Another celeb who died recently to this was DJ AM. He was also a recovering addict. But apparently, began taking Xanax and other prescription drugs that help him with his anxiety on planes. Since he had to travel alot, he would take these drugs frequently. He slowly went back into his drug addiction, which resulted in his death. A previous comment made by Kanyin in the last post about MJ’s death brings up a good point on how the mind can effect the body and what drugs can do to motivate you to try it again because of that “good feeling”. It is unfortunate that he worked so hard to break his strong addiction just to fall back into it.
Also, this isn’t really recent but another drug abuser who unfortunately ODed that I would like to mention, the comedian Mitch Hedberg was a victim to his drug addiction. Probably one of the funniest comedians I’ve ever heard. Mitch Hedberg was a known drug user. He also had a bad case of stage fright, which I think he also used the drugs to calm him down. He died of speedballing heroin and cocaine, which is pretty lethal. It’s crazy how drugs can have a powerful effect on people and make them continue using them, and the user most likely knowing the consequences of their actions.
September 21, 2009 at 9:38 pm |
The biggest problem with prescription drugs is the notion from users that these are not “street drugs” like cocaine, heroin, crystal meth or even marijuana. However, in some cases prescription drugs, when abused, can be just as bad or even worse. Because drugs like xanax, klonopin, vicodon and percocet are give by a physician who writes a prescription for them users can get a sense of phycological comfort that prescription medicine is not as dangerous as “street drugs.” The idea that these drugs are purchased through a Wal-greens or CVS instead of on the corner of a street in the middle of Lynn gives the impression that prescription medicine isn’t as dangerous, as addictive or as deadly. When the truth is that prescription medicine can be all three of these things.
When I think of prescription drug abuse the one drug that comes to mind is Oxycontin. And I would be willing to wager that most adults living in America have heard of this drug and the consequences that go along with taking it. What most wouldn’t think is that Percocet, a painkilling drug derived from opiates, is similar to Oxycontin and just as dangerous and addictive when not taken properly. The difference is the strength in pill sizes. Oxycontin has more milligrams of drug in its pills than most common Percocet pills. For example, Percocet comes in a 10 milligram pill that comes with 300 plus milligrams of Tylenol. Oxycontin comes in an 80 milligram pill with no Tylenol. (there are stronger and weaker doses of each painkiller but this works for this example) A huge problem with this is drug abuses who don’t think Percocet is a lethal and addictive drug who try to take 80 milligrams of Percocet, thinking that 80 milligrams of Percocet is less dangerous than 80 milligrams of Oxycontin, forget that they are taking nearly 3000 plus milligrams of Tylenol at one time and die because there liver fails. This is not the case in most prescription drug abuse stories but it is more common than one might think. But the most important fact to take away from that example is that whether it is Percocet, Vicodin or Oxycontin each is a dangerous opiate (which is what heroin is) and is highly addictive.
The underlying point of that example is that none of these drugs are to taken lightly and whether a drug is picked-up at a CVS or a street corner, if it is given to you by a Doctor or someone who didn’t graduate from elementary school, the most important part about taking any prescription drug is to get all of the facts.