David’s Rx Awareness Transcript

Rx Awareness Long Form Video Transcript

• Candidate: David
• Length: 2 minutes and 36 seconds

On-screen text: Prescription opioids can be addictive and dangerous.

David: My drug use was the priority. Finding more pills, more prescription opioids was all I was concerned about. And I completely lost interest in the marriage and family, and all the things that I loved about life.

Audio description: David looks at his wedding photo and then a family photo.

David: I became very successful quickly. I met a great woman. We got married, had two daughters, had a bunch of knee surgeries done, and I took two pills and I said, whoa.

Audio description: David walks outside.

David: It was probably after the second or third prescription, I realized that I’m taking more. In the beginning, I didn’t see any problem with it at all. Business is rolling. I’m just kicking butt. Life is great. I got this. If I want to quit, I’m going to quit.

Audio description: David stands on a bridge and looks out at the view.

David: People didn’t know that I was using at first. I often thought, if I’m successful, I can do as much as I want when I want. I’m still producing at work. I’m still doing all the things. I’m functioning. A year and a half to two years into the pills, my behaviors obviously began to change. I was present, but I wasn’t there.

Audio description: David looks at old family photos.

David: I started thinking about getting high, just waiting for time to pass by. It began to really become a problem. Eventually, my whole life began to unravel.

Audio description: David looks at old family photos.

David: I woke up one day, and I had been taking an insane amount of opioids a day. I realized, at that time, I needed help. One of the women that were working for me said, I’m concerned. I need you to go into a facility. When we’re going through that, we think it’s impossible to recover. We think the pain is so insurmountable that we can’t get through this, but we have to remember, there’s a beginning, a middle, and an end to this pain.

Audio description: David stands on a bridge and looks out at the view.

David: You don’t have to do this alone. We know that addiction is a disease of isolation and loneliness, and the only way to overcome that isolation and loneliness is to work with somebody else who’s gone through this. And that’s what it’s about. Because when I was going through this, there was people in there helping me, telling me, it’s going to be okay. You will get through this. You will survive. I met some of the greatest people that gave me something I hadn’t had, a small piece of hope that I could do this.

Audio description: David embraces his family.

David: I was looking for the way I wanted to feel today by doing all these prescription opioids. And if you’re struggling, yes, there is a way out. You don’t have to do this alone. We do it shoulder to shoulder, arm in arm.

Audio description: David walks outside holding hands with his family.

David: Anybody who is willing to do the work is going to get rewards out of life they never imagined.

Narrator: If you or someone you know is struggling, there is hope. Recovery is possible.

On-screen text: There is hope. Recovery is possible. cdc.gov/RxAwareness.