drugabuse

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**P i l l s a n d  T h r i l l s ** ======



Causes of Prescribed Drug Abuse
Even though prescription drugs can alleviate daily and chronic medical disorders, they can easily be abused, leading to drug addiction. Prescription drug abuse is becoming increasingly common, “while use of illegal substances like speed, heroin, and pot have declined within the past decade.”(Banta) Elvis Presley, Heath ledger, and Anna Nicole Smith are all examples of the fatalities that prescribed drug abuse can cause. The risk of dying from prescriptions undoubtedly goes up when mixed with other substances or drugs, particularly alcohol. Antidepressants, pain killers, and amphetamines are the most commonly abused prescription drugs. These include Adderall, Vallium, Xanax, Oxy Contin, Vicodin, and Ritalin. Ritalin and Adderall are amphetamines. Amphetamines “produce mind-altering effects” and are highly addictive.(“Amphetamines”) Other than the substance itself, there are a variety of reasons that explain the abuse of prescription drugs.

Some of these reasons include, use for the original diagnosis in which they are prescribed, to help people focus and function, and to decrease fatigue. Different types of drugs enable different effects upon the user. For example, narcotics and opiods, otherwise known as pain killers, produce a more euphoric high, while depressants relax the user and leave the body feeling calm and at ease. (Dalton) Euphoria and tranquility are both approaches that keep the user coming back for more. Dependency develops when the patient feels they need more substance to eliminate their disorder or to increase their high. They may start feeling like they cannot fulfill their responsibilities without the drug. Some may feel physically sick without it as well. These are examples of psychological and physical dependence. Adderall is known to create strong psychological dependences while it is one of the most commonly abused prescription drugs. People abuse Adderall to increase cognition, or thought processing, increase alertness, and decrease appetite. For some, staying skinny is the main reason they take Adderall, but can also be just a side effect as well. In a personal interview, a girl that had been taking Adderall during her sophomore year in high school stated, “I went from 125 pounds at the beginning of the semester to 100.5 pounds by the second quarter”(Anonymous). Adderall users may also encounter strange, anomalous habits as well, “I would sit in class and scratch my head, right above my ear, and it wasn’t until I finally looked down at my fingers that I saw I was scratching my head until it would bleed. A girlfriend of mine would bite her nails all the way down and peel the little bits of skin down her fingers”(Anonymous). Students may easily become victims of Adderall abuse. Graduation, college, and parents are all incentives that linger in the minds of academic pupils all over. Under pressure to make good grades, stay focused in school, and get assignments in on time, they think Adderall can help them execute their duties as a student because of its useful side effects, which are easily applied toward academics. “Adderall was the only way I felt I could accomplish things. But I wouldn’t even accomplish anything except copying my notes five times, just because I felt I had to.”(Anonymous). Students are also more vulnerable to prescription drugs because they are easier to attain, after all, they are legal substances. “Due to the relative ease of obtaining prescription drugs and the common misconception that they are "safe" to abuse, the trend of prescription drug abuse by our nation's youth is steadily increasing”(Kraman) Medicine is becoming more and more common to be used as replacements for speed and illicit drugs such as heroin and cocaine. The trend, or illusion, of these drugs being thought of as safe is because they are prescribed by physicians are reliably produced.(Kraman)

Adderall and prescribed drug abuse affect people in various ways dues to the fact that they are used for various reasons. Either way, any prescription drug that is capable of controlling the mind or body should be carefully monitored, as it can stimulate a spider web of deep emotions that are driven by substance.

**Effects of Adderall** Adderall has several effects on the body when it is used or abused. It can be used for several different things such as a diet pill , a pill to help you focus, or even a pill to help you stay awake. The effects are usually virtually harmless if used every once in a while and without over dosing. Some people use this drug as a diet pill because Adderall causes people to lose their appetite for the time that they are on the pill. (“pdrhealth”) This can help on a diet because people will become less hungry and not have food cravings. The bad side to this is that if repeatedly taken over time it can cause dehydration and cause dramatic weight loss. People often use this pill to focus more while in school or doing other studious tasks. “One of the reasons for its popularity is that everyone can benefit from Adderall”s performance-enhancement capabilities, not just those with ADD or ADHD. (“Upenn”)” Adderall helps you say alert because it controls the neurotransmitters in the brain. Chemicals like dopamine and norepinephrine are increased in the brain which helps you focus and avoid distractions. Adderall is also taken to stay awake. It can keep you awake anywhere from 5 to 12 hours depending on the dose and then type of pill you take. Adderall effects us for 5-8 hours but Adderall XR can affect us for up to 12. Adderall XR is almost the same as regular Adderall but XR last longer and controls the amount of this drug you get at a time. XR stands for extended release. Using Adderall has effects that are virtually harmless if taken in moderation. Without a heart condition or any other serious medical condition taking Adderall can be very helpful. As long as you don’t inject or snort it, take too much of it, take it with other medication, or take it with alcohol then Adderall is a relatively safe drug. Adderall will give you no long term health affects if taken safely (“ Joshua Foer ”). If you overdose on this drug you may experience dehydration, headaches, stomachaches, nausea, heavy sweating, and possibly involuntary movements (Upenn). This drug is not highly addictive so taking an Adderall every once in a while to help concentrate or do work won’t hurt you, it probably will end up helping you. Compared to other amphetamines Adderall is a relatively safe drug. It can be used productively in many situations. It can help you do things like staying up, losing weight, or concentrating harder while doing academic tasks. It can be very easily used safely because it has no long term health affects if taken in moderation. It’s also not highly addictive so you can function without it as well.




