First, I'm not saying that getting high is bad, or good. I'm just observing that this particular parent likes to get high, and I don't find that newsworthy.
Whether I consider taking a prescribed medication "getting high" depends on the dose and the use-case.
Vicodin contains an opioid, so if you are not in pain but take it, you will get high. Actually, its codeine derivative is variably metabolized so you may not get high (or pain relief, for that matter).
Xanax (alprazolam) is a benzo, whose effects are similar to alcohol. I don't think most people would consider this a "high", whether or not for therapeutic purposes.
Ritalin (methylphenidate) is a stimulant; people do use it to get high, sometimes even people who are prescribed it for a real medical problem.
The 'high' is a side effect of many medical therapies that we'd like to get rid of, if possible, to improve our ability to help people without the scourges of addiction and abuse. The same is true of marijuana, for some uses; for this particular person's use, however, the goal is to get high.
Whether I consider taking a prescribed medication "getting high" depends on the dose and the use-case.
Vicodin contains an opioid, so if you are not in pain but take it, you will get high. Actually, its codeine derivative is variably metabolized so you may not get high (or pain relief, for that matter).
Xanax (alprazolam) is a benzo, whose effects are similar to alcohol. I don't think most people would consider this a "high", whether or not for therapeutic purposes.
Ritalin (methylphenidate) is a stimulant; people do use it to get high, sometimes even people who are prescribed it for a real medical problem.
The 'high' is a side effect of many medical therapies that we'd like to get rid of, if possible, to improve our ability to help people without the scourges of addiction and abuse. The same is true of marijuana, for some uses; for this particular person's use, however, the goal is to get high.