Prescription Drug Abuse

I've been enjoying this program this morning, but two things that I've been thinking are 1. I don't like that the first and most talked about group is young people. I have never known a young person to abuse pain meds but have known plenty middle aged people who aren't necessarily addicts but just form a dependency of going from prescription to prescription.

2. I think that the entire mentality of "fix it with pills" in this country needs to change. Often times therapy or a lifestyle change is really what's needed. Even Viagra has become the fix for a problem caused by high cholesterol and bad health and diet practices.

The question is how do we start to change this nationwide mentality? Because I'm sure the drug companies and the doctors paid by them don't want to lose money.

EXCELLENT EXCELLENT show. Bravo!

I have been creating artwork around the above theme for the last four years when I realized that there are two types of drug abusers, those that use illicit drugs and those that us medically prescribed drugs. Both are drugs and whether on not they come from a source on the Doctor's office or from the street, both can and do yield devestating consequences to our society. Additionally, both are extremely lucrative businesses, one condemned by society and the other not only condoned, but encouraged and protected by legislation that protects the producers from the ethical and financial obligations that the harmful use of these "legal" drugs can cause.

I applaud you, Ms. Knoy on your choice to spot light this problem and my hat is off to the esteemed panel that you had on your program today.

I will be contacting them to share some ideas that may help in addressing and raising awareness by visual means of this growing crisis for the lay person like myself.

Again,
Thank you
Deborah Dixon

thanks for this balanced discussion!

How can we listeners help strengthen your advocacy re. legislative and other efforts here? I'd really appreciate your listing real resource groups we can recommend to folks struggling with both chronic pain and dependence on pain killer medications in the present time.

Nowhere during the show did any of the participantsmention Alternative Medicine. As an example, some back problems are amenable to chiropratic or acupuncture or physicaltherapy.I speak from personal experience with the latter two modalities. I have several friends who have undergone back surgery and they are either debilitated or at best not paine free.

I am attending massage school and I was surprised that massage was not mentioned as a way to treat pain. It is an excellent way to treat pain, both short and long term, and is often a more realistic first step than physical therapy, for a person who is in a lot of pain. The use of massage can often avoid the need for pain relief medication. I think part of the strategy for decreasing the amount of addiction to pain relievers should be for the state to require insurance companies to pay for massage to the same extent that they pay for pain relief medication. Massage is very effective, and is much safer than medication and does not bring any risk of addiction or abuse!

Also I could comment on Ritalin and other drugs intended to change peoples' behavior, attention, or emotional states. These are used primarily because we don't have adequate use of other modalities that are much safer and that would accomplish the same, or better results. Most use of these drugs is completely unnecessary and could be replaced by specifically tailored, natural approaches, such as exercise, nutrition, emotional expression, counseling for trauma, etc. Including, but not only, massage. Massage is very helpful for reducing stress, alleviating depression, helping people relax, and so on. The neurotransmitters your own body produces in response to massage are very significant. Massage would not stand on its own for these uses but could be part of a comprehensive program that also addresses feelings, lifestyle, skills, etc.