 * Solutions for Prescribed Drug Misuse**

Prescribed drug abuse is a rising problem with many people. Prescribed drugs are some of the easiest drugs a child or teenager can get to. The fact that they aren’t illegal and how parents don’t put them in a safe place makes them one of the easiest drugs to get. Although they are easy to get, prescribed drugs are also easy to manage and guard.

There are many precautions and solutions for the abuse of prescribed drugs. Doctors make many precautions even before giving the drugs to the patent. Doctors prescribe the medicine at certain dosages to reduce the risk of overdosing, forming an addiction, or health problems that might occur from taking too much medicine. The bottles also have warning labels to inform people about the directions, the dosage, the quantity, and the amount of refills aloud. Patents who take more doses than prescribed have the risk of losing the medicine due to abuse of the prescribed drug. People who have over –the –counter medicine should safely stow the drugs away properly in order to keep it out of hands of children. Parents should take precautions by checking the quantity of the drug (Associated Press). If someone’s addicted to medical drugs there are rehabilitation centers that might have different treatments to offer. Two common treatments include a behavioral or pharmaceutical treatment. The behavioral treatment teaches one how to cope without using drugs. A pharmaceutical treatment includes drugs being taken to help someone overcome the withdrawal symptoms and help fight cravings. Rehabilitation lasts anywhere from 30-90 days.

Statistics show the problem of abused drugs rising and how many of those people receive treatments. Every month 3% of people in the United States over 12 have abused prescribed drugs. 1/3 of U.S citizens who use drugs are prescribed drug abusers. From 1998-2005 there was a rise of abused ADHD prescriptions up to 76% (Setlik, J). Out of23.6 million people who are abusing drugs, only 10% of them are administered into rehabilitation centers to receive treatment. For more information of drug statistics click on <[]> or < [] >

Prescribed drug abuse is a problem but there is help. These statistics show how that there are many people who abuse these drugs but that there is a percentage that receives help. There are many ways to get help for those who need help getting clean. Although prescribed medicine abuse is a rising problem, there are solutions to stop the misuse of these medicines.

Work Cited

Associated Press, 24 May 2002 < [] >

“Amphetamines.” //UXL Science.// Online ed. Detroit: UXL, 2008. //Student Resource Center- Silver.// Gale. Tallwood High School. 8 Jan. 2010

Anonymous. Personal Interview. 8 Feb. 2010

Banta, Carolyn. “Trading for a High: An inside look at a ‘pharming party,’the newest venue for teenage prescription-drug abuse.(Nation).” //Time.// (August 1, 2005): 35. //Student ResourceCenter- Silver.// Gale. Tallwood HighSchool. 11 Feb. 2010

Daltons, James. “Why Do People Abuse Prescription Drugs?” //EzineArticles Submission – Submit Your Best Quality Original Articles For Massive Exposure, Ezine Publishers Get 25 Free Article Reprints.//Web. 09 Feb 2010.

Joshua Foer. "The Adderall Me" <[]>

Kraman, Pilar. "Rx for prescription drug abuse.(trends alert)." //State News.// 47. 5 (May 2004): 13(3). //Student Resource Center - Silver//. Gale. Tallwood High School. 18 Feb. 2010

"Michael Jackson's Death Won't Reduce Abuse of Prescription Meds | Psychology Today." //Psychology Today: Health, Help, Happiness Find a Therapist//. Web. 03 Mar. 2010.

[|National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2006 Outpatient Department Summary, tables 19, 20]. 2 March 2010.

"Perspective. Miracle Drug?" <[]>

"Prescription Drugs." <[]> Setlik, J., G. Bond, and M. Ho. "Adolescent Prescription ADHD Medication Abuse Is Rising Along With Prescriptions for These Medications. " //Pediatrics// 124.3 (2009): 875. Platinum Periodicals, ProQuest. Web. 12 Jan. 2010.

Shute, Nancy. “Boost Kids’ Brainpower With a Pill.(Ritalin and Adderal).” U.S News and World Report Online. (Dec 8, 2008): NA. //Student Resource Center- Silver.// Gale. Tallwood High School. 11 Feb. 2010

“Over-The-Counter Drug Abuse High Among Teens.” Copyright © 2009, Casa Palmera. All rights Reserved <[]> "warning label" [] 2 March 2010.