Addiction to prescriptions becoming epidemic in Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS -

With a young son and a fianc, 21-year-old Lora Socks of Fishers now has a lot to live for.

It was not always that way.

When Socks was 16, she struggled with culture shock after transferring to a public school from a private Christian school. Her family was dealing with health and financial issues.

"Basically, I got overwhelmed with life and I didn't want to feel the way I was feeling, so I opted to live in oblivion and numbness," said Socks, who turned to alcohol and prescription drugs. "The first time I did a prescription drug, I got really sick and it wasn't pleasant. I was, like, 'I'm never going to do that again.' And then, the next day, I was getting more from the same friend and I instantly had a feeling I was an alcoholic and an addict, because I know that was not normal thinking. I just kept using and everything spiraled out of control."

She says she began to hang out with the wrong crowd that gave her prescription drugs that fed her growing habit.

"When I was using, I would use anything and everything. I would alternate between Fentanyl, Morphine, Vicodin, Xanax, Klonopin and Percocet. It got to the point where I would get Fentanyl patches. You can put them on your arm. When it starts to wear off, you put it under your tongue," said Socks. "So when I had to go to work, or when I went to school, I'd have the Fentanyl patches under my tongue, because my anxiety was so high. That way I always had something going into my body. I would pray at night that I wouldn't wake up in the morning. I didn't see the point in living. I never felt suicidal, but I was completely hopeless."

Socks says she went from abusing drugs to selling prescription medicine.

"I got caught up with selling drugs in order to have enough money to have a supply," said Socks.

Socks says she kept the pills she was using and selling in a bottle with her name on the label. @She said teachers would never ask to look at the pills inside the bottle, perhaps assuming they were prescribed to her.

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Addiction to prescriptions becoming epidemic in Indiana