Don't think it can't touch your loved ones or that you will be aware of it. Access on the dark web has opened up another huge highway for it - http://kdvr.com/2017/04/30/colorado-mans-opoid-addiction-was-hiding-in-plain-sight/

The book "Dreamland" is a fascinating look at the confluence of the pain revolution, big pharma, economic hardship and Mexican heroin. Amazing research and a compelling story.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband is a chef/owner operator. It's really destroyed our professional community. Dozens.

Why is it prevalent in the restaurant industry?

Drugs are very prevalent in the restaurant industry. My parents completely forbade me from working in it for this reason.

Why?

In food & bev, it's not uncommon for servers/bartenders/staff to have evening/late night schedules capped off by early morning drinks/partying. For example, you may pop Adderall to get through your shift, then spend a few hours drinking at the end of the night, then take a benzo to fall asleep at 7am. It's easy to find drugs from your coworkers. Chemical dependency can arise from the lifestyle itself and/or a need to sleep/relax during daylight off-hours.

I grew up outside of Pittsburgh and several of my male cousins and their girlfriends/wives have addiction problems. Some of them lost custody of their children over it and have been in and out of prison on offenses that are a result of their addictions.

I follow the county's local news on facebook and there are daily overdose deaths.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Or pp, they are predisposed to addiction. As is the case on my family.
I've been hyper vigilant about taking tha bare minimum when prescribed painkillers and stopping as soon as I could manage for this reason. My sibling wasn't so lucky.

You followed the directions. Your sibling, more than likely, did not. I'm not trying to be condescending, but there is some degree of choice involved. Once someone decides to take 4 pills instead of 2, or takes more pills after 2 hours instead of waiting 4 hours...that's where the problem lies.

Exactly. There is a lot of dishonesty among whites about this opioid addiction epidemic. Your precious snowflake was getting high and knowingly abusing the drugs before addiction set in. The same story as the other addicts who you blame for their condition while your child has a "disease."

I wouldn't have put it quite so bluntly, but this is exactly right. I went to Yorktown and later, H-B. Grew up in Arlington. I know several white kids from Yorktown who OD'ed on heroin, one fatally. The others probably will OD too or die of related causes. All of these kids started with pills in middle or high school, used off and on, usually raiding their parents' supply or getting it from older siblings. A couple were good athletes who abused what doctors gave them after sports injuries.

Read the book "Go ask Alice"
Some people have their drinks, cigarettes laced by a friend
I am fortunate enough to not be an addict and would never just blatantly pass judgement on someone. Nobody decides they want to be a junkie and goes to find a drug pusher for that purpose.
Our society is blindly judging people without looking into issues more deeply, perhaps if they did they would see an image of themselves they do not like

I find it interesting that several people seem to easily obtain opioids from their doctor. I have had chronic pain for 5 years that has destroyed my quality of life, and it's next to impossible to get any opioid. I've seen dozens of doctors and pain medicine was a last resort to me.

One time i was given percocet for 30 days and then the doctor went on some rant about abusing drugs, DEA, etc. Some doctors have signs that say that they won't even talk about opioids! A friend of mine has chronic pain and has been taking opioids for approx 10 years, as prescribed. He was obviously chemically dependent, which is a given, but never abused the drug. The doctor cut him off and then he ran into the same problem as me. He ended up having to go to a methadone clinic to obtain opioids, which actually is great for chronic pain because it stays in your system for so long. The whole opioid problem is horrible, but the backlash against doctors has definitely had a horrible impact on my life and I'm sure many others with chronic pain.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband is a chef/owner operator. It's really destroyed our professional community. Dozens.

Why is it prevalent in the restaurant industry?

Drugs are very prevalent in the restaurant industry. My parents completely forbade me from working in it for this reason.

Why?

I love how opioids make me feel, and see how I could get addicted. I have never taken more than a normal dose, but have stolen pills in the past. They are difficult to resist. If I have them, I will take them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This article really resonated with me: https://medlineplus.gov/news/fullstory_164133.html

It indicates that only a FEW DAYS on a prescribed opioid could result in addiction. Heroin is the cheaper alternative to prescription opioids, once the prescriptions run out.

And opioids are frequently prescribed for chronic pain. Which might be relieved through marijuana. (But that's a whole different story.)

I have a reason to believe that some people might be genetically predisposed to the disease of addiction, while some might not be and therefore won't get hooked.

How many people on here have taken prescription opioids? How long were you on them? Were they hard to stop?

I was given a week's supply of Oxy after my C-section, took the pills for five days and that was that. Three years later I had major abdominal surgery, and morphine was flown into my vein post-surgery through a self-administered device. I could press that button as often as I could within a certain time interval, but all morphine did was make me sleepy (that, and eliminate the pain). When I was discharged, they gave me a two-week supply of Vicodin; I stopped taking it in a week and switched to Tylenol.

Sometimes I do wonder what the fuss is all about. How come I didn't get high, not even once? Do people just take double or triple the recommended amount? I know I sound naïve, but I've been genuinely curious.

