Carley DiGiuseppe explores how Dopesick portrays the way that Oxycontin will almost always lead to addiction and can take control of people's lives and destroy everyone and everything around them.
People struggle with the captivating hold of addiction every day, even the smallest amount can grab onto someone and cause great pain and destruction in their life and to those around them. The show Dopesick follows the story of a very addictive drug that is claimed not to be. It is then approved by the FDA and prescribed to patients by doctors. This results in tragedy with many deaths and lives destroyed. In this show, the producers explore the theme of addiction and the dangerous path it takes people on. Viewers get to see firsthand how much of an impact the “non-addictive” painkiller drug had on some people’s lives and communities as a whole. It is presented through the lives of a multitude of characters in the series and shows us the struggles they face and how it negatively affects them as well as the people around them.
It also shows the struggles that small communities had to face as a whole. Although it depends on the person who has prescribed the drug and not everyone abuses it there is a high possibility that if you are prescribed the drug Oxycontin it will lead to a horrific addiction and that will ruin a person's life. Oxycontin and the addiction it causes results in negative effects on people and their everyday lives and Dopesick conveys this message very clearly.
What does the show do for this issue?
The original Hulu show, Dopesick, outlines the start of the OxyContin opioid addiction crisis from several angles. Doctors and patients using the drug, prosecutors and law enforcement trying to hold OxyContin manufacturer Purdue Pharma accountable, and the drugmaker itself. The two main characters are Betsy Mallum and Dr. Samuel Finnix. Betsy represents so many of the people who innocently trusted their doctors only to have their lives ruined. Betsy was a young girl too scared to come out to her parents. She dreamed of a life she could run away to with her secret girlfriend but she hurt her back working in the mines. OxyContin was the medication her doctor prescribed. She then becomes dependent on the drug and this ruins everything she had planned. She puts not only herself but those all around her at risk and this causes many problems that people try to fix but ultimately fail in the end.
Dr. Samuel Finnix represents many of the doctors who were made to believe Oxycontin was less addictive than other opioids. He was one of many who were tricked into believing that the new drug wasn’t addictive like those similar to it before. In a tragic turn of events, he got badly hurt in a car accident, and the ER physician-prescribed OxyContin, and Samuel, too, became an addict. Resulting in his once good life falling to pieces all around him. Not only does it show the effects on individuals it also dives into the negativities the crisis caused on small communities with them drowning in crime and desperation.
What exactly is Oxycontin?
“OxyContin" is the brand name for an opioid analgesic that is prescribed by doctors for chronic moderate to severe pain. It was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in late 1995. Because it can slowly release its active ingredient oxycodone over about twelve hours, it is an effective and efficient medication for the millions of people who suffer from chronic pain each year. OxyContin tablets are produced and manufactured by Purdue Pharma in various strengths ranging from 10mg to 160mg and are specifically developed to be taken orally. It is classified as a Schedule II drug, meaning it has a high potential for abuse and is only available by prescription by a licensed physician.”
The Capture of Betsy Mallum
Many young folks are always looking for ways to escape pain and hardships and Oxycontin takes advantage of that fact when it takes over Besty’s life. In Dopesick we see a young girl in search of a better life for herself and her girlfriend. While doing so she comes across an obstacle, she gets into a mining incident that results in a back injury. She has then prescribed Oxycontin by her doctor. From there everything goes downhill. You see in many episodes throughout the series how she and her family struggle. For example from episodes two through three you can see how just a little bit of Oxy can turn into a lot. It is first shown during a scene where Betsy experiences “breakthrough” pain and so her dosage is increased by her doctor and then she is seen in her car taking more than suggested on her own to make the pain disappear. It is then more developed when they show Betsy throwing the pills away but then later going through unbearable withdrawal symptoms, which then leads her to go back and look for them in the trash. Unfortunately, they aren’t there so the next time she goes to work she is out of it and causes an accident to occur. This results in innocent men getting life-threatening injuries.
Another example is in episode five of Dopesick, it is shown the desperation that dwells in Betsy, she sells her mother’s jewelry, including her wedding ring, for money at a pawnshop. On top of that when the pawnshop owner offers her more money in exchange for sexual favors, she doesn't refuse. Betsy is performing negative acts because of Oxycontin, things she would never have done before. Later on, Betsy is confronted by her father about the stolen jewelry, and this scene shows the heartbreaking realization on Betsy’s parents' faces when they figure out that Betsy is still popping pills and not sober as they thought. The raw depth of addiction is shown in this scene through the erratic behavior of Betsy in her reaction to her father throwing the pills down the drain. She throws her body around and starts shouting hateful words to her parents like “I hope you burn in hell” as if she has no control over herself and her actions. Even if started with good intentions the pull is just too strong and it will cause mishaps to not just the user but to those around them as well.
Even with all the attempts to recover and win the war against addiction, Betsy lost in the end. After hearing that there will be no chance with her previous girlfriend, now ex, Betsy overdosed on some heroin, which she had started taking because of Oxy. It is shown that even with a support system the road to recovery is a hard and long one and it’s not common to make it through to the other side. That is what makes addiction so scary and troublesome. It is a constant fight against the urges to keep trying to “satisfy” the craving Oxycontin gives you.
The Seemingly Impossible Escape
In a surprising turn of events, the series Dopesick decides to show how not only the patients were affected but also the doctor giving them the drug as well. Doctors are supposed to be great heroes, those who can do no wrong and always choose to do the right thing but that is not always the case. Dr. Finnix is a trusted doctor in a small town who prescribes Oxycontin to his patients thinking he is helping them. While unintentionally giving his patients addictions he also gives himself one too.
