When Painkillers Become Dangerous: What Everyone Needs to Know About OxyContin and other Prescription Drugs - Softcover

Drew Pinsky; Marvin D. Seppala; Robert J. Meyers; John Gardin; William White

Softcover

ISBN 10: 159285107X ISBN 13: 9781592851072

Publisher: Hazelden Publishing, 2004

Synopsis

A timely guide to the misuse and abuse of prescription painkillers that sorts the facts from the fiction for legitimate users and their loved ones.

If you are concerned about a loved one's use of pain medications, you need to read this book, When Painkillers Become Dangerous Whether prescribed by a physician as OxyContin or purchased on the street as "hillbilly heroin," painkilling drugs are extremely effective in eliminating physical, emotional, and psychological distress. The problem is that these drugs are also incredibly addictive. Misuse of and addiction to prescription pain medications has become America's latest, complex, and alarming drug abuse trend. In fact, an estimated 2.6 million people currently use prescription pain relievers non-medically-a dangerous practice that could quickly reach epidemic proportions. Best-selling author Drew Pinsky, M.D., and five other leading experts offer practical, plainspoken, and much-needed information about addiction to painkilling drugs. They will help you understand:How addiction to painkilling medication developsWhat to do if a family member is addictedWhat happens in addiction treatmentWhy addiction is a family disease

About this title

About the Author:

Drew Pinsky, M.D., author of the best-selling book Cracked: Putting Lives Together Again, is program medical director of chemical dependency services at Las Encinas Hospital in Pasadena, California. Dr. Pinsky is co-host of the nationally syndicated radio show "Loveline," and the long-running MTV program of the same name. He is also well known for his work as a correspondent for ABC news, Good Morning America, and as a regular contributor for CNN.

From Publishers Weekly:

Though OxyContin provides effective, long-acting relief from pain, it has its dark side, Rush Limbaugh’s addiction being only one of the examples of it. OxyContin is an opioid and thus addictive, and if used in conjunction with alcohol or other drugs, it can be deadly. Pinsky, an expert in chemical dependency and co-host of MTV’s Loveline, offers a sober and plainly written introduction to OxyContin and other new painkillers, including how they work and how they are abused. In a brief but comprehensive overview, Pinsky, along with several other experts, explains how painkillers mimic our own endorphins, how addiction affects the brain and how it can be treated (simple abstinence is not enough). He also offers advice to those who think a friend or family member might be addicted and describes the role of family in addiction and treatment. With its clear writing, short, easily absorbed sections and the expertise of its contributors, this is a highly useful and supportive guide.
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About this edition

• Publisher: Hazelden Publishing
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 159285107X
• ISBN 13: 9781592851072
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 192