Posted on 09/10/2017 2:34:17 AM PDT by Kaslin
The next three weeks we will look at possibly the largest and most dangerous crisis facing America. Please join us in taking an in depth look at the challenge for America.
If you were around in the 1980s, you’ll likely recall HIV/AIDS bursting on the scene with a vengeance. AIDS spread through the consciousness of America even faster than the disease. Who was exposed? Where did it come from? Today another epidemic has exploded into the minds of America that has everyone just as befuddled – opioids. People are dying in mass numbers and no one has totally wrapped their heads around the problem to solve it.
The numbers are staggering. For people under the age of 50, opioids are the single largest cause of death. More than cancer, more than auto accidents, more than gun violence, more than any other cause. In fact, opioids were a greater cause of death in 2015 than HIV/AIDS was in 1995.
To give you a perspective, in 2015 there were 52,404 people who died from a drug overdose as stated by the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention). Of that number, 33,091 involved an opioid. You might question that number since that includes heroin (which is an opioid). It is estimated that there are now 600,000 people using heroin in the United States and a full 80 percent started using prescription opioids, whether legally or illegally obtained. There are another estimated 1,900,000 Americans who currently either misuse opioids or have an opioid misuse disorder.
Like many other parents, Gary Mendell started confronting this challenge. Mendell was running his successful hotel business when he came to realize his son, Brian, was dealing with an opioid problem. For almost 10 years, Brian dealt with the challenge of addiction and all the negative aspects of life accompanying that. Brian lost his life in October 2011, but the world found a new leader on this issue -- his father.
Gary Mendell started seeing that there was really no national organization to confront the challenge. Mendell dug into educating himself to a different level and resolving the issue. He learned that eight of 10 of those who become addicted do so before their 18th birthday prior to their brains being fully developed. This led him to form Shatterproof (www.shatterproof.org). Mendell has thrown himself into the work behind this problem while putting the operation of his business in the hands of trusted lieutenants. He now works full-time to help others from suffering the same fate as his beloved son.
Where did this all start? As stated by Mendell, “This started with the change in prescribing practices initiated by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approval of OxyContin in 1995.”
Between 1999-2014, the number of opioid drugs prescribed quadrupled. The number of people who died from opioids (prescription opioids and heroin) also quadrupled. From 2000-2015, roughly 500,000 Americans died from drug overdoses.
Why is it important to tie heroin together with prescription opioids? Many people become addicted to prescription opioids and then no longer have access to the medication. To alleviate the effects of their addiction, they turn to inexpensive, readily-available heroin.
ADOLESCENT CHALLENGES
The fact that adolescents are the most exposed to opioid addiction falls in line with scientific work directed at the age group. One prominent study was performed in June 2011 through Columbia University and is known in common nomenclature as the CASA study.
This study addresses the normal issues of the age group such as peer pressure, adverse childhood events based around abuse or trauma, genetic predisposition or engaging in other unhealthy behavior like risky driving, violent behavior or unsafe sex.
The most troubling is how the behavior of their grown relatives spurs their errant behavior. We all know how parents can establish good examples for teenagers being hardworking, committed family members, but the flip side -- poor role models -- can be devastating. Nearly half (45.4%) of teenagers live with a parent who is a risky substance user. Worse, 17.8% of children under 18 years old live with an adult (most likely a parent) who has a full-fledged substance abuse disorder.
The most debilitating fact is the parents don’t seem to care. Less than half (42.6%) list personally refraining from tobacco, alcohol, marijuana or abusing prescription or illicit drugs as one of their top three concerns for their teenage children. When parents are setting such a meager example, it follows that we might have poor results from the teenagers in our society.
That would be immensely meaningful on its own, but then the CASA study defines the risks involved because of adolescent physiology. The overriding fact is that the teen brain is more vulnerable to addictive substances. As stated by the study, “A growing body of evidence suggests that due to this increased sensitivity, addictive substances physically alter the reward centers of the brain faster and more intensely in adolescents than in adults, heightening their vulnerability to addiction.”
During adolescent years the area of the brain related to such things as judgment, impulse control and decision making dramatically change in a manner that brings the brain to a fully-developed state. The primary transmitter signaling pleasure is dopamine. Dopamine decreases by a third as adolescents mature to adults. But dopamine initially spikes before falling which may lead to risk-taking behavior as teens seek external sensations.
