Topic : 02/06 Pill Popping Twins

I am not sure if everyone knows Martina Mcbride.  She sings an awesome sone called "Loves the nly house big enough for all the pain in the world" When the down and out girl says she needs to buy alittle carton of milk but she doesnt have any money!  Then she says "I will cover you honey." The reaching and believeing in this world is what makes a difference.  I have had someone buy me a carton of milk...everyone has a story.  We can not only be blind by the addiction and the ugliness.  These women have a story that has brought them here.  Love is big enough to help heal, and with healing these children will be saved.  Do not stand higher then tho..come on down to their level and reach out with alittle love.  "come on over to my house honey...bc love is the only house big enough for all the pain in the world." 

I have never been an addict, but I have been down and out & the little things are why I am where I am today.  Those who sit in their thrown probably wouldnt even believe my story.  The point is love and understand & so many good things come from that.  Put your finger down awhile and listen!

I would very much like for the show to touch on just how many people are living productively and safely while on methadone programs.  We are college graduates, executives, parents, normal every day people who have been saved by participating in a methadone program.  The stigma of methadone arises when the general public thinks that everyone who is prescribed methadone is still a slurring sleepy addict who is unable to care for themselves or their children.  I hope everyone watching the show is able to keep in mind that these sisters have obtained their methadone and xanax illegally.  What their "friend who sells them these meds" should realize is that if either of these women dies from an overdose you will be held responsible and will end up doing a lot of time in jail.  Ask yourself if you are really helping them! 

That is what I saw from the twins.  Typical addict behavior.  Yes, they take drugs, but it's not their fault. Did you hear the excuses?  I take drugs to help me sleep because I work long hours, I'm stressed out from my kids, I take drugs to be happy,  I take them because I'm depressed, our mom hates us and makes us want to take drugs, blah, blah, blah.  No ownership.

They blame work, kids, mom, stress, sadness, depression; things we all have to deal with.  But they never admit it's their fault; that they made bad decisions.  Typical addict behavior.  Maria, their sister brought them on the show for help, but Yvette blamed her for the embarrassment she felt.  Yvette told Dr. Phil she had no ownership in her own embarrassment, even though it was her choice to take pills.  It's no one's fault that they take pills and are embarrassed by their behavior.  Well, not Yvonne.  She doesn't think she has a problem, so I guess she has nothing to be embarrassed about. 

Addicts don't accept blame.  They will find a way to put it on someone/something else.  They make justifications that don't even make sense.  We heard Yvette say she took the pills for pain.  Did anyone hear her mention what ailment she had?  She didn't have physical pain, it was emotional pain.  That is not what pain killers are for.  She made an excuse that was just ridiculous instead of just saying, "I chose to take them because I have no self control and now I'm addicted."

I have had broken bones, a back injury, teeth pulled, a fractured ankle, and second degree burns.  Each time I was given a prescription for pain killers.  To this day I am not addicted to them.  Know why?  I threw away every one of them.  I can't get addicted if I don't start taking them.  People, including my father, told me I was insane.  But I thought, what's worse; dealing with short term pain or long term addiction?  Even if I had taken them as recommended,  I was in the Army, I've worked with heavy machinery, worked in factories, worked in jobs where I had to drive a lot, and I have three boys.  My mind has to be clear at all times to be affective doing all of these things.  It's simply about making intelligent, mature decisions.

For those of you who stated you felt sorry for the twins, don't.  It was their choice.  They are not victims.  If you have to feel sorry for anyone, feel sorry for their children.  The kids didn't choose to live in that chaos.

After watching the twins today I really feel for their family.  Three weeks ago my husband and I checked our 16 year old son into a treatment center for substance abuse.  I felt no embarrassment, only pain for my son and what had happened in our family.   We live in a small community of about 3500 and many people know what is going on.  I hope my sons story and issues will shed light on his user friends and their parents.  I want this to help others.  For the twins to say they are embarrassed is selfish  and obviously do not wish to get better. I pray for the rest of the family and that they get the support they need as we have.

I agree with you.  I too have to take prescribed pain medication and if I didn't take it I couldn't function.  As it is I barely have a life, I cannot work, drive, etc because of my back injury.  However that doesn't mean I pop pills to "Get high".   This is what really annoys me when I see these people boohooing on tv about their addiction.  Yes it's sad, but no one prescribed the medications to begin with and then you go and take more then what would be prescribed anyway!!  Blaming the drugs is the easy way out.  But sorry these drugs also do many people a great service.  We take them to be able to deal with our pain, not to pass out or get stoned. 

As for the person who wrote that these drugs are handed out to easily I have to laugh.  I don't know what state you are living in but here in Florida if you go to a pain management doctor or clinic the last thing they do is prescribe these types of drugs.  It's when all else fails to help that they will start you on small doses of a narcotic to help you deal with your chronic pain.   You don't just walk in and say I'm hurting I need Oxycotin, or whatever.  The doctors will never go for that.  They are monitored so closely by the state that they will not give you anything until you've tried, physical therapy, bio-feedback, massage, facet injection, the list goes on and on.  The people that get these drugs without a legit issue have made it so difficult for those of us who have legit problems.  In a way it's a good thing in another it's a bad thing.  I don't know how many times I've gone to a new doctor and would get the raised eyebrow when I bring up the medications I take.  Automatically they profile you as "drug seeking" it's only after reading your complete medical history and getting to know you after a few months that they stop giving you that look.  It's very disheartening for real chronic pain patients.