Addicted to pain killers for 10 years
Mar 07, 2013
RoRosette’s drug problem started with her innocently taking a painkiller — Ibuprofen — to quell a headache and stress. But with time, one pill turned into 12 a day and then it was no longer enough. By the time it dawned on her that she was in trouble, she had lost her job and worse, a husband and h
SUNDAY VISION
Rosette’s drug problem started with her innocently taking a painkiller — Ibuprofen — to quell a headache and stress. But with time, one pill turned into 12 a day and then it was no longer enough. By the time it dawned on her that she was in trouble, she had lost her job and worse, a husband and her three children, writes Vique-Ocean Kahinju
With her heart racing, she reached for a glass of water and tablets. She had not taken the pills her body had become addicted to, aggressively demanding and bullying the mind so much that every thought went right back to the drug. She thought she would pass out.
The drugs were not heroin or cocaine — they were plain over-the-counter painkillers. Yet, despite this, she had developed an addiction.
Rosette, 34, a certified accountant, wife and mother of three, started taking Ibuprofen tablets while a student at university.
“My course was so demanding, yet I had to meet friends for partying or drinks after classes. This gave me headaches, probably caused by stress. It was inevitable that I take painkillers to help me cope. I would take more at lunch time and a couple before bed. Before I knew it, I was taking at least 10 tablets a day,” Rosette confesses.
She became hooked to the tablets, both as painkillers and stress relievers.
“When I finished my studies in 2002 and started working, I found balancing work and family increasingly hard. I turned to painkillers to calm my nerves.
“More so, if I did not feel quite right, say, when I had painful period cramps, a hangover, a slight headache or felt a bit nauseous, I would take one or two extra pills,” she says.
Before long, the over-the-counter painkillers made her so vulnerable she felt feeble without them. It became a habit.
“On a bad day, I would take up to 12 tablets. If I did not have painkillers, I would panic. Sometimes, I took them when I did not need them. I professed that they were a driving force for my accomplishments.
“I knew it was outrageous, but even when I read on the packet warnings not to exceed the recommended dose, I defied the precautionary advice. I had no idea they could be harmful, especially as I could get them from a pharmacy,” Rosette says.
As time went by, her addiction created a ravenous craving for stronger drugs because painkillers could no longer tame her anxiety. She was driven to load bottles of alcohol and cocaine injectors in her bedroom and even at office. Drugs for a fine wife, mother and a career woman, were bad bedfellows.
“I was at odds with my boss and spouse because both had tried to stop me. I could not break my addiction, no matter how much I tried. My marriage and career were at the brink of collapsing,” she reveals.
Drug and booze binges fuelled paranoid rages. Consequently, Rosette’s co-workers shunned her. Back home, her husband got violent, turned the children against her and often locked her outside the house during the night.
He even went on a search for another woman. He later left their home and took the children with him. Loneliness got her more frustrated. Rosette’s drug addiction intensified radically and she suffered an emotional breakdown.
“I felt worthless. I turned into a total freak. I began injecting myself with cocaine till my hands became numb. At times, I passed out in the streets, at work or at home. I lost control over myself. I reached a point where my job no longer mattered,” she recounts.
“Before I knew it, I had received a warning letter from my employer. A few months later, I was fired. In my experience, there is nothing as depressing as failure. It was a big blow to me in addition to my husband leaving me,” she recalls.
Despite her troubles, she still looked to drugs for solace. She sought professional help, but drugs still lingered on her mind.
“To drown my sorrows, I either took sleeping pills, guzzled a bottle of waragi or injected myself with heroine. To get some sleep, I tried out Valium pills. The first time I took them, I slept like a baby,” she says.
Valium too joined her battalion of addictive drugs. Rosette felt that she could not have any sleep without it. Like others, at the beginning, she saw no harm in taking one each night.
“My church affiliates, family and friends, helped me realise that I had a big problem. Once I accepted, I decided that I had to stop. I managed to cut down the number of hours I did drugs. It felt horrible at first. My whole body trembled. I had a regular excruciating stomachache and my temperature kept fluctuating, but I kept on,” Rosette narrates.
“It is now a year since I stopped taking drugs. My husband has returned home and my children once again call me mummy, something they had stopped,” she says.
