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| By Dr. Maryann Rosenthal, Ph.D. |
Today,
millions of Americans suffer with all kinds of physical concerns that cause
them serious pain. They are in need of pain management to help them function
and are often prescribed appropriate medications to help them cope and manage
their condition. However, because these drugs are so powerful and their need so
great, bodies can build up a tolerance for the medications. They then need more of the drug to obtain the
same effect. Eventually they can become overly dependent on these drugs, which
can have a very negative effect on their quality of their life.
Prescription drug abuse is the
Nation’s fastest-growing drug problem and the “Accidental Addict” can happen to
all ages and in all lifestyles especially first responders. According
to a National Survey on Drug Use and Health in 2009, more than 5 million
Americans misused prescription painkillers in a one-month period. “Daily, 50
people in our nation die from unintentional prescription opioid overdoses and
daily, 20 times that number are admitted to hospital emergency departments for
opioid overdoses,” said John Eadie, director of the Prescription Monitoring
Program Center of Excellence at Brandeis University. As outrageous as that
sounds, a huge majority – more than 70% of those prescriptions were from
friends and relatives.
There are many reasons for the
rapid and growing abuse of prescription drugs. One is how easily accessible the
drugs are from doctors, family and friends.
The other is the diminished perception of risk while taking these legal
drugs. After all, many times these drugs
are prescribed for real pain and unfortunately, patients are not always good
consumers and do not question their doctors when addictive medications are
prescribed. Doctors tell patients to
“get ahead of the pain – if you wait, it will take longer to manage your
pain.” So your brain sends a signal that
the pain is coming and you need to be prepared.
Better take another pill. And the cycle of abuse begins. These factors
all add to the epidemic and deadly problem of prescription drug abuse in our
Nation today.
