Pain Killer Addiction Or Physical Dependence? Can You Quit Pain Killers Now? – Nurse's Guide
If you’re currently taking prescription pain killers for pain or are taking them for other reasons you may have come to the point where you think you may be addicted to them. Many people assume they’re addicted and don’t know that they may have a physical dependence instead. A physical dependence is not an addiction and can be more easily stopped. An addiction to prescription pain killers is a totally different issue and it too can be stopped but will take a different approach.
You may have innocently started taking pain killers for a chronic pain problem or pain relief following surgery and soon realized you were hooked. This may be just be a physical dependence as I mentioned and it’s important that you know the difference.
There are many names for prescription pain killer addictions including opiate dependency, opiate addiction, narcotic dependency, narcotic addiction or painkiller dependency. But they all generally refer to an addiction to narcotic painkillers. These narcotics include OxyContin, oxycodone, Dilaudid, Demerol and morphine.
If you’re addicted to painkillers know that you can get off them. Thousands of people have quit pain killers and are leading normal lives. As time goes by more and more research and improvements in treatment approaches have helped people who are addicted.
Categories: Drug Abuse Tags: addicted, Addiction, chronic pain problem, pain killers, physical dependence
