The Problem Of Prescription Drug Addiction - 944 Words

Katie is an everyday 35 year old woman; she has a wonderful husband and 2 small girls, a great job and looking up the ladder of success. Over the past few years, she has dedicated herself to having success at work and success with having a loving family. Anyone would meet Katie and her husband, Lewis, would think they have everything anyone could ever want. Even with her seemingly perfect life, Katie hides a secret. Katie has succumbed to a life of prescription drug addiction. About 10 years ago, Katie was involved in a car accident which caused her a great deal of lower back pain. The doctors prescribed her painkillers to help with the pain, she started taking them according to the doctor’s directions and not only did they help but she came to realize that it also provided her a sense of psychological bliss. In the following years, Katie started to realize that the more she complained about pain, there or not, her doctors would continue to prescribe her the prescription drugs . She then discovered that her family and friends felt sorry for her and thought they would help by giving her some of their prescription drugs. Prescription drug addiction is a global epidemic. Prescription drugs claim the 3rd most frequently abused category of drugs, behind alcohol and marijuana but ahead of the harder drugs, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine. Overall, an estimated 48 million people have abused prescription drugs, representing nearly 20% of the U.S. population (NCADD.gov, 2015).Show MoreRelatedPrescription Drug Abuse1298 Words   |  5 Pagessick. Prescription drugs are being taken for reasons other than the ones they are being prescribed for, fueling an addiction that impacts as many as 48 million Americans (Prescription Drug Abuse WebMD). According to MedLinePlus, an estimated 20 percent of people in the United States have used prescription drugs for nonmedical reasons. This is prescription drug abuse. While a considerable amount of time, resources, and atte ntion are focused on the problems associated with illicit drugs, prescriptionRead MorePrescription Pain Medications Are Supposed To Improve The1225 Words   |  5 PagesPrescription pain medications are supposed to improve the health and well-being of an individual. Oxycontin, an opioid drug, is meant to help people manage their pain symptoms; however, many people are unaware that there is a danger of abuse of receiving drugs prescribed by their physicians. The essays â€Å"How to Create an Addiction† and â€Å"Erin Daly: OxyWatchdog† by Cynthia Andrzejczyk explore the problem of prescription drugs in the United States. Since 1999, prescription drug epidemic in the UnitedRead Moreprescription drug abuse1523 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿Prescription Drug Abuse Millions of people throughout the world are taking drugs on a daily basis. If you were to ask someone why they take prescription drugs, most people would be taking them for the right reason. However, it’s estimated that twenty percent of people in the United States alone have used prescription drugs for non-medical reasons.1 Prescription drug abuse is a serious and growing problem that often goes unnoticed. Abusing these drugs can often lead to addiction and even deathRead MoreDrug Profile1262 Words   |  6 PagesDrug Profile Drug Profile * * Addiction is an escape of experiencing control it is an illusion and a mood altering experience. A pathological relationship with life-threatening or negative consequences, it is the experience that is addicting. People can become addicted to anything that alters our mood or consciousness. Addiction can be about self-harm and when done repeatedly it will stop or ease emotional pain that a person may be going through. An individual’s addiction can showRead MorePrescription Drug Abuse And Prescription Drugs1487 Words   |  6 PagesPrescription Drug Abuse Prescription Drug Abuse has increased in an alarming rate over recent years! Prescription drug related deaths now outnumber those from heroin and cocaine combined. The abuse in prescription drugs in America goes back more than a hundred years ago. Prescription drug abuse is the use of a medication without a prescription, in a way other than prescribed, or for the experience or feelings elicited. Although prescription medications are intended to help individuals, they canRead MoreEssay on Prescription Drug Abuse1318 Words   |  6 Pages Prescription drug abuse has become increasingly prevalent among teens in the county. There has been an increase in the abuse of prescription drugs for a number of reasons. Some individuals who misuse prescription drugs believe they are safer than other illicit drugs because they are prescribed by a healthcare professional and dispensed by a pharmacist. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has classified this prescription drug abuse as an epidemic. More and more teens are becoming addictedRead MorePrescription Drug Abuse990 Words   |  4 PagesPrescription drug abuse is not a new problem within our society. Prescription drug abuse has in fact been an ongoing problem that is currently spinning out of control. There are many people within our society that are currently dealing with prescription drug addiction. Prescription drug abuse is the intentional use of a medication without a prescription; in a way other than as prescribed; or for the experience or feeling it causes (The Science of Drug Abuse Addiction, 2014). Prescription drugsRead MoreDrug Addiction1074 Words   |  5 PagesDrug Addiction Drug abuse is an increasing epidemic in today’s society. There are so many types of drugs being abused today, both legal and illegal. These drugs affect the human body in many different ways. Drug abuse can lead to addiction. â€Å"Drug addiction involves the repeated and excessive use of a drug to produce pleasure or escape reality despite its destructive effects† (â€Å"Environmental Health Perspectives,† 2005). Drug addicts believe that drugs are necessary for them to have a feelingRead MoreThe Epidemic Of Opioid Addiction1678 Words   |  7 Pagescurrently faces an unprecedented epidemic of opioid addiction. This includes painkillers, heroin, and other drugs made from the same base chemical. In the couple of years, approximately one out of twenty Americans reported misuse or abuse of prescriptions painkillers. Heroin abuse and overdoses are on the rise and are the leading cause of injury deaths, surpassing car accidents and gun shots. The current probl em differs from the opioid addiction outbreaks of the past in that it is also predominantRead MorePrescription Drug Abuse Is A Serious Problem1547 Words   |  7 PagesLandgrebe Advanced Composition/4 21 December 2014 Research Paper Prescription drug abuse is a serious problem in today’s society. Prescription drug abuse is taking medicine prescribed for someone else, for another purpose, a larger dose than prescribed, in a different way than one is specifically prescribed. (â€Å"Prescription Medline† par. 1). This includes using a prescription to get high by crushing, snorting, or injecting them (â€Å"Prescription Medline† par. 4 and 5). By using these methods to put them into