The latest news of public figures fallen to prescription drug abuse is Al Gore III, the youngest of the Gore kids. He was arrested for marijuana possession in 2003 while attending Harvard University, but on July 4, 2007, the Orange County Police pulled him over with a small amount of marijuana as well as a stash of benzodiazepines such as Xanax and Valium without a prescription.
No surprise there, as the number of people experimenting with and abusing prescription drugs is rising on a daily basis. It’s so sad to me that this epidemic is running wild in our society because these kinds of drugs are highly addictive and very dangerous. As it is with alcohol, benzodiazepines such as Xanax and Valium are life-threatening both in their abuse and during the detox process. I wonder if people have any idea of what they’re getting into when they decide to use these drugs without legitimate reasons.
If I went to my doctor and told him that I think I suffer from an anxiety disorder because I can’t focus and I’m always concerned about everything under the sun, would you take a bet that I’d walk out that day with a prescription for benzodiazepines? I bet I would. I’ve watched people do it and there was nothing wrong with them. On the other hand, I’ve seen people with legitimate anxiety or depression get massive amounts of benzos prescribed to them - along the lines of 13 a day, including XANAX, Ativan, and Clonazepam. I could be crazy myself, but it seems to me that anyone requiring that kind of medication at such high dosages shouldn’t be walking the street.
All this chatter about prescription drugs and those who become addicted through legitimate and illegitimate means is giving me anxiety. But I’m not going to the doctor’s office. I’ve seen the damage these drugs do and I’m not going to fall under that spell. I don’t even like taking Tylenol. Read More »
