Prescription painkillers are being abused at high levels right now but law enforcement, government agencies, and physicians are being challenged with how to deal with the issue of painkiller use. What they are not discussing is why people are using the pills to manage pain and how answering this question can transform the war on opiate addiction. Nothing New There is nothing new about addiction or pain. Drug laws were created as a response to non-medical use of opiates which just happen to be highly addictive as well as painkillers. People who start using the drugs for numbing pain may also find they cannot stop using the drugs and struggle to heal. What people are talking about much less is why people take them and what is is like to experience pain which needs drugs to ease the symptoms. Often people take the drugs in secret, worried about what others might think and struggling in the shadows with both pain and medication. Problem of Pain Fentanyl and OxyContin are both sought after drugs on the market for people needing pain relief. They also produce a high, and the prevalence and potency of the drugs came out of medical necessity. Pain must be treated but the first approach is to mask it with painkillers. This initial response became a major strategy, and one which makes huge drug companies money off the medication. The critical question being left on the table right now lies beyond the biology of pain and more in the sociology. Why is it people are seeking pain relief? There is no good answer to the question of the problem of pain. People are turning to the drug even when not numbing physical pain, rather to seek solace from a pill to cure mental and physiological ills. To reduce addiction to opiates, it is important to address proper pain management, and the reason people seek relief in the first place. Pain can be debilitating but it can lead people down a path they would not otherwise choose. When someone is suffering and cannot get legal access to pain medication that can help or doctors fear someone will become addicted, what are the options? A broader strategy is needed to better address ways of supporting someone in pain while managing their prescriptions to either avoid addiction or notice the signs and provide help before it gets out of hand.
We provide the help and support you need to break through addiction to painkillers and move forward in life. We will give you an individualized plan with support from staff with excellent programs designed to help you navigate recovery one day at a time. Call us to find out how our individualized programs can help you progress in recovery. 877-279-1777
