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American Morning

Interview of Elizabeth Wurtzel, "More, Now, Again"

Aired January 16, 2002 - 09:49   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Well, just last hour, we told you about a new study that reveals how Americans are over-medicating themselves with over-the-counter drugs, but abuse of prescription medicine is also a major problem in this country. In many cases, the drugs are used to help fight depression, drugs like Ritalin.

It is a subject our next guest is painfully familiar with. In an attempt to fight a bout with depression, author Elizabeth Wurtzel became addicted to Ritalin, and it is the subject of her new book, called "More, Now, Again: Memoir of Addiction."

Elizabeth Wurtzel joins me now -- thanks very much about being with us.

ELIZABETH WURTZEL, AUTHOR OF "MORE, NOW, AGAIN": Thank you.

COOPER: I've got to tell you, I was really dubious about reading this book when -- you know, I'm actually not big on sort of, like, recovery books and stuff, but I've read the book, and it is actually -- I mean, it's really, really well written, and the story is incredibly strong, too.

WURTZEL: I mean, first and foremost, I am a writer, and if I didn't think it was a -- you know, a good story to -- in and of itself, I wouldn't have written it.

COOPER: What do you want people to get out of the book?

WURTZEL: I think two things. I hope that even people who have not had these problems at all can read it and just, you know, enjoy it. Maybe that's not quite the right word.

But I also do think that there has not since the 70's, when "I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can" came out, which sort of revealed to people that Valium, which now we all know is addictive, could ruin your life. I don't think people are -- were -- know even about this.

COOPER: Did you know Ritalin was addictive when you were prescribed it?

WURTZEL: No idea. If I -- I think had I known what I know now, I might have been a lot more careful. I was certainly -- I've used, you know, street drugs, and I was much more careful with those because I knew they were dangerous. COOPER: You were prescribed Ritalin by a doctor in pill form, and then you started crushing the pills and inhaling -- snorting, and that's actually how you became addicted, right?

WURTZEL: Right, and I mean it seems -- I mean, incredibly -- I at the time, and even now, I thought well, wow, I must be the only person who has thought of this, but it turned out as I found out later that this is very commonly done by college students and high school...

COOPER: Yeah, a lot of teenagers do it.

WURTZEL: Yeah, who are still on Ritalin after having been put on it as children.

COOPER: What surprised me is how easy it was to become addicted to Ritalin.

WURTZEL: It -- it really is. I think because I thought it was safe, I thought well, if I take two pills when I'm supposed to take one, that's not so bad. And before you know it, it turns into eight pills, then 16, then I was eventually taking 40 a day.

COOPER: Ritalin is -- I mean, it does help many people. It is prescribed for a lot of children who have ADD, right?

WURTZEL: I think it is a very useful drug when prescribed normally and taken normally. I don't have any -- I mean, this is certainly what happened to me and what has happened to many people, but I don't think it's categorically bad.

COOPER: And the process of getting off Ritalin was, as you say, very difficult.

WURTZEL: Really difficult. I mean, I was in the hospital for four months. I mean, people can't believe that this is -- this really was something that was given to me under the -- with the best of intentions, and it really turned into a huge addiction that eventually extended to other drugs also.

But, I think as I said, had I had the information now that I -- you know, then that I have now, I would have been much more careful. You know, who thinks, you know.

COOPER: Elizabeth Wurtzel, that is all the time we have this morning, but the book is really, really, strong. I really appreciate you coming in and telling us your story.

WURTZEL: Well, thank you.

COOPER: All right.

WURTZEL: Okay.

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