This is a guest post by Patricia Rosen.
Our children are dying. Lives are left shattered. Doctors continue to write prescriptions for drugs like OxyContin, which is the same as heroin.
Deaths from prescription drug overdose have been called the ” silent epidemic” for years.
Now, with one American dying every 17 minutes from an accidental prescription overdose, it is being described as ” the biggest man-made epidemic in the United States. More people are dying from drug overdoses than from any other cause of injury death, including traffic accidents, falls, or guns.
Did you know that the manufacture of OxyContin (Purdue Pharma) generated $3.1 BILLION in revenue in 2010? Yes, BILLION. Scary, isn’t it?
My son Steven was one of these statistics. He grew up in a loving home with two brothers, parents who loved him, and more love than anyone could ask for. He was well-behaved and extremely respectful.
Being the “go-to” person, all his friends liked to confide in him and ask for advice. He played Little League and soccer, attended overnight and travel camps, owned cars, and attended the college of his choice. He excelled in school and graduated with honors with a degree in Psychology.
Steven was getting ready to begin his Master’s Program and started working part-time for a state-funded program, ironically assessing people with addiction problems, when his life changed-FOREVER
My son made a life-changing decision when he took an Oxycontin. I am sure, had he known the devastating effects this drug would have on him, he would never have tried it. The fact that it came from a doctor and was prescribed, in his mind, made it ok.
From that time on, his life seemed to go round and round like a merry-go-round. Steven would enroll in school and then drop his classes. He eventually quit his job, found another job, was fired, enrolled in college again, withdrew, and finally realized he needed to come home and do something about his addiction.
Eventually, he went for help (twice) and had been clean for seven months when he relapsed and overdosed.
I lost an angel.
Life goes on, but part of me died with him. Life will never be what it once was.
I know the pain and anguish of having a child with addiction problems. I also know the shame and secrecy people feel, for I, too, was one of them. That is the reason I started The Sober World.
The Sober World is a resource guide for parents and families. This is a magazine that you can look at in the privacy of your own home, read articles from some of the leading experts in the country, and find anything from Detox Centers, Interventionists, Treatment Centers, Court Liaisons, Sober living, and more.
The most important message I am trying to spread is for people to realize that they are not alone, it is affecting almost every family in America today, and it is nothing you did or didn’t do, and you are NOT TO BLAME!!
You have nothing to be ashamed of. I know how overwhelming it is when you find out your loved one is using drugs. You have no idea where to turn, and searching online can be overwhelming because there are thousands of treatment centers.
You are afraid to speak to someone because, in your mind, you think, “it’s only happening to you, and everyone else’s children are perfect.” The fact is, today, everyone knows someone who has an issue with substance abuse. This concept of an addict in the alley with a needle hanging out of his arm is ridiculous.
Today, your typical high school student, college student, and the person behind the McDonald’s counter, your own doctor, lawyer, plumber, or electrician can be someone who struggles with addiction. Addiction knows no boundaries. Rich, poor, old, young, it makes no difference.
We must “shatter” the stigma (there are many groups focused solely on this cause, including Shatter the Stigma).
Thank you for reading. You can get more tips in my email newsletter. Every other week, I share tips and ideas to help parents motivate their son or daughter to change if they are struggling with substance use. Join us by entering your email now.
