Prescription Drug Dependence and Abuse
Understanding Addictions & Dependence
Articles on Attorneys and Addiction, Depression & Stress
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The General Practice, Solo & Small Firm Section of the ABA recently published Bumps in the Road, a theme issue of GP Solo Magazine. This edition has several articles specifically geared to attorneys on issues of alcohol and drug addiction, depression, stress, balancing work and personal life as well as other concerns. The pdf file will take a moment to load and then will open in a new window with a menu on the right, listing all available articles.
Just click on the titles that interest you to read the full text.
Download Bumps in the Road.
Addicted Lawyers Can Overcome Barriers to Recovery
- (Reprinted from the Hazelden Foundation's website, Copyright 2004, Hazelden Foundation)
Robert started drinking at age 18 and was an alcoholic by the time he entered law school. "I managed to get my degree and go to work for a Wall Street firm.
After that I changed jobs every two years or less. I just couldn't hang on to one. Nobody ever mentioned drinking to me. But I'm sure that with every job I lost, drinking was the main reason."
Images of hard-headed, hard-drinking lawyers abound in popular culture. These images make a point: The professional status granted by a law degree offers no immunity from addiction. The same can be said for people in other prominent professions, such as physicians, pilots and politicians. In fact, the rate of addiction for attorneys may exceed that for the general population.
- Read the rest of the article.
Assessing Your Risk for Addiction to Pain Medication
- The following excerpt from Chapter One of "When Painkillers Become Dangerous - What Everyone Needs to Know About OxyContin and Other Prescription Drugs" is by Drew Pinsky, MD © 2004
The risk for triggering addiction and misuse is obviously much greater if you have a previous history of addiction, particularly if that addiction was to opiates. The greatest risk for reactivating addiction is during the first six to twelve months of sobriety. Every effort should be made to avoid any exposure to opiates during this time as it will reawaken all of the distortions, feelings of desperation and cravings of addiction.
The following list of questions can help you to assess your risk for addiction to pain medication, whether you have a history of addiction or not.
When Painkillers Become Dangerous - OxyContin & Other Drugs
If you are concerned about how you - or someone close to you - is using pain medication, this book may be an excellent resource.
The following is an excerpt from "When Painkillers Become Dangerous - What Everyone Needs to Know About OxyContin and Other Prescription Drugs"
"In discussing guidelines for proper use of pain medication, it's important to first determine if an abuse or addiction problem exists. The following signs indicate problem use of pain medication:
- You are using someone else's prescription
- You are obtaining drugs from an illicit source or by illegal means
- You are no longer using the drug for the symptoms for which it was originally prescribed
- You need the drug in order to function
- you are obtaining the drug from multiple physicians
- You withold information, such as history of alcoholism or addiction, from your physician
- You are lying about or hiding your use
Read an excerpt