Cracked by Drew Pinsky

Author:Drew Pinsky [Pinsky, Drew]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3, mobi
Tags: Biography & Autobiography, Substance Abuse & Addictions, Medical, Self-Help, General
ISBN: 9780061740947
Google: 2giutVdSltMC
Publisher: Harper Collins
Published: 2009-10-13T21:18:02+00:00

Later I receive a call that disturbs me, both as a parent and as a doctor, because I’ve been consulted on situations just like it more times than I care to remember. I hear the concern in the man’s voice. It’s a tone I’ve heard countless times from other parents.

“It’s my son, Barry,” he says. “He’s eighteen.”

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“Somebody slipped him something. Or gave him something.”

“What’s happening right now?”

“He’s psychotic. He’s locked in the bathroom. He thinks everyone is trying to kill him. His muscles are rigid. He goes in and out of it.”

“Do you have any idea what he took?”

“No.”

“Has he been depressed or had any other psychiatric symptoms lately?”

I hear a click on the phone line. His wife has picked up an extension.

“He’s had a couple panic attacks,” she says. “From the stress of school.”

I don’t buy that.

“Do you know if he does any drugs? Is he into the club scene or that sort of thing?”

“Yes, he’s smoked pot,” says his mother. “What kid these days doesn’t? But he doesn’t do it that often. And he seems to be fine with it. As far as the clubs, sure, he’s very social and has lots of friends. Barry’s a great kid. He’s a B-plus student at the University of Colorado.”

What does one thing have to do with another? Nothing. I get scared thinking of how many parents I speak to who only know their children by their SAT scores.

“He’s also locked in your bathroom, lying on the floor and scared that you want to kill him.”

His father clears his throat.

“Barry’s younger brother said that Barry was supposed to be taking Ecstasy. He thought someone must’ve given him something else.”

“Maybe, but I don’t think so,” I say. “From your description, it sounds like something I’ve seen before from Ecstasy. Severe psychotic reactions can be precipitated by this drug. In addition, there can be something called the posthallucinogenic perceptual disorder, where people can feel like they’re locked into the effects of the drug, unable to escape. At some point they then start to feel panicky, then paranoid, and eventually their moods hit the skids. Often the mood problems persist.”

“Oh my God,” says his mother.

“I don’t want to overwhelm you with information,” I continue, “but I bet you there’s a marijuana problem here as well.”

“So what do we do?” asks his father.

“I’d bring him here to the hospital immediately,” I say.

The biggest problem with Ecstasy is the lack of information surrounding the drug and its side effects. Even first-time users who have a great experience usually report intense depression the next day. They get a great big high, and then an equally significant low. They go from one extreme to the other. Often the depression lingers.

If you’ve seen anyone the day after using X, you know why they’re referred to as E-tards. They’re listless, moody, scattered. They’re being one hundred percent accurate when they say they’re burned out. After one large hit or about twenty regular doses, users suffer mood changes.

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