How to Balance Pain Management and Addiction Awareness
How to Balance Pain Management and Addiction Awareness
Prescription pain medications are becoming popular and mainstream as a multitude of celebrities is beginning to appear on news networks for their various drug addictions. In addition to celebrities, many everyday citizens are crippled by pain management and addiction. Despite the fact prescription drug addiction is as common as the flu, there are several misunderstandings concerning patients dealing with actual pain. Many doctors are reluctant to prescribe narcotic painkillers fearing that the patients will have irreversible addictions to the drugs. There is a very thin line between responsible pain management and prescription painkiller addiction.
What is Drug Addiction?
Opioids expose patients to a very intoxicating and euphoric high when taken orally or injected in high doses. In addition to this, opioids are powerful anxiety relievers, making it both therapeutic as well as recreational when abused. All of the facts above contribute to the reason why narcotic painkillers are some of the most widely abused drugs in the United States.
Although terms like “drug addiction,” “opioid abuse,” “drug abuse,” and “drug dependence” are similar, experts define it as the deliberate use of a drug or medicine for a purpose outside of the doctor’s prescription. The human body develops a tolerance to a drug once higher doses are required to achieve the same effect. Once the body develops a tolerance, drug dependence begins. When the body doesn’t have access to these drugs, physiological side effects occur such as sweating, diarrhea, and restlessness. In addition to the physiological aspects of addiction, psychological issues include constant craving and unsafe drug seeking.
Drug Withdrawal
Withdrawing from a narcotic painkiller addiction is tough. After developing physical dependence, opioid abusers often take more of the same drug to achieve the same effect. Once the supply of narcotics is cut off, and the patient no longer has access, it is very likely that they will experience debilitating withdrawal symptoms.
- Irritability
- Increased anxiety
- Rapid breathing
- Intense cravings for the drug
- Uncontrollable yawning
- Runny nose
- Salivation
- Muscle aches
- Goose-flesh
- Nasal congestion
- Vomiting, diarrhea
- Sweating
- Enlarged pupils
- Tremors
- Abdominal cramping
- Loss of appetite
Although these symptoms are not life-threatening, they are agonizing to go through and make the drug seeker only increase their efforts in obtaining their drug of choice. The severity of these withdrawal symptoms depends on how long and how much of the drug the user typically abuses.
Finding the Right Balance
In most cases, patients who follow the doctor’s instructions will not become dependent on their prescription painkillers and pain management, and addiction will not become a problem. Because the abuse potential is so high, however, it is important to request narcotics only if the pain you are suffering is unbearable. Patients often ask opioid painkillers even if the injury they sustained is minor and passes with time. To avoid addiction, one must remove all temptation to abuse drugs, which includes avoiding prescription strength painkillers. Before making an appointment with the doctor, try over-the-counter painkillers like acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Advil). These analgesics are still very powerful and don’t have the abuse potential of Vicodin or Percocet.
Inpatient Treatment for Pain Management and Addiction
If you are already going through drug dependency, several resources are available to help you combat your illness. Visit a drug rehabilitation center with the support of family and friends. Detoxing on your own is not recommended, as relapse is very common. Once admitted to a rehab center, you will have the assistance from staff members to combat crippling withdrawal symptoms. There is help for everyone facing a drug problem. If you know someone who is struggling with pain management and addiction, give us a call today.
