The Elderly Unwittingly Get Caught in the Trap of Addiction
I just got off the phone with a very nice elderly gentleman who unwittingly became the victim of prescription drug abuse. This is so common that it just boggles the mind that doctors who prescribe the pain medications and who are aware that addiction could develop, don’t closely monitor their patients or have a plan for them if they do become addicted.
This particular man that called today, has never been addicted to anything before; he is an active member of society, has been working the same job for 27 years, has a wife, two grown kids and two dogs, pays his bills, no drama in his life except that he broke both his arms within a six month period. That required a casts and some pain medications to help him through it. He found out he was addicted when he tried to quit taking the pain medication and discovered it was not that simple. The only reason he is now still on the medication is because he has not figured out a way to quit the drug without the pain of withdrawal.
This situation is so common that I wonder how it is that doctors are not trained to take their patients off medications safely if they are the ones who put them on those drugs in the first place. A plan “B” would be a logical precaution. No?
And what about the makers of the drug. Where is their responsibility? With all the clinical testing they do, why don’t they develop a program for people who want to get off their medication? I actually had a woman who was addicted to xanax call the maker of xanax to ask how to get off the meds. Their reply was that she call her doctor; his answer was go to detox. Detox could cost $500-$1,000 a day!
The rule of thumb used to be that if you did not use drugs before the age of 21, you were likely to never become a drug addict. In today’s world, with billions of dollars in prescriptions being sold around the world, this is no longer true. People who never had any addiction issues before, find themselves trapped with no way out and no help from the very people who betrayed their trust — their own doctor, the FDA and big pharma.
The solution to this issue is to become aware. Pass on what you know to others. Know that doctors are not perfect and they too could make mistakes. Learn all you can about any prescription you are given — that’s not hard to do in this wonderful age of the internet. This is your body, your health and you have the right to good information and good, reliable care — demand it and don’t be afraid to ask questions and GET answers.
© 2010, Sigal Adini. All rights reserved.
