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 Addictive drugs

By Mick Conway
Addictions

    The words "drug addicts" may be among the most frightening of descriptive phrases that we use in our vocabulary.  Because of the conditioning we have received through media exposure, our response to those words usually conjur up visions of illicit drug users participating in some horrible scenario of self-destruction.  And indeed, there are such unfortunate people in our society who have been lured into the world of needles, hallucinogins, cocaine, heroin and other "street drugs" and have suffered torments of a life ruined by these substances.
 
    But there is another kind of drug addict who uses substances which are every bit as addictive as introvenous or oral street drugs.  You may know such a person very well.  He or she may be your neighbor, your relative or your friend.  No street persons these, no hippie-like specters of the 60's.  The drug addicts of whom I speak are ordinary folk, holding responsible jobs and melding into the community easily and successfully. They are dependent upon and addicted to prescription drugs.
 
    Because drug use is an accepted adjunct to health care in this country, unsuspecting prescription drug users may fall victim to the insidious dangers associated with using prescription medications.  Careless attitudes toward prescription drugs can lead to self-medication or other inappropriate use of these drugs.  Once a drug dependency is established, many people will go to two, three or four different doctors and pharmacies to insure they have an adequate supply to meet their dependency needs.
 
    Any chemical substance - legal or illegal - which causes changes in the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord) carries the potential of causing dependency in the user. Abuse of prescription drugs is rarely intentional and in many cases, "sneaks up" on a  person.  For example, someone may be experiencing difficulty falling asleep at night.  A physician may prescribe a seditive for temporary relief of this problem and the sleeplessness may improve with short-term use of the sedative.  If, however, the dosage of the sedative as ordered by the physician fails to produce sleep, taking additional sleeping pills may be a temptation.
As time goes by, more and more pills are required to bring about the desired effect and before long the person is dependent upon these seditives for sleep. Over-dosing on prescription medications is cause for great anxiety, as there have been many documented cases of people dying accidentally from over-consumption of these drugs.
 
    Some of the most commonlhy prescribed drugs are sedatives.  Valium, Xanax and Ativan, to name but a few, are usually prescribed for calming anxiety or for reducing tension.  If used correctly, their use is medically indicated.  But misuse of these drugs can cause serious dependencies that may last for years.
 
    Hypnotics are chemically similar to sedatives and tend to induce sleep.  They depress the activity of the brain more than sedatives.  Dalmane, Restoril, Halcion and Nembutal are examples of hypnotics.  Since they are so closely related, a sedative taken in higher doses than prescribed will act as a hypnotic. 
 
    So-called minor tranquilizers such as Librium, Atarax and Meprobamate are among the most widely used drugs for the treatment of psychosomatic and psychoneurotic disorders.  These drugs are anti-anxiety agents and have been known to produce some not-so minor dependencies.
 
    Narcotic analgesics are medications that dull pain-receptors in the brain.  There is a high risk for dependency among such drugs as Morphine, Codeine, Percodan, Demoral and Darvon.  These drugs are dangerous when used in excess and without medical consultation.
 
    Central nervous system stimulants are a broad class of drugs which stimulate specific receptor sites in the brain.  Amphetamines are among the most notable example of these stimulants and hold a high degree of risk for addiction.  Amphetamines can cause headaches, sleeplessness, nervousness and hallucinations when not used in a medically directed manner.
 
    All of the above mentioned prescription drugs have medical purposes and when taken for specific disorders under the care of a physician can be highly beneficial to the user.  But when abuse of these medications replaces appropriate usage, addiction becomes likely.
 
    There is hope of recovery from addiction to prescription drugs but it must be accomplished under the direction of a physician.  Discontinuance of any addictive substance without medical supervision can be dangerous, as withdrawal symptoms can cause serious - and sometimes fatal - consequences.
 
    Drug addiction is a problem not always found in the ghettos of large cities.  It can also be found in our communities, our parish families and our homes.  It is a
treatable disorder and with the help of professionals and the support of Our Lord, lives can be restored to health.