As people’s awareness of drugs is increasing, more information regarding prescription drug use is coming to light. The most recent statistics report that prescription drug abuse is on the rise. Between 1999 and 2004 the amount of deaths from overdoses from Vicodan, OxyContin, and Demoral went up 142%.
The most common prescription drugs that are abused are benzodiazepines; drugs such as Klonipin, or Xanax, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) medication such as Ritalin, Aderall, Welbutrin, and pain killers; drugs like Vicodan, Oxycontin, and Percocet. In many cases, most people obtain these medications legitimately by their doctors for health conditions in the beginning. BUt, because of their addictive nature, the number of people who consume these drugs as a method of getting high is increasing both with those with legitimate prescriptions and those who are getting high illegally.
There are several ways that drug abusers get a hold of these prescriptions. The first is doctor shopping. People will call or visit different doctor’s offices looking for someone to prescribe them with the drugs they want. A new addition to doctor shopping is dentist shopping. An addict will call a dentist out of the Yellow Pages, explain that they are in pain, and request a prescription for pain medicine. If the doctor or dentist refuses, the addict simply moves on to the next one.
Addicts don’t have to look very far to get their hands on prescription medications; the medicine cabinet at home has become a favorite spot for a quick fix. The amount of people who leave half full bottles of prescriptions in their home is astonishing.
One ex-prescription drug addict, Time Larson, recalls how he acquired his drugs. “My parents lived next door to an elderly woman.” explains Larson. “I would come over and do a few odds and ends around the house. I would always ask to use the restroom. Right there, in her medicine cabinet was a bottle Vicodan. Each time I came there I would leave with a pocketful of pills.”
“I didn’t realize that I was addicted to the pills until I tried to stop” explains Larson. “I always thought that I was above the people that used street drugs, because I was taking drugs that were “legal”.”
Tim Larson struggled for years with prescription drug abuse. It wasn’t until he found a rehabilitation facility located just outside of Baton Rouge, Louisiana that he finally found a way to get and stay clean.
That program was the Narconon Louisiana drug and alcohol rehab program. Narconon Louisiana is a non-profit, drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility. Jeff Lukas, Executive Director of the center explains what makes Narconon different from other drug rehab program, “We do not subscribe to the idea that addiction is a disease. We believe that a person starts using drugs as a solution to a problem, and then what ends up happening is that the drug use causes the individual much greater problems.” Lukas goes on to say that “Once an addict handles why they started using drugs in the first place they can live a life free from the grips of addiction.”
Narconon Louisiana’s unique method of detoxification is another way they set themselves apart from the norm. Clients are able to rid their bodies of the harmful drug residue that has stored in their fatty tissues by undergoing detoxification in a dry heat sauna that eliminates the drug cravings that are so often the downfall of sobriety.
After three years in operation Narconon Louisiana achieves an over 76% success rate for permanent sobriety, and far exceeds the industry norm of 10-20%. “We focus on returning a person to their true selves.” explains Jeff Lukas. “I have met countless cumbers of people who never thought they would end up living a life of an addict. Here, they are able to regain the abilities they once had.”
Prescription drug abuse is a major problem currently but it does not have to go untreated. If you or anyone you know is in need of help please call Narconon Louisiana at 866-422-4650.