Chronic pain affects over a third of all Americans, and many treat this pain with prescription drugs. Some people fear that taking narcotic pain relievers will lead to addiction. While these drugs are designed to reduce sensitivity to pain, they also create a feeling of euphoria – a feeling some people might crave. If your doctor has prescribed medications to treat your pain and you are taking them as directed, you are less likely to have a problem.
But some people get addicted and there are usually warning signs along the way like these:
1. You think a lot about your medication.
One of the first signs of addiction is that you are preoccupied with two things: when to take your next dose and whether your supplies are enough, says Debra Jay, co-author of Love First: A Guide to Family Interventions.
According to Joe Closet, MSW, co-founder of the Rebound Brooklyn Recovery Center in New York, checking the clock so you can take your next dose can be problematic.
“If it’s fresh dental work and you’re in pain, it makes sense,” he says. But if it takes a while, it is possible that you will become addicted to the medication.
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Dependence and addiction are not the same thing. You can be physically dependent on a drug, but not addicted.
Confused? Here’s the difference. When you are physically dependent on a drug, your body has built a tolerance for it, and you will need higher doses of the drug to get the same effect.
When you’re a drug addict, it’s more than physical, it’s emotional too. The addiction can be linked to uncontrolled behavior. You keep taking the drug even though it is causing you serious problems at work or school, in your family, or in your social life.
2. You are taking different amounts than prescribed by your doctor.
Perhaps you are taking more than you should, or more often than prescribed by your doctor. If you think your doctor doesn’t understand your level of pain, or that you should take it whenever you need it, it may be a warning sign even if not directed by them.
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Are you lengthening the time between doses or decreasing some doses you take so you can take more later? If you’re trying to control how you’re taking your pain medication instead of following your doctor’s instructions, you may have a problem.
“Whenever we’re trying to control things, that can be a really good indication of how out of control we are,” says Wardrobe.
3. You are “doctor shopping”.
Do you go to more than one doctor for the same prescription?
Once you stop working with your doctor and try to find someone to write you another prescription, something may have changed.
Your goal might be to increase your supply of pain medication so that you have as much as you need. But when it doesn’t match your doctor’s instructions, this is cause for concern.
Are you looking for doctors known for their prescriptions or “pill mills”? Did you lie and say you lost your prescription or were dishonest to a doctor about what was already prescribed for you?
“If we say different things to different doctors in order to get medication, that’s a real red flag,” says Wardrobe.
4. You can get pain medication from other sources.
Feel like you don’t have enough medication to relieve your pain and are trying to get more. These types of storage signal the possibility of addiction:
- Order medicines over the Internet.
- Steal other people’s leftovers or forgotten prescription drugs from their medicine cabinets.
- Stealing drugs from a sick relative or friend.
- Buy other people’s prescription drugs.
- Theft of prescription blocks from doctor’s offices and illegal writing of your own prescriptions.
- Injury yourself so you can go to a hospital emergency room and get a new prescription.
- Buying drugs on the street.
5. You have been using pain relievers for a long time.
You probably started taking pain medication because something hurt. According to Closet, if you’re using narcotic pain relievers long after the pain has gone, it’s time to seek help.
Maybe you take them because you like how they make you feel rather than relieve pain. Or maybe you’ve started having physical cravings. Both are signs of a problem.
“Painkillers are supposed to fill a gap or get you through a difficult phase,” says cabinet. “It’s not really intended to maintain or treat chronic pain.”
6. You get angry when someone talks to you about it.
Have your friends or family tried to talk to you about how to take your medication? If you feel defensive or irritated when they approach you, you could be penetrating too deep, Closet says.
In fact, studies show that the level of this anger is not only a sign that you may need treatment, but can also be a predictor of how effective treatment would be.
7. You are not quite yourself.
Maybe you are not taking care of yourself the way you normally do. You are less concerned about your personal hygiene or your appearance.
Or do you feel more moody than usual. Do you feel angry? Have your eating habits changed? Do you feel nervous or nervous?
Changes in sleep are another sign. People who become addicted to drugs like morphine and codeine have been known to sleep away their days, often in locked, dark rooms, Jay says.
Have you withdrawn from your responsibility? Perhaps you stopped paying your bills, neglected housework, or called in sick to work. If you’re ignoring your children, your responsibilities, or life in general, it’s time to seek help, says Jay.
What to do
If you recognize yourself or someone you love by any of these signs, even if you’re not sure if it is an addiction, your next step is to seek help and learn more. Learn more about how to conduct an intervention.
It can be easy to abuse pain medication even if you try not to. “The key is honesty – honesty with doctors, trustworthy friends, addiction specialists, but above all with ourselves,” says closet.
Don’t be afraid to speak to your doctor. They can refer you to a treatment center or an addiction specialist.
Or, you can call a local drug treatment center that has addiction experts trained to spot the signs and give you the help you might need. Look for a center that is certified by the state you live in.
You can also call 800-662-HELP (4357), the US government’s national drug abuse and mental health helpline. It provides free, confidential information and recommendations on substance abuse and mental health.
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