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PREVENTING XANAX ABUSE

We are a generation of pill pushers and pill takers. Don't look so shocked and don't try to deny it - the first words out of all of our mouths when we are ill is "What do I take for that?"

It all began with St. Joseph's Children's Aspirin, the little orange flavored fever reducer known and loved by all baby boomers until aspirin use in children fell out of vogue with the recognition of Reye's Syndrome. Things got even more interesting in the 60's with "mother's little helper" - that little yellow pill called Valium. Lots of baby boomers knew and loved Valium - until it produced addicts among the overstressed, well dressed housewives, business executives, mothers, and others who proclaimed it the panacea for the modern world.

And so it continues. Modern society has a love affair with the pharmaceutical industy. A pill for every ill. And that is how, much like Valium, Xanax became an abused drug.

Xanax, when it first hit the market, was thought to be the safe and effective alternative to highly addicting drugs like Valium. It was ordered for everyone from Grandma to Junior for "stress" and "anxiety". Little thought was given to how much or how long folks used it. And then, the inevitable occurred. It was discovered to be addicting.

So, how to prevent Xanax abuse?

Simple. Xanax is a good medication for anxiety of a short term nature. What does "short term" mean? Just what it says - a brief period. Xanax should be used on a limited basis when a person experiences a crisis or disaster that causes them to experience symptoms of psychological distress that interferes with the individual's level of daily functioning. Examples of a crisis or disaster are death of a loved one, a serious accident,or being a victim of a crime.

Xanax is not a good medication for chronic anxiety - that is, anxiety that a person has had for a long time and is not connected with a recent event or situation. It is also not an appropriate medication for depression, since depression is an illness with a longer course and duration. Xanax is not indicated for use in individuals with an addictive personality or past history or substance abuse. It is also not a good choice of medication for a person diagnosed with a personality disorder, since this type of problem requires long term psychotherapy, not medication. Proper diagnosis and treatment with the right medication is the key to success.

Xanax should be ordered by a qualified physician who has carefully assessed the individual's medical and psychiatric status. The medication should be ordered on the principal that the lowest dose to manage symptoms is given. Only a small amount of medication should be given in any one perscription and refills given judiciously only after the person is reevaluated face to face by the practitioner.

Xanax should never be given for longer than a few weeks. The dosage should not exceed what is recommended by the literature. If symptoms are not relieved by a therapeutic dose or persist longer, the person should be reevaluated for a longer term medication, such as an antidepressant, and psychotherapy.

There is not such thing as a bad medication - all drugs, when used appropriately and within their perscribing guidelines, can be a blessing if they do more good than harm. Xanax has gotten a bad reputation because it has been used and abused in the wrong ways.

In short, the answer to preventing Xanax abuse is simple.

Xanax abuse can be prevented by its proper use.

Learn more about this author, Loretta Murphy-Birster.
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