It is this combination of risk-taking and increased sensation that leads to engaging in behavior while the adolescent’s brain is still developing, thus making it more susceptible to addiction.
The CASA study states, “A growing body of evidence suggests that due to this increased sensitivity, addictive substances physically alter the reward centers of the brain faster and more intensely in adolescents than in adults, heightening their vulnerability to addiction.”
The study found that addictive substances have a longer-lasting effect on teens and, more importantly, that teens are more prone to developing addiction and a lifetime of drug abuse. That accounts for why so many teens end up using opioids, becoming addicted to them and dying from them.
Next week: We look at the breadth and depth of the opioid problem
It might legitimately start over an injury which requires some treatment for pain.
But it morphs into pure addiction, and pain is merely a part of it.
Doctors have done a really lousy job, warning patients, and getting them off the drugs.
But the patients are also significantly to blame. Our society has become “feel-good” junkies.
People are told marijuana is harmless, lets make it legal. Quit smoking but vape up storms of “hip cool” clouds for friends to see.
And treatment is everywhere, it is free, it is way cool, etc.
Tats on hands and necks prove that far too many younger people have no concept of supporting themselves in dull mundane lifestyles, when excitement from drugs and fad-following are available.
Facts: Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix did NOT commit suicide. They overdosed due to the unpredictable concentration of the illegal, dangerous, addictive drugs they used. (so I guess you could call it accidental suicide)
rant/
You and me both. This “brown tar” operation comes right out of one place in Mexico - Xalisco - and is like no other drug operation the law had ever seen. The stuff is also 80% pure. I am so sorry for your loss. I still don’t know if my 27 year old son will ever know life or how to live it without this stuff.
I can help him if he wants it. Doesn’t matter where the addict is because of technology. I’m sponsoring 3 addicts online until they find real life sponsors.
If he ever cries out for help. Ping me please. I can’t save my wife. Maybe I can help your son.
He’s at a long term place over in South Carolina right now where we hope he will have the time, the 12 Steps and the life change needed. But, he’s willful, as many are. Right now, we’re holding firm that if he leaves there, he’s on his own and we won’t help him get back to Nashville or take him in if he gets here on his own. He’s testing us, I figure. After nearly 10 years of this, we’re long out of rope, you know?
We need more education for all types of prescribed meds. I run in to people all the time who don’t know the names of the meds they take nor what they are intended to treat.
It is literally, “the doctor told me to take it twice a day.” That’s it.
I fault the doctors primarily because the older demographic was raised that you just did what the doc told you to do without question.
Yes...the only thing that helps
An excellent post. Thank you.
Just had laproscopic/robot-assisted surgery for prostate cancer Aug 17th. Sent me home late Aug 18th with a full bottle of oxy. First day home I took 1, then another 12 hours later. I was so scared of being constipated and having that problem exacerbated by the oxy, that I went to straight up 1000mg acetaminophen every 12 hours to manage the pain after that. Worked through it and flushed the oxy, because I don’t even want that crap in my house.
So opioid prescriptions have gone up 10% annually from the moment we took control of Afghanistan. Interesting.
I previously had only one time with Vicodin for a couple of days in 1994.
Then 4 years ago, fractured my shoulder very seriously. Went on opioids for 2 weeks before surgery, and then 2 more weeks after surgery.
Side effects were not pleasant. I decided maybe I was getting hooked, maybe I didn’t need them except for the growing addiction.
Called my doctor’s office and the PA gave me a 1/2 strength opiod prescription which I filled but didn’t use.
Took myself off the opioids cold turkey that night, and it went fine. Using Tylenol to nearly the limit (it can kill you by destroying your liver).
I learned a valuable lesson. For that awful pain that you probably need some narcs, it is likely no more than a day or two.
Subsequently 2 more shoulder surgeries, and I got myself off the narcs in 12-24 hours.
People that get strung out on pain meds, are mostly due to the addiction, NOT a true need for the pain treatment. But maybe I have a fairly good ability to withstand pain.
I completely understand. Tough love. The ‘enabling’(if you can call it that) stops and hopefully the ‘patient’ takes a look at themselves deeply enough to admit ‘defeat’. When I finally ceased poisoning myself, I was so done. Put a fork in me, I’m done....done. I would have done anything to quit. How did I finally wake up?
God.
