Is the pain real

I just send my (close relative) off to a top named rehab center.
to my shock he called me, more than once, and says he is in great pain where he had surgery months ago.
they don't seem to know if the pain is real pain inside the site or exaggerated pain from withdrawal from opiates and benzos
anyone experienced with this?  I am freaking.  He wants to come home.

[GA Guy]

The addicts mind is a very convincing thing. I have rationalized pain that wasn't there, talked myself into relapse, and had pain that seemed very real..but, was made inside of my addicted mind. The only way to know if the pain is real or not is to detox and see if it continues. To my amazement, 80 percent of mine went away. If he is complaining of after surgery pain, then it should be taken seriously. Are they using Suboxone to detox him? That may be a better way to go.

[chawk47]

I have to agree with GAGUY....He needs to finish rehab/withdrawl to find out if it is real or not. I am on my 41st day and the first couple weeks my pain is what i would call "false"(my mind making me think my legit back issue was acting up) but after those weeks went by i realized that 75-80% was either false or at least greatly exagerated by me coming off the pain meds.. I feel sooo much better (as far as my back pain from surgeries go) and can at least deal with the "REAL" pain i get/have. Really encourage him to gut this out and he will better be able to make conclusions about his pain after a while.

[Beargizmo]

This is a concern I have with my wife who is on 30mgs (tapering down) of oxy/day.. she worries about the pain when she's off the meds and I'm trying to convince her she might find that much of the pain isn't "real".

I also finally convinced her to leave the medical network she's in now and see my
doctor.  Her current doctor has no idea how to help her in the situation she is in.
but that's another story.

Jim

[lurker]

I have found that my ability to perceive pain has been totally altered by my desire to get the narcotic high.  During my taper, and my two days of withdrawal before Suboxone, I really had very little back pain much to my surprise.  Pain is very individual.  Your loved one needs to try really hard to stick with the treatment and he/she will learn to determine real pain versus drug seeking pain.  But remember, in the end, he/she, the addict, has to want to get clean or it won't work.  I cannot stress that enough as an addict.  I had to want it, regardless of how much my loved ones wanted it.  I couldn't quit until I finally realized how much I needed to be off the stuff.  Best of luck to you and your loved one.

[addictedme]

A good way to judge if someones pain is real or not is to give them ways for even temporary relief w/o pills. I"ve had 4 back surgerys over 15 yrs and been in yrs of phys. rehab. I"ve seen tons of people complain about pain but want nothing to do with any kind of relief if its not pills. Thats usually an indicator that its the pills rather then pain thats driving them.