy, physicians are reluctant to prescribe controlled medications because the DEA is more stringent. However, at CRH’s Mental Health Unit (MHU), many patients are still addicted to narcotics and stimulants. Some patients take pills to wake up, to be pain-free, and to sleep. Apparently, some doctors in the area are still prescribing these medications. They will treat obese patients with stimulants. Instead of taking the medication, patients will sell their pills to make money. Then, they come to MHU, and the hospitalist or psychiatrist will start the pharmacy-confirmed

In less than a years time, Kyle Warren had been seen by four different medical doctors, each one with their own diagnosis that included autism, bipolar disorder (also known as manic depression), insomnia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). Kyle's pill regimen kept multiplying, consuming daily harmful cocktail of mind- altering drugs including Risperdal (anti-psychotic), Prozac (antidepressant), Adderall (psycho-stimulant) and two sleeping medicines. Kyle Warren was only eighteen months old at the time (Wilson 11). Kyles story is not rare, in fact, it has became what I refer to as a “to common” case. For that matter, it was a story much like this one that got me interested in the

This week I chose to further explore the article Prescription Drug Abuse and Addiction: Past, Present and Future: The Paradigm for an Epidemic written by P. B. Hall MD, DABAM, AAMRO, Denzil Hawkinberry II, MD, DABA, Pam Moyers-Scott, PAC, MPAS, DFAAPA as more and more individuals are abusing and becoming addicted to prescription medications. The article provides a great amount of statistical data for the US but is primarily focused on the population in West Virginia where Governor Joe Manchin III states, “Substance abuse affects a broader segment of West Virginia’s citizens and their state and local governments than any other single issue confronting us today” (Hall, Hawkinberry, II, & Moyers-Scott, 2010). West Virginia is far from the only state facing the prescription drug epidemic as it is becoming more and more prevalent across the US each year. “It is estimated that in 2009, the number of adolescents and adults with a substance abuse and/or dependence problem has reached 23.2 million in the US” (Hall, Hawkinberry, II, & Moyers-Scott, 2010). In the past, addiction has been thought of as the disease of the weak, but with advancement in brain imaging technology to accurately measure neurotransmitters addiction is now recognized as a disease. Prescription drug abuse and addiction has enormous socioeconomic costs in the areas of medical expenses, drug related crime, and unemployment. “Current estimates of the financial burden to society due to substance abuse exceeds half a

The negative outcomes of medication misuse influence people who ill-use medicates as well as their families and companions, different organizations, and government assets (Akindipe, Abiodun, Adebajo, Lawal, & Rataemane, 2014). Albeit huge numbers of these impacts can 't be evaluated, “Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) as of late in 2002 reported that, the monetary expense of drug abuse within the United States was $180.9 billion” (Akindipe et al., 2014, Pg 250 Para 10). The