I never knew what this was, until the other day. I took a lot of it in my youth, but today it’s banned by the FDA. For our own protection, of course…
In my youth I knew it as ‘cough syrup;’ and it worked very well for me, thank you very much! What I didn’t know at the time was, how addictive it was! It had codeine in it.
I am a recovering alcoholic. One of the ‘drills’ we are put through in the treatment center was to look at our alcohol use – from the beginning to the often bitter ended. I didn’t pick up on my addiction to cough syrup until a few years later – then it dawned on me!
I attended my junior year in high school (1962 – 1963) at Verdun High School, France. Our school was a former German hospital, converted to a high school for military kids. It was kind of a ‘bleak’ place, surrounded by a high barbed wire fence. Charming.
One day I had a cough so I went to the school nurse. She listened to me for a while, then opened this large grey steel locker behind her desk. She took out a pint of this ‘clear liquid,’ and handed it to me. I took a ‘swig,’ and it burned like Hell! I soon took a second swig, not quite knowing why. It also burned, but not quite as much. By the time I was half way through the bottle, it didn’t burn anymore…and my cough was gone! Go figure. I was also quite a bit more “mellow.” I also discovered Ms. Southworth’s algebra class was going a bit smoother also.
I drank quite a bit of that ‘stuff’ my junior year; not realizing what it really was, or how addictive it was. It may have cured my cough, but it also activated my disease… oh well – part of the journey.
The chemically dependant has always been a mystery to me. I guess I’m one of those lucky one’s who does not have that “addict” thing mixed in the bag that is… personality. The term “abuser”; however, is hereby banished from my vocabulary and I appreciate the heads-up. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, and I appreciate your comments.