Benzodiazepine medications like Nembutal are often targets for people with addictive tendencies, as these drugs can produce an intense feeling of euphoria paired with a sensation of relaxation. People who take these drugs often feel sensations akin to those experienced by people who drink alcohol, but they can feel the sensations much quicker and there’s no telltale sticky scent left behind. Unfortunately, Nembutal is an incredibly dangerous medication to use and abuse, as some people find out all too quickly when they begin to take the drug for recreational purposes.
Finding Nembutal
Unlike other benzodiazepine medications, which might be prescribed to adults for long periods of time, Nembutal is typically used as a sort of rescue medication, given only in cases of severe struggle, and only for a short period of time. Those with intense insomnia that won’t resolve, for example, might be given a few of the pills to help them through a rough patch. Those who have seizures in the hospital, or who are preparing for surgery in a hospital, might also be given the drug. It’s reasonable to expect that the drug would be hard to find on the street, since it’s used in such a controlled manner, but people who want the drug seem able to get it without much hassle.
Nembutal formations are often used in veterinary hospitals, allowing animal surgeons to keep their patients still while they endure some procedures that are delicate and painful. While these facilities are required to keep track of the Nembutal they have, and keep unused portions in cabinets accessible only to trained professionals, there are some dealers willing to pay top dollar for the drug, and they’ll entice veterinary workers to steal the drug so they can sell it on the black market.
Some people are willing to travel to other countries in order to get Nembutal, and according to an article produced by ABC News, it’s relatively easy for tourists to obtain the drugs they want. In Mexico, for example, people who want this drug can visit open pharmacies that cater to the veterinary market, and once they’ve found the pills, they can buy as many as they’d like. Getting the drugs back across the border can be somewhat difficult, as most border entrances are closely guarded, but people who are addicted might be willing to take all sorts of risks and do all sorts of creative things in order to get the drugs they want.
Finding the Abuse
The abuse of Nembutal seems relatively common among young people. According to an overview article in Minnesota Medicine, young people often believe that prescription medications are somehow safer to abuse because they are:
- Produced in laboratories
- Sold in pharmacies
- Recommended by doctors
- Kept in the family medicine cabinet
Teens who grow up with these beliefs, and who don’t challenge their beliefs later in life, might grow up and become adults who also abuse medications they’re given in order to treat serious medical conditions. Anyone can form a habit to these powerful substances, and often, they need help in order to recover. Families must spot the behavior, however, and persuade the person to get help. Thankfully, that’s a reasonably easy task to accomplish.
People who abuse Nembutal often seem sedated and slow, unable to respond to the simplest question with clarity and honesty. They may fall asleep in the middle of sentences, and stagger when they walk. They may feign insomnia, in order to get new prescriptions for the drug, but they may seem asleep almost all of the time to their concerned family members. They may also discuss the drug with friends using coded words like “yellow jacket” and “Nembies.”
Concerned family members should certainly feel comfortable discussing the issue with the person they love, but they should also be careful not to force the person to stop the abuse right away. Drugs like this can cause profound changes in electrical activity within the cells of the brain, and an abrupt withdrawal can cause seizures. People need to participate in a medically supervised detox program when an addiction like this is in place, so they can recover without putting their long-term health at risk.
This is the kind of help we provide at Axis. We can provide a medically supervised detox program, and then provide someone you love with 90 days or 120 days of addiction therapies that can produce meaningful change. We even have a separate sober living home for people who need additional help in transitioning back to their communities without lapsing back into Nembutal addiction. Our admissions process is quick and easy; in some cases, we can even enroll clients on the same day they call us. To get started, please contact our admissions counselors. We’ll conduct a quick assessment over the phone and get the process started. Please call.
