SWALLOWING A BITTER PILL: How Prescription and Over-the-Counter Drug Abuse Is Ruining Lives—My Story

The author, a healthcare provider, founded Prescription Anonymous in 1998. After killing a young man with her car, Mogil began abusing such prescription drugs as Darvon, Demerol and Percodan, and remained addicted for over 15 years. Although the accident was clearly not her fault, her subsequent despondency and guilt led a physician to prescribe medications. The feeling of peace that the drugs initially provided soon developed into a full-blown addiction. For years, Mogil manipulated other doctors into prescribing new drugs. After a major overdose, she finally admitted the gravity of her problem. Drawing on her own and others' experiences (with numerous first-hand accounts), the author strongly suggests that prescription drug addicts should admit their powerlessness over the addiction, find a good therapist and locate a sponsor (someone who has overcome the same problem) for feedback and support. Although the philosophy of Prescription Anonymous, with its talk of admitting one's powerlessness over the drugs and submitting to a higher power, etc., is very similar to that of other recovery support programs such as AA and NA, the author felt that others like her needed to talk with those who had or were going through aspects of recovery particular to prescription medication. Mogil does offer useful, though hardly new, advice about denial, cross addiction, detoxification and relapse. She advocates strongly for physicians to prescribe medications more carefully and warns that not all doctors are addiction-savvy. (Dec.)

Forecast:This topic has been covered in the major newspapers and magazines, and with this book, Mogil's concerted focus on medication addicts should increase public consciousness of the problem.