In episode three of Dopesick, Dr. Finnix is shown getting into a car accident, as a result, he is prescribed Oxycontin to relieve the pain of the four broken ribs he sustained. The show then leads into showing how just the little bit he received from the hospital resulted in him lowering his patient's dosages, it is then revealed that he has been keeping the leftovers for himself hidden in his desk drawer. By showing this to the viewers it is revealed that even doctors are very aware of what is happening and could happen and are at risk of losing control. Dr. Finnix also then figures out a way to get more Oxycontin by going to different hospitals in different states and asking them for it, which they do provide for him. In another scene, he is performing a procedure on one of his patients. It requires him to cut the patient open and while doing so the Oxycontin is affecting his abilities this causes Dr. Finnix makes an error and he then needs to call an ambulance to save his patient. While at the hospital he tries to get more Oxycontin from the ER doctor but this raises suspicion when his assistant brings all his empty pill bottles in.
As a result, although Dr. Finnix beats his addiction, he loses his job and can no longer work in his practice, he loses the job he enjoyed and the patients he loved dearly. His actions and addiction to Oxycontin resulted in terrible consequences for him and those around him.
“I can’t believe how many of them are dead now.”
This quote is said by Dr. Samuel Finnix in the first few seconds of episode one, he is speaking at a hearing in 2005, referring to his patients. It deserves much recognition because this quote shows just how deadly and destructive the drug Oxycontin was to all patients it was prescribed to. Dr. Finnix was “a trusted member of the community” and it was devastating “as it’s him who inadvertently becomes responsible for the spread of Oxycontin in the town” (Burnett, 2021). In Dopesick, Dr. Finnix states “These people, my people, trusted me. I can’t believe how many of them are dead now” and it shows how deeply affected Dr. Finnix was by all the deaths that were caused.
Forming a Connection
Why are the stories of Betsy Mallum and Dr. Samuel Finnix important?
They allow the reader to develop a deep connection to the characters. All the other storylines trying to factually explain what's going on can't fully capture the pain and tragedy caused by Oxycontin. They “don’t convince you the way Sam and Betsy do” (Hale, 2021). With other characters, it’s just facts and statistics being thrown in the viewer's faces, with Betsy and Dr. Finnix you see their struggle with the drug firsthand. You are exposed to their deepest fears, emotions, and difficulties. One can relate to them and put themselves in their shoes and that then results in the viewer seeing how much more likely you are to get addicted and allowing them to get a better understanding of the negative effects caused by that addiction.
You are not only forming a connection with them but with their family and anyone who could be affected by them as well. Seeing how desperate Betsy’s family had become and how they fought so hard to get her better, watching them perform attempt after attempt, just for them to fail in the end develops great empathy for the characters from the viewers. It creates hope and desire for the addict to push through and make it and when they don’t they feel the heartbreak that the families are also experiencing.
Destruction as a Whole
It’s good to analyze focused characters and the little things but also to make sure not to forget about the overall picture and to see things as they are all around. We dive deep into the lives of Betsy and Dr. Finnix and that's for good reason but seeing the negative effects on the community as a whole is just as needed. In episode two of Dopesick, a scene is shown where a boy tries to snatch a woman's purse away, he is then caught and questioned by Bridget Meyer, who is a part of the DEA. During their conversation, it is revealed that about half of the kids at the boy's school were on Oxycontin. It is also reported in the show that “this drug has only been on the market for three years and there’s already been a spike in overdoses and crime rates”. This is a horrible situation because innocent kids' lives are being ruined. They are developing addictions and becoming criminals. It is showing the relation between the drug Oxycontin and the increase in crime rates. Without the drug, there would be no reason for break-ins. Where the drug goes, trouble is sure to follow.
Doesn't a Drug like Oxycontin Help People?
Although many times the drug Oxycontin leads to addiction and painful consequences it does have times where it is unabused and allows the benefits to come through for patients. It is stated that “this controlled substance can improve the quality of life for millions of Americans with debilitating diseases and conditions. It is often prescribed for cancer patients or those with chronic, long-lasting pain” (Hanson, 2002). In the text, “Drug Abuse and Society Oxycontin From Pain Relief to Addiction”, it is also stated by author Brad Lockwood states, how “beneficial” the drug can be to those in “industries like coal mining, lumbar, fishers, and construction workers” (Lockwood, 2007). This is showing that Oxycontin if used correctly, can help rather than destroy. It is also shown throughout the series how it helps the patients, Betsy can return to work to make money and a friend of Dr. Finnix can go bowling again when he thought he never would be able to but all that was good surely didn’t end that way.
Even though it can be controlled and used for good, there's a greater chance of tragedy than there is of harmony. The drug was not used in the way it was meant to and as a result of “alternating Oxycontin to increase its effects” it then “quickly became an epidemic that continues today” (Lockwood, 2007). It has been proven over and over that people are unable to stop themselves from turning a good thing into something bad. They were provided with a drug that was meant to be swallowed and turned into a substance allowed to be snorted. In the end, the bad outweighs the good, and Oxycontin will always result in addiction.
Overall, no matter what is said or what statistics are shown it is obvious that Oxycontin will result in addiction and then a domino effect of horrible events. Pain, sorrow, grief, and any other negative emotions that can be thought of are the result of the overuse of Oxycontin. Even with the right dosage more will always be required. The show Dopesick proves that this drug cannot be used for good constantly. Many have been hurt and still are getting hurt because of this supposed “miracle” drug. Families are torn apart and many people dying or resorting to things they never dreamt of. Oxycontin will destroy lives.
My name is Carley DiGiuseppe, I attend Bloomfield College, I’m from Lansdale, Pennsylvania and I’m majoring in psychology.
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