I almost lost it all to prescription drugs, says Telford woman, 36

Now the ex-student nurse wants to share her experiences and says the problems wrecked her life, taking her to death's door, before she finally started on the slow road to recovery.

The story of how her addiction spiralled out of control mirrors the storyline in BBC hospital drama series Casualty where a character finds himself stealing painkillers from the ward and from patients.

Ten years ago Miss Vernon, of Telford, says she was living a normal family life in Hampshire.

• Anyone can become addicted to painkillers – but there is help out there.

• The national charity Action on Addiction said that opiates like codeine that are used to treat pain and anti-depressants are the most commonly abused prescription drugs.

• Codeine, if taken regularly over a period of time, can produce physical dependence that will result in withdrawal symptoms when you stop.

• TACT is open Mondays to Fridays from 9am to 5pm is available by phoning (01952) 249488 and by emailing info@tacteam.org.uk

She said: "It brought me to my knees, robbed me of my marriage, my home, my relationships and my nursing career. All because I hurt my neck about 10 years ago and needed painkillers. I was never warned of the real danger of these painkillers and years later I've ended up in rehab alone and everything I worked for gone.

"I started on prescribed opiates and ended up taking almost everything and anything including abuse of over the counter medications that contained codeine. Later on, during my addiction, it became my daily routine to visit pharmacies to get supplies.

"I want my story out there to raise awareness and encourage other people to get help before it's too late.

"I've seen the darkness of addiction and it's hell. And all I want is for something good to come out of my own personal drug addiction."

Miss Vernon said she wants to get the message across that becoming an addict can happen to anyone. The recent death of Prince has highlighted the danger that can come with prescription drugs and she says everyone should be aware.

She said: "When I was a teenager and up until my early 20s I had a good life. I was a normal girl. I never used drugs.

"When I got married I moved to Portsmouth. I had a good job and went to college to improve myself and started my nursing training. Then about 10 years ago I hurt my neck. I was a care co-ordinator looking after a gentleman with complex care needs who was living in his own home.

"I must have over-stretched while looking after him and as a result I suffered neck strain. I woke up one morning and I could barely raise my head off my pillow. I never used to take any pain relief tablets for ailments, but this particular time I thought I would go to the doctor and get some because I couldn't move my neck properly and it was painful.

"I was prescribed co-codamol and diazepam. The injury caused acute pain, but healed quite quickly within about a week. But I went back and forth to the doctors and got a repeat prescription for co-codamol. I did manage a couple of times to get diazepam telling them I had anxiety.

"The health services are stricter these days and it has become harder for people to just simply ask and get them nowadays from a GP. There is more awareness now that drugs are being abused.

"Most people who use opiate painkillers, like tramadol, use them perfectly fine and never go on to abuse them, but unfortunately a few people like myself do.

"It was a slow decline. Diazepam and codeine gave me a nice feeling. I felt good, but I didn't give it a second thought at the time. I was very naive about it all even though I was working in the healthcare system. I wasn't told about the potential dangers when I was given the first prescription. Even though the pain had gone I was taking more and more medication. I was going to see different doctors to try and get prescriptions.

"Then I found myself in a position where I had access to drugs. It might sound bad, but I would describe it as like being in a sweet shop. At that point my habit escalated and I lost all self-control. I was taking codeine, tramadol, diazepam, anything I could get my hands on. It was awful. From the moment I woke up in the morning it was the first thing I thought of until I went to bed at night pretty much.

"You are chasing that same effect that you had when you first taking these drugs."

Miss Vernon says that eventually people around her noticed that something was not right and her marriage broke down in 2010.

"When I split up with my husband it wasn't all to due to my addiction. Friends saw that my personality had completely changed and I had wasn't bright and bubbly any more. Everything I did and thought of was getting more tablets and that changed me.

My marriage finally broke down and I was in denial. I stayed with a friend and they found my stash of tablets and sent me to see my GP who referred me to a counselling group. But although I sat listening to the other people talking about how they too had lost jobs, homes and marriages, it didn't click that that was my story as well. I thought 'well I'm okay. I haven't lost anything'."

She explained that when she started to buy painkillers over the counter it was costing her up to £12 per day.

She first entered rehab in 2012 after falling seriously ill with a stomach bleed and thrush. After a brief period of recovery Rachel again succumbed to the habit.

But late last year she returned to live, in Briarwood, Telford, with her parents, and since then has been attending Telford Aftercare Team (TACT) where the staff are helping her to overcome the problems. The centre in Queen Street, Wellington, helps residents with their ongoing recovery from using drugs or alcohol.

"Things are going good," she said. "I am clean, but it's a case of taking life one day at a time. It's not been easy, but because TACT is here I have got somewhere to go and get support.

"By going public I hope to raise awareness that prescription drug and over the counter drug addiction is no different from being on hard drugs, such as cocaine and heroin. The effects on your life are similar and if my story can help just one person to stop them from going down the wrong path then I will have done the job."