Tuesday, December 27, 2005
I was a Pill Popper.
Dear Guidance Guy,
I read your advice to the person who had rumors going around that she was a pill popper. You told her that as long as she doesn't really do it, the rumors will go away.
I was a "pill popper." I had surgery over the summer and started abusing the pain medication the hospital gave me. I don't know why. I think it was because I liked the way they made me feel. I was taking a whole bunch every day, much more than I was supposed to. Then my mom saw the empty bottle. I lied and told her I dropped them in the toilet but she figured it out and wouldn't get me anymore.
At first I really wanted them but now I'm happy she wouldn't get me anymore. I know some people get addicted to pain pills. I could have been one of them. I'm not a druggie kind of kid or anything. I'm a ninth grade girl with good grades. I'm an athlete too, but I know I couldn't be if I was always taking pain pills.
People were talking about me being a pill popper too. For me it was true. I just don't talk about it because it isn't anyone else's business. But please tell people that some kids are pill poppers. No one should make fun of them. They should try to help them.
Thanks,
Crystal (not my real name)
*****
Dear Crystal,
You have written a very important letter. Many kids really do have a problem with drugs - and pain medications are DEFINITELY a drug. They can cause all kinds of physical and emotional problems, including addiction. Once the body gets used to them, you need more to get the same effect. So it is very easy to overdose. Many people have died this way - including some famous people.
You are absolutely right when you say that people who use drugs shouldn't have rumors spread about them or made fun of. They need understanding, support and help. In the case of kids, parents need to recognize when their child is in trouble and take steps to help them...even when the child doesn't want it. Luckily for you, you had a mother who did just that.
Most people who stop using drugs (legal or illegal) need counseling and support to help them stay clean. If you feel you need that, talk with your mother or a counselor at school. Asking for help doesn't make you weak. It means you are mature enough to know you have a bigger problem than you can handle by yourself.
For everyone else, if you know of someone who has rumors going on around them about drugs or alcohol, please don't spread them. Talk with them about what you hear...not with meanness, but with kindness. If you aren't able, talk with an adult you trust. It may just be a silly rumor, or it may be a person who really needs help.
Best of Luck,
The Guidance Guy
I read your advice to the person who had rumors going around that she was a pill popper. You told her that as long as she doesn't really do it, the rumors will go away.
I was a "pill popper." I had surgery over the summer and started abusing the pain medication the hospital gave me. I don't know why. I think it was because I liked the way they made me feel. I was taking a whole bunch every day, much more than I was supposed to. Then my mom saw the empty bottle. I lied and told her I dropped them in the toilet but she figured it out and wouldn't get me anymore.
At first I really wanted them but now I'm happy she wouldn't get me anymore. I know some people get addicted to pain pills. I could have been one of them. I'm not a druggie kind of kid or anything. I'm a ninth grade girl with good grades. I'm an athlete too, but I know I couldn't be if I was always taking pain pills.
People were talking about me being a pill popper too. For me it was true. I just don't talk about it because it isn't anyone else's business. But please tell people that some kids are pill poppers. No one should make fun of them. They should try to help them.
Thanks,
Crystal (not my real name)
*****
Dear Crystal,
You have written a very important letter. Many kids really do have a problem with drugs - and pain medications are DEFINITELY a drug. They can cause all kinds of physical and emotional problems, including addiction. Once the body gets used to them, you need more to get the same effect. So it is very easy to overdose. Many people have died this way - including some famous people.
You are absolutely right when you say that people who use drugs shouldn't have rumors spread about them or made fun of. They need understanding, support and help. In the case of kids, parents need to recognize when their child is in trouble and take steps to help them...even when the child doesn't want it. Luckily for you, you had a mother who did just that.
Most people who stop using drugs (legal or illegal) need counseling and support to help them stay clean. If you feel you need that, talk with your mother or a counselor at school. Asking for help doesn't make you weak. It means you are mature enough to know you have a bigger problem than you can handle by yourself.
For everyone else, if you know of someone who has rumors going on around them about drugs or alcohol, please don't spread them. Talk with them about what you hear...not with meanness, but with kindness. If you aren't able, talk with an adult you trust. It may just be a silly rumor, or it may be a person who really needs help.
Best of Luck,
The Guidance Guy
