If you’ve recently undergone a surgery or endured another event that requires the use of prescription painkillers, it is important to be aware of just how addictive those little pills are. While doctors write scripts for painkillers on a regular basis, these pills can wreak havoc on lives. They can even kill.
How Painkiller Addiction Starts
The use of pain killers usually starts innocently enough. Most people suffer an injury at work and need corrective surgery or need a dental procedure. Their doctor prescribes them painkillers to help them make it through the pain caused by the operation. The patient takes these painkillers in the aftermath of his surgery and oftentimes gets a refill. Unfortunately, many patients continue to seek the high provided by painkillers long after they’ve recovered from surgery. It is very easy to get hooked. Painkillers interact with the brain’s receptors and drastically reduce pain perception. They provide feelings of ecstasy that are followed by dysphoria. There is no doubt that these pills are incredibly addictive and dangerous.
Signs of Prescription Painkiller Addiction
There are several signs that indicate addiction to painkillers. An individual addicted to painkillers will often exhibit significant behavioral changes like a loss of interest in friends, family, responsibilities, work, and sex. Just about everything becomes less important once an individual becomes addicted to painkillers. An addict craves pain pills day and night and is unable to stop swallowing them even when they cause harm. Another telltale sign of painkiller addiction is doctor shopping. This means that the addict obtains multiple prescriptions for his painkillers from several different doctors.
How to Prevent Painkiller Addiction
Those who are prescribed pain killers should be aware that these drugs are not only addictive, but they can also slow breathing and even result in death if too many are consumed. The risk of death is heightened when the patient combines pain killers with alcohol.
While it might seem like it is difficult to avoid an addiction to pain killers because they make people feel so euphoric, if one approaches them with caution, they can be used in a responsible manner. Those who suffer injuries and require pain pills to help with the pain should consume only the number of pills in the specific time span advised by the doctor. The patient should also strive to avoid obtaining a refill of his pain medication if at all possible. By limiting the amount of pain pills that one consumes, that person will improve the likelihood that they’ll be able to taper off taking them without enduring withdrawal symptoms.