Drug Overdose.

Recent statistics show that prescription drug abuse killed more than 37,000 people across the country in 2009, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
I know most have either tried to do this at one point or another to end the pain. Or some are still planning on how to accomplish the overdose
Here are the three types of drug categories and what drugs they contain:

• Prescription Drugs - These types of drugs are licensed medicines that cannot be obtained without a prescription from a doctor; a type-written label is characteristic of a prescription drug and will indicate that a pharmacists has dispensed the medication. Some examples of prescription medications can include Benzodiazepines, Morphine, and Amphetamines. The largest percentage of prescription drug overdoses is reported to be associated with narcotic painkillers, such as OxyContin or Vicodin.
• Non-Prescription Drugs - These types of drugs may be purchased over-the-counter (OTC) without a prescription. Non-prescription OTC drugs can include headache tablets, liquid cough medicines, sinus tablets, or diet pills; these medications are readily available at any retail outlet. Common examples of some of the over-the-counter medications are Vicks Cough Syrup, Sudafed, Robitussin DM, and Sominex Sleep Tablets, just to name a select few.
• Illicit Drugs - The types of drugs are generally imported, grown or illegally manufactured, and the sale of these substances is prohibited by law. The greatest percentage of drug overdoses throughout the United States is related to the misuse of illicit drugs; this is not surprising, as these types of drugs are purchased on the black market and there is no way to determine exactly what ingredients that they contain. Some of the most common examples of illicit drugs are; heroin, marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy, and meth.

Most of the people I know did either Prescription Drugs or Illicit Drugs. I think I had maybe one or two friends that did all three. The drugs are very nasty things to mess with.

The causes of Dug Overdosing:

• Young children may swallow drugs by accident because of their curiosity about medications they may find. Children younger than 5 years (especially 6 months to 3 years) tend to place everything they find into their mouths. Drug overdoses in this age group are generally caused when someone accidentally leaves a medication within the child's reach. Toddlers, when they find medications, often share them with other children. Therefore, if you suspect an overdose in one child while other children are around, those other children may have taken the medication too.
  
  
• Adolescents and adults are more likely to overdose on one or more drugs in order to harm themselves. Attempting to harm oneself may represent a suicide attempt. People who purposefully overdose on medications frequently suffer from underlying mental health conditions. These conditions may or may not have been diagnosed before.

 The symptoms:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal cramps
• Diarrhea
• Dizziness
• Loss of balance
• Seizures (fitting)
• Drowsiness
• Confusion
• Breathing difficulties
• Internal bleeding
• Hallucination
• Visual disturbances
• Coma

Reason for overdose:

• Accidental – a person takes the wrong drug or combination of drugs, in the wrong amount or at the wrong time without knowing that it could cause them harm.
• Intentional misuse – a person takes an overdose to get ‘high’ or to inflict self-harm. The latter may be a cry for help or a suicide attempt.

Myths about overdosing:

• It won't happen to me: If you use it can happen to you. In fact, experienced long-term users are more likely to experience fatal or non-fatal overdoses than novice users.
• Let them sleep it off : If someone is really stoned, you may be leaving them to a slow drift into death.
• Put them in the shower or the bath: This can rapidly change their core body temperature, which could put them in shock - extremes of temperature tend to shut your body down. It can also result in drowning.
• Don't call for an ambulance because the cops will turn up: Statistics show the police attend less than 15% of overdoses - the ambos won't call the police unless they feel threatened at the scene. Even if police do attend, their interest is in helping the ambos to save lives, not to bust people for drug-related offences. If you really want to avoid grief with the law, make sure no-one dies: call an ambulance!
• If they don't respond, walk them around: If they aren't responding they need urgent help - trying to walk them around will just waste time.
• If you've had Narcan you're fine and can use again / Narcan will protect you so that you can have a whack immediately after: The Narcan will wear off in an hour or two and it's easy to drop again, even if you don't have more.
• If I'm on buprenorphine I can't OD: You can still OD even when you're on buprenorphine.
• Most ODs happen because the purity changes: Purity change can lead to OD, but most ODs are a result of polydrug use: alcohol/pills + smack = OD.
• Usually new users overdose: Some new users OD, but most people who OD have been using for years. This sometimes happens to users who are trying to stop using or who have been in prison or rehab. This is because tolerance levels change over very short periods of time - even in a couple of days. One of the most common OD scenarios is when people use even small amounts of heroin when they have been taking pills and booze.
• Suicide is the most common reason for ODs: Most ODs are accidental.
• Give them stimulants (caffeine/speed): The only drug that will help is Narcan.
• If they are snoring or gurgling they are OK: These sounds mean they are having trouble breathing - not OK.
• Once they are breathing again they'll be OK: Most people who OD lapse in and out of unconsciousness for some time.
• Stick ice cubes up their arse: Will give them a cold arse. If nothing more useful is done, soon their whole body will be cold.
• If I'm with friends I'll be okay: Your friends may be too out of it to help, or may not know what to do. Make sure they do know what to do!
• ODs happen quickly - you keel over 'Trainspotting' style: Some ODs happen quickly, but most people who fatally OD take a while to die - their breathing gradually slows and then stops.
• We've (partners) both got Hep C so there is no further risk to us: There are at least six genotypes, or strains, of hepatitis C, which means that you could still infect your partner with a different strain.
•  Cigarette filters are harmless to use as a filter: Safe filtering has to take account of the way in which filters are used, as well as their properties and materials. The Australian Drug Foundation (the ADF) and VIVAIDS have produced a useful guide to filtering for illicit drug use, which is available from the ADF website at http://druginfo.adf.org.au

Stereotypical user myths:

• People who inject drugs do so because of troubled childhood or family problems.
• All drug users resort to crime to feed their habit.
• All drug users are scumbags, deadshits, losers, irresponsible, bludgers etc.

Stereotypical user fact: 

 Most drug users are people who live in our community. They are our friends, brothers, sisters, children and parents. They are friendly, sad, happy people who shop and work alongside us. Most people who are not drug users treat people who are users in a discriminating and judgmental fashion because they fear the stereotype. Drug users who fit the above stereotypes account for less than 10% of the total - and even people who fit the stereotype respond very well to a bit of respect.

To end this subject. If you know someone who is attempting a drug overdose or has already tried, talk to them, see if you can talk them out of trying. Maybe that is what it will take. Just be there for them.

If your the one attempting an overdose or already tried, find someone to talk to and support you and help you change your mind about dying.

Or seek out medical or therapy treatment or even check yourself into a drug rehab.

Thank you for taking the time to read this,

Toxxic Lullaby