Prescription Drugged Nation under Corporate Deceit.

 

 

                                        Prescription Drugged Nation under Corporate Deceit

 

     When prescribed medications are misused there is a great danger of physiological dependence as well as psychological dependence.   There is a growing concern of those taking prescription medications for other reasons of which it was prescribed.  This would include taking too much of a drug, taking it too often, or taking it longer than it should be taken.  This would include; increasing the tolerance of a drug, along with withdrawal symptoms when the drug is discontinued, or the repeated use of it as a way to avoid withdrawal (SAMHSA, May 2006).

     There are three groups that are of vital concern in the abuse and addiction of prescription medications.  The first group would be the elderly and it is very hard to estimate, but one study was conducted and the determination found that up to 11% percent of older women are abusing or not correctly taking prescription medications.  Baby boomers that abuse prescription medications are expected to increase because of the growing population of adults in this generation.  There are currently no assessment instruments that are presently being used to diagnosis drug abuse for the elderly.  The abuse of prescription medications includes inappropriate prescribing, and lack of monitoring of health care professionals (Culberson & Ziska, 2008).

     The second group would include school age children in grades 7-12.  The surveys that have been conducted conclude that 50% of this young age group believes there is no concern in abusing prescription medications and 30% believe that pain relievers are not addictive.  When the objective is to enhance mental or physical capacity the adverse effects can be ignored (Hernandez & Nelson, 2010).  There are increasing amounts of younger school age children that are committing more crime, also there is a huge rise in suicide, and there is known evidence of the black labeling box that warns of the known side effects.  Suicidal thoughts are one of the main concerns in psychotropic drugging (Hernandez & Nelson, 2010).

     The third group would be the incarcerated, which would include all age groups that affect our growing society of the addicted criteria.  Many offenders have a history of substance abuse that leads them into criminal activity.  While there is still lack of treatment, many are given prescription medications to deal with issues that could be substance abuse problems, or they are dealing with dual diagnosis, and are not getting the proper treatment, or the resources to stay out of the revolving door of the prison systems.

     Prescription drug abuse or misuse is becoming an epidemic, and it includes all age groups, but among the elderly it is believed to be the most ignored.  While substance abuse affects our society as a whole; it is easier to understand the overcrowdings in the prison systems and yet there does not seem to be a slowdown of addicts being incarcerated.  My primary focus would be a recovery program designed to benefit those that are imprisoned, and this would include all the age groups presented above.

     A national survey was conducted in 2002-2004 and in the conclusions of the study most abuse of prescription abuse was found in rural, suburban, and small to medium populations.  Prescription medications can be very difficult to detect in urine screenings because of their structural characteristics.  There is growing evidence that leads to health problems, family life, the work force and law enforcement.  There is a burden is our society today of non-medical prescription drug abuse and on a national level the cost was estimated at 9.5 billion in 2005.  This abuse leads to more incarcerations, legal costs, correctional expenditures, and police resources.  It also leads to increased morbidity and death among workers, and decreased productivity resulting in economic loss.  There are further conclusions that lead to individuals being diagnosed having related comorbidities such as, hepatitis, pancreatitis, and other mental disorders (Hernandez & Nelson, 2010).   David Levin (2012) stated “there have been more overdose deaths involving prescription drugs than heroin and cocaine since 2003, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.  In 2007, 27,000 unintentional drug overdose deaths occurred in the US” (p.1 p. 1).

     In mental health occupations we often leave out spiritual aspects of the client’s life and many times this can be very important to them.  Many of these clients want someone to believe in them, or to find something inside of them that they are unable to detect or see.  Or to simply care about them and not just for the simple fact of it being a mental health worker’s job to do so.  (Mark Ragins, MD, 2005).

     According to Robert L. DuPont (2010) if the trend continues with prescription drug abuse the largest problem of the new century will be the misuse of controlled substances.  It is not an easy task because in making changes in this area it will require improvements which will greatly affect the practice of medicine. (DuPont, 2010).   Doctors will have to adhere to new changing laws or could possibly face losing their licenses.  

     There is a growing trend of patients that doctor shop in order to get their drug of choice.  It is many times in the hands of the doctors to use their integrity and decide whether these drugs should be administered.  There are so many known side effects, it can be overwhelming.  With regular MD’s there is not enough training in substance abuse to deter some of the issues of prescription misuse that are being addressed. (Caplan, et al (2007). “The factors that predict recovery from benzodiazepine dependence are still being elucidated” (Caplan, et al, 2007 p. 367).  Most therapies that are being used are cognitive behavioral therapies, to a supervised tapering regimen that is being helpful and also 12 step recovery programs.  Between 1991 and 2001 prescriptions for stimulants rose from less than 2 million to over 10 million.  It is also been noted that 6 % of school age children are on stimulants. (Caplan, 2007). 

 

     There are many grave warning that signal in a few short years, psychotropic drugging will affect most all areas in our lives.  You may not understand the complete picture of what is happening but examining the problems we are facing, we have become a Godless nation and the subsitute that has taken over our empathy towards those that need spiritual deliverance is that of a medicine bottle.  The quick fix generation of let's get this done quick, so we can take on the next one.  All the while more addictions are occuring.  The crime rate is increasing and very often in studies of mass shootings there is the underlying issue of the use of these pychotropical drugs.  The drug problem far out weighs the debatable issue of gun control.

    

     People do not generally have a chemical problem, they have life problems.  The chemicals cover up the root so the bondage of sin is buried deep within them.  In this aspect there is little hope for real healing or deliverance.  God says we should not be slaves to men.  This tragedy has happened while our eyes were closed and there are grave consequences of what will happen to rationality or our identity with our Creator.

 

     There are billions of dollars collected yearly in the racket of psychotropic drugging.  Deaths that have occured are overwhelming.  Children being moved into the mass marketing of the corporations.  On and on it's just another brick in the wall.  (Pink Floyd).  Prisons are being built around us enslaving those that believe they are free.  The medical model is soliciting and buying into the scheme and deception of mass marketing of these dangerous drugs.  While there is misuse, there is also misdiagnois that puts the patient is jeopardy of what could possibly occur when the chemicals alter there patterns of thinking.  There is something terribly wrong when corporations decide that shyness is a disease and shy people must be medicated.  

 

     There is so much compiling evidence of what has occured, and the price one is willing to equate to it.  I ask you to become aware, because whether you personally are struggling with this problem, we all know someone that we love that is going through this system of drugging.  Share your information with them, along with prayer that they will at least take a closer look of other alternatives and the resources that are available for them to seek help.