No - some people's bodies react differently to it. My mom was prescribed an opioid - she took ONE PILL and was high as a kite. In her words, she suffered through being high and threw the pills in the trash. If she was someone who liked the feeling of being high, she had hit the jackpot. I do not get any sort of high from opioids.

Regarding why some people get hooked on pills and others do not, I think there are differences in how each person metabolizes them. I loved Vicodin the first time I took it. I never took more than the prescribed dose, which was minimal (5 mg, 2-3x day) and every time, it made me feel euphoric. I never had to take more to continue getting that feeling. I loved it so much that I stayed on it for 3 years, and my pain management clinic was only too happy to oblige. Finally stopped taking it and realized how much it had dulled my emotions and sense of joy. Feel like myself again.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Or pp, they are predisposed to addiction. As is the case on my family.
I've been hyper vigilant about taking tha bare minimum when prescribed painkillers and stopping as soon as I could manage for this reason. My sibling wasn't so lucky.

You followed the directions. Your sibling, more than likely, did not. I'm not trying to be condescending, but there is some degree of choice involved. Once someone decides to take 4 pills instead of 2, or takes more pills after 2 hours instead of waiting 4 hours...that's where the problem lies.

Exactly. There is a lot of dishonesty among whites about this opioid addiction epidemic. Your precious snowflake was getting high and knowingly abusing the drugs before addiction set in. The same story as the other addicts who you blame for their condition while your child has a "disease."

I wouldn't have put it quite so bluntly, but this is exactly right. I went to Yorktown and later, H-B. Grew up in Arlington. I know several white kids from Yorktown who OD'ed on heroin, one fatally. The others probably will OD too or die of related causes. All of these kids started with pills in middle or high school, used off and on, usually raiding their parents' supply or getting it from older siblings. A couple were good athletes who abused what doctors gave them after sports injuries.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Or pp, they are predisposed to addiction. As is the case on my family.
I've been hyper vigilant about taking tha bare minimum when prescribed painkillers and stopping as soon as I could manage for this reason. My sibling wasn't so lucky.

You followed the directions. Your sibling, more than likely, did not. I'm not trying to be condescending, but there is some degree of choice involved. Once someone decides to take 4 pills instead of 2, or takes more pills after 2 hours instead of waiting 4 hours...that's where the problem lies.

Exactly. There is a lot of dishonesty among whites about this opioid addiction epidemic. Your precious snowflake was getting high and knowingly abusing the drugs before addiction set in. The same story as the other addicts who you blame for their condition while your child has a "disease."

Anonymous wrote:Or pp, they are predisposed to addiction. As is the case on my family.
I've been hyper vigilant about taking tha bare minimum when prescribed painkillers and stopping as soon as I could manage for this reason. My sibling wasn't so lucky.

You followed the directions. Your sibling, more than likely, did not. I'm not trying to be condescending, but there is some degree of choice involved. Once someone decides to take 4 pills instead of 2, or takes more pills after 2 hours instead of waiting 4 hours...that's where the problem lies.

Or pp, they are predisposed to addiction. As is the case on my family.
I've been hyper vigilant about taking tha bare minimum when prescribed painkillers and stopping as soon as I could manage for this reason. My sibling wasn't so lucky.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This article really resonated with me: https://medlineplus.gov/news/fullstory_164133.html

It indicates that only a FEW DAYS on a prescribed opioid could result in addiction. Heroin is the cheaper alternative to prescription opioids, once the prescriptions run out.

And opioids are frequently prescribed for chronic pain. Which might be relieved through marijuana. (But that's a whole different story.)

I have a reason to believe that some people might be genetically predisposed to the disease of addiction, while some might not be and therefore won't get hooked.

How many people on here have taken prescription opioids? How long were you on them? Were they hard to stop?

I was given a week's supply of Oxy after my C-section, took the pills for five days and that was that. Three years later I had major abdominal surgery, and morphine was flown into my vein post-surgery through a self-administered device. I could press that button as often as I could within a certain time interval, but all morphine did was make me sleepy (that, and eliminate the pain). When I was discharged, they gave me a two-week supply of Vicodin; I stopped taking it in a week and switched to Tylenol.

Sometimes I do wonder what the fuss is all about. How come I didn't get high, not even once? Do people just take double or triple the recommended amount? I know I sound naïve, but I've been genuinely curious.

+1000

I have had almost 10 surgeries/major procedures for broken bones, hernias and an autoimmune condition. I have been on opioids on and off for many tears. No addiction. Why? Because I use them exactly as prescribed only for as long as I truly need them. A lot of addicts telling sob stories aren't honest about how they abused these drugs recreationally before becoming addicted.

Agreed. Also been prescribed these painkillers numerous times with no resulting addiction. People make it sound like if you take them, you will develop an uncontrollable urge to keep taking them. Not true. The people becoming addicted are taking more than prescribed, or at more frequent intervals than instructed.