• I can’t help but wonder, have the very pills I used to make me normal made me abnormal? I once devolved a nervous cough due to a pill I was taking. In fact, I had to take a pill to get rid of the cough caused by a pill. However, now that I’m off my pills, I don’t have that annoying cough anymore. Unfortunately, I am now dependent on my sleeping pills. When I was young, Ritalin would give me visual illusions. Unfortunately, the illusions are very common, so common that South Park made fun of it in an episode. I wasn’t depressed as a child. Why am depressed now? I can only assume that is just another side effect from those “wonderful” pills. But of course, none of these were as life changing as the time I had a reaction to one particular drug.

    “He’s not breathing normal. We’re going to have to go back to the hospital.” My mom urgently said to my father. We rushed to the car as my mom quickly called the hospital. It all stared when the psychotherapist prescribed a pill, Laxapine, to help me sleep. It’s not like my pills I was on didn’t work; in fact, I’m not sure why she switched me. I think it was due to some other pills that caused me to twitch.

    It was a Saturday night and I had church in the morning, so I took my pill at 1 a.m. and tried to go to sleep. By 3 a.m. I thought it was ridiculous that I hadn’t fallen asleep yet and I lay awake until 7 a.m. when I finally feel asleep. It would have been easier, and less painful, to knock me out with a tire iron.

    When I woke up, it felt like the cold ache of a hangover had taken over me. It was almost like someone had taken a toothbrush and brushed my brain- it left that minty cold feeling you get after brushing your teeth. Though my brain felt “clean,” when I would try to think it was like someone yelling from far away. It’s hard to think when your thoughts are barely audible. I must have looked like a zombie as I prepared for church. I felt incredibly tired. I even took a nap, which is odd for me because I never nap. After a little while, my parents woke me up and we went to church. I was almost to the point of sickness; it was a truly horrible feeling.

    I felt like sleeping in parts of church; however, it’s hard to sleep in a room full of songs. About halfway through, I had difficulty breathing. I told my mom and she told me to tell her if I had anymore problems. Near the end of church I noticed I had difficulties singing. It only kept getting worse. In fact, church had just gotten out and my mom was talking to someone and I noticed I couldn’t talk right, at all. I interrupted my mom’s conversation.

    “Mwom Mwom.” I was unable to even say “mom.”
    “Why are you talking like that?” My mother raised her eyebrow questionably.
    “Exactly.”

    About this time, my tongue started sticking out as if it has a mind of it own. I had to be rushed to the hospital. About halfway there, my jaw starts opening and I can’t close it. I looked like a snake trying to eat a turkey and it hurt. Then, my head slowly started leaning on my shoulder as if my neck couldn’t support it. My mom frantically tried to call the psychotherapist. After several failed attempts she finally reached him. Of course, she reaches the man as we’re checking in. Shockingly, the psychotherapist said that I didn’t need hospitalization. He said all my side affects were normal. The doctor some Benadryl would cure it and if problems persist he’d prescribe a solution immediately. He said also said that if I had problems breathing I should be hospitalized. My mom believed him, so I wasn’t admitted. I, as well as the hospital staff, looked at her as if she was crazy. At this point I looked like I was having a stroke or I was severely mentally ill or a combination of the two.

    As we were going to the pharmacist to get pills, I began to wonder what if I’m stuck like this forever. My mom told me that sometimes the side effects could be so. Tears filled the eyes of me and my mom as fear overtook us. For the first time, my dad looked worried. He is usually cold and collected but this time it really got to him. We eventually got to the store and bought the Benadryl. I had to take it with a liquid. It was slightly amusing that the Gatorade spilled out of my mouth when I tried to drink it.

    When we get home I had actually gotten worse. Now, my head was lying against my spine, looking at the open sky. When we got inside and I made funny sounds that I can’t describe. I was able to breath, but not comfortably. My mom was worried about my breathing; I was rushed to another hospital. They give me an IV and I was back to my cheerful, annoying self within twenty minutes. I’ve never been so scared in my entire life.

    One question is constantly nagging my mind, “what are pills doing to us?” Is what we do today harming us tomorrow? Medicine can have dangerous repercussions. According to research done by the Group Health Cooperation researchers, the chance for a person to commit suicide is greatly increased while on anti-depressants. It seems that all the kids are on ADHD pills. According to the Nation Institute of Mental Health, over 2 million kids in the U.S. have ADHD. Noticeably, if you are on ADHD pills for a while and don’t take them a day, you’re concentration is even worse than before. My problem is I’m always having side effects when I take pills. I can’t believe I’m the only one who has side effects. In fact, your kids may have a similar experience.