Sleeping Pill Addiction - What it is and How it Happens

Sleeping Pills may be prescribed by physicians for use over a short period of time in the treatment of insomnia. It is however, a known fact and the news of sleeping pill related deaths show that many patients become addicted to sleeping pills. In 1970 my ex-husband was addicted to sleeping pills, months of rehabilitation and mental health intervention and he continued to use these sleeping pills and heroin until his death in 1999. Here is what I learned about addiction and how to recognize it and what kinds of pills he used.

The DSM IV describes addition to sleeping pills as, "Addiction, or dependency, is present in an individual who demonstrates any combination of three or more of the following symptoms:

-Preoccupation with use of the chemical between periods of use
-Using more of the chemical than had been anticipated.
-The development of tolerance to the chemical in question
-A characteristic withdrawal of syndrome from the chemical
-Use of the chemical to avoid or control withdrawal symptoms
-Repeated efforts to cut back or stop the drug use
-Intoxication at inappropriate times or when withdrawal interferes with daily functioning
-A reduction in social, occupational or recreational activities
-Continued substance use in spite of the individual having suffered social, emotional, or physical problems related to the drug use

Sleeping pill addiction is no less life altering than being addicted to street drug such as methamphetamines or heroin. The outcome is just as devastating as with street drugs. An addicted person becomes alienated from social, family, employment and spiritual environments. When someone becomes addicted to sleeping pills it can also become so over powering that they will seek alternate drugs to reach the kind of euphoria made by the sleeping pills if they are unable to obtain sleeping pills legally.

Prescribed sleeping pills come in three forms, ones that help you fall asleep, ones that help you stay asleep and ones that are sedating antidepressants. Sleeping pills that make a person fall asleep are, Eszopicione (Lunesta); Ramelteon (Rozerem); Triazolam (Halcion); Zaleplon (Sonata). Sleeping pills that help you stay asleep are, Estazolam; Eszopiclone (Lunesta); Temazepam (Restoril); and Zolpidem (Ambien CR). Some of the sedating antidepressants that doctors use frequently for sleep are, Amitriptyline; Doxepin (Sinequan, Zonalon); and Trazodone. All of these prescription sleeping pills come with the same warnings such as; may cause drowsiness, dizziness, headache, blurred vision and a warning not to take these pills for extended periods of time.

Get a medical evaluation before using any sleeping pills, always take a sleeping pill only when you are prepared to go to bed, avoid alcohol, quit using sleeping pills under a doctors supervision, do not take sleeping pills for long extended periods of time.

There have been many celebrities over the years that have been known or thought to have had a problem with sleeping pills. Many of these celebrities accidentally died or were thought to have committed suicide by taking these types of medication. Some of these celebrities were:

Marilyn Monroe, August 5, 1962
Jimi Hendrix, September 18, 1970
Gerald Levert, November 10, 2006
Heath Ledger, February 6, 2008
Michael Jackson, January 25, 2009

Others believed to have died from overdoses of sleeping pill mixed with other drugs due to addiction or accidental were:

Judy Garland
Martha Raye
Barbara Payton
Mary Astor

Just to name a few. Sleeping pill addiction appears to be quite common in celebrities perhaps due to the easy access to doctors who are willing to prescribe these medications.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sleeping-pills/sl00010

http://www.pharmacytechs.net/blog/18-celebrities-who-died-from-prescription-drugs

DSM IV (1994)