In May, I had an inflamed thumb.
Well, inflamed doesn’t quite do it justice. It was three times the normal size, and I would see stars if I lowered it below my shoulder.
Went to Urgent Care, and the first thing they offered was Vicodin. I didn’t like the pain, but I wanted my fraking thumb to stop being swollen. The nurses and doc all saw my vitals, noted that my blood pressure was spiking much higher than my normal readings, and kept offering Vico till an old nurse walked in. She looked at my swollen thumb, at my chart, and told the doc that “He won’t take pain meds, solve the problem”. I ended up with a steroid, ice, and a Tylenol III (which they said it was for swelling).
If I hadn’t pushed it, I would have walked out with Vicodin and no idea of what was going on. Turned out I had pinched something in my palm, and it was causing massive irritation. I needed some therapy after the swelling went down, which wouldn’t have happened if I had just taken the pill and went home. The therapy sucked, but broke up some cartilage built up that would have caused another flare up.
So I had some pain for a few days, but it hasn’t reoccurred. But if I had taken their original push, I might be fighting the same thing today with a higher dose of pain meds.
That is an example of what is going on. The pressure to get me in and out as enough that dosing up old Red was viewed as the best choice. But I don’t want drugs, I want it fixed.
Yes. God is the only ultimate power where drugs, but especially opiates, are concerned. I did other drugs in my youth but these opioids weren’t around at the time or at least not so common and readily available.
Yep, doctors are so used to people demanding instant results against the symptoms without worrying about the problem they don’t even try to fix problems anymore. Especially if the fix might involve PT, nobody follows through on their PT so why prescribe it. And yep without entrenching like you did you’d probably be a chronic pain junkie.
Of course not. It's just the same old Prohibitionist hysteria.
The government doesn't belong anywhere near the doctor-patient relationshhip, and the vast bulk of the problems emerge because of that interference.
The same old nanny-state Tyrannical mentality is all that anyone can ever think of.
You know why so many people turn to heroin? Because the DEA intimidates doctors, pharmacies, and patients to the point where they can't even receive legal pain management.
The fact that there will always be fools who abuse their "medicine" or "escape" doesn't mean that others shouldn't be left the f-ck alone.
Many people are driven to suicide by their inability to manage pain, and many more die because they've turned to street drugs as an alternative.
Those who can't handle their meds should go in to rehab—not prison...
Heroin is an opioid, and it's been around for over a hundred years.
Percocet (active narcotic ingredient oxycodone) has also been around many decades, as well as codeine...
I was about to ask if you think crack and meth are physically mixed with opioids? Or do you mean, the addict has a smorgasbord approach?
I don’t think this particular drug epidemic has anything to do with family issues by and large.
I grew up in West Virginia. A few months ago, I made a list of everyone I grew up with who died, went to rehab, or went to jail because of heroin. I stopped at 25 people.
Out of those 25, I would say 20 were from “good families.”
This is not something you get into because you were looking for a father figure.
So then, why now?
Why all of a sudden are so many people getting opiods for pain? My grandfather worked every day till his 70’s on the farm. He didn’t take ANY of these cocktails till the very end of his life.
His joints were gone, his back hurt, and he just dealt with it.
We are not seeing any epidemic of pain. Either people are getting to lazy and fat to support their bodies (which does happen), or there is something else. I know of a great many former coworkers and friends on some sort of opiod that DIDN’T get into because of pain. I also know some that DID.
Again, I look at my grandfather’s generation (the generation that grew up with morphine being sold as headache medicine), and they worked much harder than my father’s or my generation. Yet it is my generation and younger popping the poppy seeds juice like it is going out of style.
What changed? It isn’t just “Oh, they hurt so they need it”. People don’t have the type of jobs that break them down like our forefathers had. Why all of a sudden is most of the worlds prescription opiods being sold in the US?
People can pursue happiness however they want, as long as they don't infringe on others' rights.
The rest is between a doctor and his patient.
People like Rush Limbaugh can get away with anything, and the riff raff gets sent to prison. No f-cking way.
To Hell with the nanny state. Just like with alcohol (which is the worst drug on the face of the earth bar none) if people develop addiction problems, they can be treated without SWAT teams with machine guns breaking down doors with warrantless searches, without trampling the Fourth Amendment, and without prison sentences.
"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience."—C. S. Lewis
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