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Article: Mellowing too much: sedative abuse is on the upswing.(YOUR CHOICES)
- Article from:
- Current Events, a Weekly Reader publication
- Article date:
- January 1, 2008
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2008 Weekly Reader Corp. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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When Ben was in his early teens, he suffered from depression. Ben's doctor prescribed some antianxiety medicines. Once the drugs hit his system, Ben says, his worries seemed to fade into the rearview mirror.
Soon, though, the Illinois teenager was abusing the drugs: supersizing his dose and mixing them with other prescription medications. "it was a way to get outside of myself," says the 19-year-old, who is now in recovery. "It was the only way I knew to cope with my problems." By the time Ben reached his 16th birthday, Xanax was his mellowing agent of choice.
How Sedatives Work
When prescribed for anxiety and sleeping problems, sedative ...