Define an "Addict"

What is your definition of an addict?  Is it a person that takes them just for the high?  What about the person who has to have them to function during daily life?  

I sometimes get frustrated at the "Holier than thou" attitude some members have in this forum.  While I find their advice to be fantastic I also find that they can be somewhat abrasive.  It is difficult to judge a person's tone when reading a post which is why I would encourage restraint when someone is asking a pain pill question.  

Yes...I realize that there are some that are looking for an excuse to use and those people are easily spotted. I tried to quit for about the 10th time this week and made one day.  I take hydros for several pain related issues and these issues wont go away without surgery and I'm not able to pay for that just now.  I take 1-2 5/500 hydros and that seems to do the trick for a few hours which is all I need.  I cant take any OTC pain meds to stomach and colon problmes so my options are quite limited.  There are millions of people just like me out there.

I'm anxioius to read some replys.

[bettie1976]

i started taking them for the high when i was 21. never got hooked then but then had some serious medical issues come up (surgeries etc) that gave me an EXCUSE to get high. I finally took care of my main health issue that was causing me pain (hysterectomy) to end all that. Yet I still got them from friends. I finally had enuf and went to detox a month ago. My ex (the one who supplied me the pills) used to call everyday and I would too. Back then. Not a word from him for weeks til today, I just rejected his call. All he wants is sex and its sickening to me what I did to get those pills.

[bettie1976]

[serenityandgrace]

i do believe their are people who legitamitly need pain pills-otherwise they would'nt make them.there are ways to tell you are an addict .my life revolved around pills.i was taking 40 10mg pills a day.i lied,i stole,i did whatever to get my pills.i woke up in the morning and went straight to get a drink to take them.i went to bed everynight thinking about if i had enough for tommorow and if not what was my plan to get some.i ate only right before bed so i would'nt mess up my high.i did't care about anyone or anything but my pills.i could go on but u get my point basicly if you think your an addict if the pills are having a negative effect on your life you probally are.-jenn

[SlymJim]

I find my situation pretty close to serenityandgrace's, but my definition of an addict is a bit simpler....I would say I became an addict when I decided that things were better for me when I was high, instead of taking them to relieve myself, I was taking them to be normal. That was when it started.

Now I've been hooked and trying to get off of them and everywhere I go, I feel like Im being treated as a criminal for having this problem.

Just the same, ask any question you like. Talking and conversing about our problems  is what helps us heal them.

[beachtowel]

Very good post,

I think it is broken down into two categories:
Addiction or Dependency..........

There very close but with distinct differences..........

Take the most common narcotic out there right now the 80mg Oxycotin..........
If you have a serious injury or severe pain you may need them......
but an addict will do something very different....he or she will probably crush the pill and snort it........

Some people start out innocent and take narcotics for legitamate reasons but lets say you herniate a disc in your back does that mean you will take the narcotics for years...........
Recently playing golf I felt a pop in my back the pain was horrible I was taken directly to the hospital by my friends and was given dilaudid by IV......
I would not except a script hours later when I left and haven't wanted one since......
I am taking care of it with doctors and I wear a Lidocane 5% patch everyday when I get up........

That is very different from my previous back injures where I started taking narcotic pain pills and never stopped.......
It has been five weeks now and the pain is ok, I can deal with it........
My addiction in me many times wanted me to call the doctor and get a script but thank god for my clean time and N/A friends fought it off..........
Pain is a great justification to use and use and use and use..........

I thank the lord above for the strength to fight off my old cravings and not loose focus on my goals and take care of my back responsibility........

But I do agree not everyone who takes narcotic pain pills everyday is an addict they may just be dependent on the drugs.........
But my feelings towards Methadone for pain is very different.........that drug was not intended to treat pain and never was...........

Good post......

[beach777]

I think the standard definition I hear about addiction is continuing drug use in spite of obvious negative consequences. If you have true medical pain and take narcotics as directed by a knowledgeable reasonable medical professional then you may develop a dependence but not an addiction per se.......now snorting/shooting oxys is prima facie evidence of addiction. lol.....also taking 20 when you're prescribed 2 is probably also conclusive proof of addiction. I'm a strong proponent of narcotic pain medication for those that need it, even though I personally abused them for no real pain whatsoever and no "high" for a long time. Crazy.  I just counted. I've been totally clean (c/t from major oxy use) for 40 days.....other than a couple of days, it's been a cake walk. I was lucky. No cravings and zero pills and residual problems after the first 3 days.....again. lucky.

[beachtowel]

whats up you stole half my ID ,,,

I agree with everything except the part about being lucky with the W/Ds......