Chronic Pain Prescription Addiction

In the past decade or so, sales of prescription painkillers, especially those including oxycodone and hyrdrocodone, have skyrocketed due to the great increase of painkiller abuse and prescription drug addiction. In many cases, patients with chronic pain are prescribed analgesic drugs such as OxyContin,Percocet, or Vicodin to relieve their pain. However, many begin to abuse the drugs, which are easy to become addicted to due to their pleasurable effects and legal availability, among many other reasons.

In 2010, there were nearly 15,000 deaths in the United States from the abuse and overdose of painkillers.Painkiller addiction is a chronic disease and currently a serious matter in the US. Painkillers are analgesics – they are intended to relieve pain. They do so by blocking or interfering with pain signals that are sent to the brain. Prescription drugs such as Vicodin and OxyContin can be very effective in treating chronic pain, and if used properly by the patient they can result in a full recovery and rehabilitation from physical trauma such as an accident or injury.

However prescription drug addiction can easily occur due to the addictive nature of the drugs. There are two types of painkillers – narcotic, which include drugs that must be prescribed by a doctor such as morphine, OxyContin, Vicodin, and Percocet, and non-narcotic, which include over-the-counter medications such as aspirin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen. Narcotics can be split into two categories – opiates, those derived from the opium, or poppy plant, and opioids, those that bond to opioid receptors in the body. Opiates include drugs such as codeine and morphine, and opioids such as OxyContin, Percocet, and Vicodin. The two categories are often grouped together, because of their similar names and also because of their similar effects.

Not only do narcotic painkillers block the pain signals from being sent to the brain, they can also create feelings of euphoria and block out emotional pain. Drugs such as OcyContin, Percocet, and Vicodin also produce relaxation. All of these effects of the drugs can easily lead to painkiller abuse, which can ultimately result in a patient receiving meds becoming a painkiller addict. In addition, all of these prescription painkillers are easily available either with or without a prescription. Since they are legal, it is not difficult to obtain a prescription whether needed or not, and even without a prescription, sales of narcotic painkillers is widespread across the US.

Addiction is a chronic disease, and identifying painkiller addiction can often be difficult. First of all, it is quite easy for someone to build up a tolerance to prescription narcotics, which can eventually lead to a physical dependency on the drug. However, dependence and addiction are not the same thing. Even if someone undergoes withdrawal symptoms when they stop taking the drug, this does not mean they are a painkiller addict. Addiction refers to the continual use of a drug even when it becomes harmful and creates problems in one’s life. Addiction is most common in individuals who are genetically predisposed. If someone or their family has a history of drug and/or alcohol addiction, they are more likely to become an addict themselves.

Since prescription painkillers are used to treat pain, it can often be hard to identify an addict, especially when they are taking pills that are prescribed from a doctor. Unless they are using the drugs recreationally and taking pills while going out and party, it is not that easy to recognize if you or someone else has a prescription drug addiction. Some warning signs of painkiller addiction include the increase of a prescription drug without consulting a doctor and going to multiple doctors to receive additional prescriptions without telling them of what other drugs are being taken.

Prescription drug addiction is a serious matter that affects hundreds of thousands of people every day. Being a painkiller addict can seem like a hopeless and helpless situation, but it is important to remember that if you or anyone you know is suffering from painkiller addiction, the best thing you can do is to seek help from a professional, such as a substance abuse counselor or specialist for advice and information on treatment. There is hope, and there are many options for recovery.

Chronic Pain Prescription Addiction