Rosette, who was addicted to drugs for more than 10 years, is still struggling with the after effects. She confesses that it is not that easy. Luckily, she has got herself back on track and is putting on a tough fight.
Rosette is now on prescribed medication to assist in soothing her nervous system that was impaired by the drugs.
“This time round, I am keen about the medical prescriptions. I do not want to become a drug addict again.
Drug dependency actually does not relieve pain and stress, it heightens them and you lose respect,” she asserts.
Causes of addiction
Experts say people’s lifestyle is to blame. Ruth Sserunkuma, a psychotherapist and counsellor, explains that young people are success-driven, so they want to excel at work and balance family and social life.
“Unfortunately, it is hard to deal with the extra stress, so they use stress and pain relieving pills as a way out. Little do they know that dependency on these seemingly simple medications can turn into a permanent addiction,” Sserunkuma says.
How to cope
Dr. Philip Shanahan, a consultant psychiatrist with Africa Initiative Doctors Without Borders Association, advises that dependants seek counselling. He says instead of reaching for painkillers all the time, one should first try natural remedies.
“Stress due to tension or dehydration is the major cause of headaches. Try eating fresh fruits, drinking water or getting some fresh air. A change of diet is vital. Eat lots of foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, for example fish.
“They are natural inflammatory agents and are low in headache-causing salt. If you have a hangover, it is essential that you take plenty of water and Vitamin C (in fruit juice or tablets),” he says.
Shanahan also recommends toast and eggs because they contain cysteine, which is said to mop up destructive chemicals in the liver when it metabolises alcohol.
“If you are stressed, try out some exercise or take a break from the normal routine. A massage or a hot bath with sea mineral salts may also help ease tension. Everytime you feel like taking a pill, ask yourself if being an addict is worth it,” he says.
I feared for my wife
Rosette’s husband Ivan says when he learnt about his wife’s addiction to drugs, he was petrified.
“I did not know she was on drugs until I found cocaine and packets of painkillers in our kitchen cabinet. It sent a shiver down my spine. I knew it would raise the specter of her fall from grace, but I tried to talk to her.
“She got defensive. She claimed I was accusing her falsely and burst out crying. I kept quiet and destroyed the narcotics. Shortly afterwards, an unknown person called home to tell me that my wife had passed out in her car on her way to work.
I was upset. I put her in the back seat of the car and rushed her to a medical centre. She was given first aid and became fine.
She, however, did not change. She went on and on with her behaviour.
“I loved her, but putting up with such a thing is plain stupid. If someone behaves in a sloppy way and you accept it, then you deserve what you get.
“So when the talking did not work, I was forced to restrain her. I beat her sometimes, hoping she would stop, but she only worsened. Even after I stopped our children from associating with her, she continued.
Leaving home was my last option. I thought it would help her change, but it did not. I thank her family and friends who managed to put her back on track. She now has new strength with which to face the future,” Ivan narrates.
Signs of drug addiction
A lingering desire for pills
Uneasy feeling when you have not taken the drugs
The feeling that you would feel better if you had another pill.
Prioritising pills over food.
Sweating
Panic attacks
Stomach cramps
Bad migraines
Running nose
Insomnia
Irritability whenever you try to stop taking drugs
Feeling out of control
Ask the Expert
Q How does drug addiction start?
A In the beginning, you take the pills to help you with fatigue, stress, headaches or migraines and they really help, but as you take more and more, you get so used to these drugs that you only feel normal after you swallow them. Initially, because they are over-the-counter drugs, you do not see the problem.
Which drugs are the most tempting?
Ibuprofen, panadol and valium are the commonest drugs for most addicts.
But are over-the-counter drugs as dangerous as hard drugs like cocaine?
Many patients do not think they are dependent, as painkillers are not considered ‘hard drugs’. In severe cases, people take up to 70 a day. This is the equivalent of a cocaine addict injecting themselves once a day.
How can I tell that I am getting addicted to over-the counter drugs?
If quitting is a struggle, you may have a problem. Once you have become an addict, indicators of profuse sweating, panic attacks, tummy cramps, bad migraines, runny nose, insomnia and irritability, will become evident when you try to wean yourself off the drug. Some people feel out of control.
The habit can be as hard to stop as a hard drug dependency and with time, stronger drugs are sought.