Warning: This Drug May Kill You

[Tara Ariano]

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A look at opioid addiction in the U.S. profiles four families whose lives have been decimated by drug abuse that began with legitimate prescriptions to dangerous painkillers that are often a gateway to heroin.

[Armchair Critic]

Interesting that these were upper middle class families where the person who overdosed was loved and cared for. I had this on in the background when with friends so I'd like to watch it again to see more details.

[AgentRXS]

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Interesting that these were upper middle class families where the person who overdosed was loved and cared for.

I thought that was the point of the doc--today's typical heroin junkie isn't the lifelong illegal drug user living in a back alley somewhere. They can be anyone. This epidemic was predicted at least 10-12 years ago, when Oxycontin became the in vogue "party drug" among upper-class white teens. Heroin is a cheaper, more accessible and as stated in the doc, "better" high so it makes sense that people would use it to fill that void.

Stephany's story hit home with me. I was in my early 20s  ( in the early 00s) when I got diagnosed with kidney stones.  I am also prone to bladder infections. Each time I left the doctor's office, I was always given a painkiller script along with the other medication. Doctor's told me then that the painkillers were not addictive in small doses, just like the intro of the doc said.  Didn't ring true to me so I was too scared to fulfill the prescription most of the time. The one time I absolutely needed something for pain, I tried one Percocet tablet. I thank God that my reaction was so severe to it that I never wanted to use it again.  

I am a generally lonely person and suffer from depression. Whenever I hear addicts describe how good heroin makes them feel, it scares me to my core. I could have easily been Stephany or her sister (RIP) had Perocet elicited a positive reaction for me.

Edited May 8, 2017 by AgentRXS

[Armchair Critic]

Stephany's mother looked like a blonde Karen Carpenter.

[funky-rat]

10 hours ago, AgentRXS said:

Stephany's story hit home with me. I was in my early 20s  ( in the early 00s) when I got diagnosed with kidney stones.  I am also prone to bladder infections. Each time I left the doctor's office, I was always given a painkiller script along with the other medication. Doctor's told me then that the painkillers were not addictive in small doses, just like the intro of the doc said.  Didn't ring true to me so I was too scared to fulfill the prescription most of the time. The one time I absolutely needed something for pain, I tried one Percocet tablet. I thank God that my reaction was so severe to it that I never wanted to use it again.  

I am a generally lonely person and suffer from depression. Whenever I hear addicts describe how good heroin makes them feel, it scares me to my core. I could have easily been Stephany or her sister (RIP) had Perocet elicited a positive reaction for me.

I rarely take them either.   Percocet makes me absolutely numb, and unable to function.  I hate it.  I took two hydrocodone after I had surgery to remove scar tissue from my nose, and that was because the pain was so bad I couldn't take it anymore.  The minute the packing came out, I quit taking them.  I am a complete and total wuss, but I will muscle through the pain rather than take something that might be addictive, or is narcotic.

Edited May 8, 2017 by funky-rat

[Sweet-tea]

I almost didn't watch the whole thing because I didn't like the introduction showing all the people zonked out of their minds. It seemed gratuitous and exploitative to me. I'm glad I got past it, because the rest of the documentary was better. I identified most to the story about the woman addicted to painkillers. It was so sad to see how her addiction destroyed her family, and it reminded me of my mother's addiction. She began taking hydrocodone over 15 years ago and still takes it to this day. Over the years she changed to such a degree that our family was shattered. My dad divorced her after more than 50 years of marriage; my sister and I no longer have any relationship with her. She will not get help or admit she has a problem. She is 79 years old now and is all alone as she has alienated all her family and friends. Even the social worker stopped visiting because she said my mother was too abusive. It is just heart-breaking. 

My oldest sister was addicted to the same thing. She took Percocet, Lortab, Vicodin... different brands of hydrocodone. She began taking the pills after back surgery. She eventually lost her husband, three children, job, etc. She died in 2009 from a heart attack, but her body was ravaged from years of drug abuse. I remember when the medics showed up and asked if she was on any medication. I ran to the bathroom and found a bottle of Suboxone. She had been taking it for years supposedly to get off the other drugs, but I later found out at some point she began taking the hydrocodone too. 

What stood out to me the most was when the husband said his wife became a completely different person when she was on the drugs. That is what happened with my mother and sister. The drugs brought out both of their worst qualities and diminished their best qualities. I felt awful for those two boys trying to revive their mother. That is a memory they will carry with them for a lifetime. 

I was rooting for Stephany. I didn't feel encouraged by what they said at the end as it sounded like she just switched to Methadone or Suboxone, which I don't have a lot of confidence in due to my sister's situation. 

Edited May 21, 2017 by Sweet-tea

[ChristinaRoo]

I'm sorry about your sister Sweet-tea. Opioid addiction is a terrible, terrible disease that erases the people we used to know and replaces them with strangers.

The hold these drugs can have is just astonishing, and the havoc they wreak on your brain chemistry is terrifying. In my experience, Methadone or Suboxone can be really effective tools for recovery, but in the end it's up to the addict to use them properly. My stepson has been clean for more than three years, and has just managed to wean himself off of the Suboxone completely so that he can be 'truly free' (in his words). The speed at which dependence develops is just as frightening. My husband was prescribed Oxycontin for a back procedure, and after just a couple of weeks using it as prescribed he had terrible physical withdrawal symptoms to manage when it was no longer needed for pain. Thankfully his reaction was to get OFF that stuff ASAP. That's two deadly bullets dodged in our small family, and I am grateful for that every day.

Good luck to everyone out there dealing with this in yourself, your family, or your friends.

Edited June 22, 2017 by ChristinaRoo
typos, grrr

[atlantaloves]

Oh  man, I just watched this.....this is horrible. My God, make it stop. We were all told the same thing in the 90's, I so remember. Tons of strong pills, but me, I had to beg for 'em just for gum surgery. Those poor parents. Anyway I really was impressed by this series.