Learn the facts about prescription drug abuse and prescription drug side effects. Help provided for those suffering from prescription drug addiction.

A number of national studies and published reports indicate that the intentional abuse of prescription drugs, such as pain relievers, tranquilizers, stimulants and sedatives, to get high is a growing concern-particularly among teens-in the United States. In fact, among young people ages 12-17, prescription drugs have become the second most abused illegal drug, behind marijuana. There are troubling signs that teens view abusing prescription drugs as safer than illegal drugs and parents are unaware of the problem. More and more children today are turning to their parent’s medicine cabinet as a cheap and easy way to get high.

• More than half of U.S. adults take prescription medicines in any given week
• Many of them – 10 percent – take more than 5 different medicines
• 700,000 Americans end up in emergency rooms each year because of bad drug reactions

The drugs that are killing the most people right now didn’t originate on the street, but with a prescription. Prescription painkillers and anti-anxiety drugs now kill about 500 people a year in Florida’s Tampa Bay area alone, triple the number killed by illegal drugs such as cocaine and heroin.

Most died from overdoses of opioid painkillers, natural or synthetic versions of the opium poppy. The painkillers methadone and oxycodone topped the list. Methadone generally entails the entire spectrum of opioid side effects, including the development of tolerance and physical and psychological dependence. Respiratory depressions are dangerous. The released histamines can cause hypotension (dangerous low blood pressure), or bronchospasms. Other symptoms are: constipation, nausea or vomiting, sedation, vertigo, edema.

Oxycodone side effects may be common, adverse, or precursors to possible fatality. The more common Oxycodone side effects include:

• Constipation
• Dimness in vision
• Dizziness
• Drowsiness
• Dry mouth
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Itching reflex
• Lightheadedness
• Nausea
• Sleeplessness
• Sweating from shock
• Vomiting
• Weakness

Why would anyone in their right mind risk suffering even one of these potentially horrible side effects to get temporary relief from pain?

A large number of people in the Tampa Bay area also died from overdoses of anti-anxiety drugs such as Xanax and Valium.

Unfortunately, overdosing from prescription drugs is not just a recent phenomenon. Nor is it restricted to those who are poor and struggling.

Marilyn Monroe, a famous actress and a 1950s & 1960s sex symbol died from an overdose of sleeping pills at the age of 36.

Dorothy Dandridge who was the first black star ever nominated for Best Actress Oscar in “Carmen Jones” overdosed on a prescription drug at the age of 41.

Brian Epstein, the manager of the Beatles died on August 27, 1967 from an overdose of sleeping pills and alcohol at the age of 32.

Judy Garland who was a triple threat – actress, singer and dancer, and is remembered for her role as “Dorothy” In “The Wizard of Oz” died from an overdose of sleeping pills while on tour in London, England at the age of 47.

Guitar legend, Jimi Hendrix choked on own vomit after taking too many barbiturates at the age of 27.

Superstar and showbiz legend, Elvis Presley, died of cardiac arrhythmia caused by large prescription drug intake at the age of 42.

While completing his role as the darkly disturbed Joker in the Batman movie, “The Dark Knight,” Heath Ledger complained about his inability to sleep, so he was given several prescriptions. The much beloved, 28-year-old actor and father was found naked and dead on the floor of his apartment. The official cause of death in his accidental overdose was “acute intoxication by the combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam and doxylamine.” He had a prescription for all of these six drugs he was supposed to be taking. For whatever reason, he simply took too much of them all at once.

Police are reporting a surge in prescription drug-related crimes, including doctor shopping, prescription fraud and pharmacy robbery. Drug rehabilitation centers have treated a wave of prescription drug addicts in recent years. Methadone clinics now treat more people addicted to painkillers than heroin.

Why has abuse to prescription drugs and the accompanying increase in crime, devastating side-effects, and deaths by overdose gotten to be a nationwide epidemic?

We have been sold on the idea of instant relief. Whether we are dealing with a simple headache, depression, insomnia or anxiety, we seek a magic bullet – a pill that will do the trick, regardless of the consequences or debilitating side effects. Pharmaceutical production is a multibillion dollar industry. In fact, the pharmaceutical industry profits increased by over $8 billion after the Medicare Drug Plan went into effect. Selling the public “legal drugs” is a very profitable business.

Why are we a nation of anxious, depressed insomniacs? One reason for our headaches, backaches and heartaches, is our lifestyle. We eat wrong and fail to exercise. We spend too much time with electronic devices and not enough time with our own families.

A second, and even more important reason, is that we have taken prayer, the Bible and the 10 Commandments out of our public institutions. We are without God and without hope.
We are reluctant to take the time and work through our pain and problems with the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit.

The following Scriptures are God’s promises and cures for depression, insomnia and anxiety:

DEPRESSION:

Psalm 42:5
Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

2 Corinthians 1:3-5
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

INSOMNIA:

Psalm 4:8
I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

Psalm 127:2
In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat- for he grants sleep to those he loves.

Proverbs 3:21-24
My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck. Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble; when you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

ANXIETY:

Philippians 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

If you want to lead a victorious life and be set free from addiction and do not have a relationship with the LORD God, Creator of the heavens and the earth, then pray the following prayer or a similar prayer in your own words –

“Lord Jesus Christ,

I know that I am a sinner and there is nothing that I can do to earn my way to heaven. Although I deserve God’s wrath, by God’s mercy, I accept your free gift of eternal life by faith. I believe that You were born of a virgin and died on the cross to pay the price of my sins. I believe you were buried, rose again on the third day, have ascended into heaven, and will soon come again.

Lord, please forgive me of my sins, come into my heart and take control of my life.” AMEN

If you sincerely prayed this prayer, then you have just made a decision by faith, to accept the free gift (God’s grace) of the substitutionary sacrifice of the Messiah (the Christ), whose suffering and death paid the price of your sins. You have been born again. As a new born, you need to be nourished.

Acts 2:38
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

In order to grow and mature spiritually you need to:

• Be baptized into Messiah Yeshua (Jesus Christ)
• Speak to God each day through prayer. (Pray each day in the name of Yeshua/Jesus).
• Read your Bible every day. When you read the Bible, God speaks to you through His Word. (If you don’t own a Bible, then we will help you get one.)
• Find a Bible believing church and attend regularly – both worship services and a Bible study.
• Share with someone what God has done for you.