Understanding Why Painkiller Dependency Occurs

We’ve treated thousands of patients for dependency to painkillers over the past 13 years, and one of the concerns I hear most frequently is how quickly and unexpectedly our patients found themselves unable to stop taking the medication.  Unfortunately, that physical dependnecy and craving leads people to feel unwarranted shame, and they’ll often put off seeking treatment for fear of telling their loved ones.  It’s important for anyone battling a painkiller dependency to understand it’s not their fault and anyone prescribed medication is susceptible.  Some important facts that people should know about painkiller dependency include:

o Dependency to prescription painkillers is often referred to as the fastest rising type of addiction in the country.  It has even surpassed cocaine and marijuana in some communities.
o Two million Americans use prescription opiates every year, making the chance for dependency significant in our population.
o Many prescription painkiller dependencies start with a prescription for traumatic, acute, or chronic pain.  It could be caused by a car accident, sports injury, migraines, arthritis, or a host of other pain sources.  Physical dependency can begin after as little as two weeks, and many people experiencing pain are prescribed medication for at least that long.
o We speak with many patients who felt their doctors overprescribed opiate painkillers to them, and that they weren’t warned properly of the risks.  Focused on eliminating pain, physicians can overlook the long-term consequences of dependency.   Sufferers of dependency then became afraid to alert medical professionals for fear they would be taken off the drugs they’ve now become reliant on.
o In addition to pain from the initial injury, patients start to experience the painful discomfort of withdrawal. The pain has not eased, but intensified. We’ve seen patients whose pain jumped to level 8 or 9 after a year of painkiller use.
o Over time the body becomes tolerant of opiates so higher doses are needed in order to achieve the same effect.  This can causes the dependency to worsen and spiral out of the control of the patient.
o Opiate dependency is a chemical imbalance that requires medical intervention.  It stems from prolonged use of painkillers, and is not a personality flaw.  

One of my goals has always been to erase the stigma associated with prescription drug dependency, and to help educate the public that opiate dependency is a medical condition that should be reversed in a hospital setting by trained physicians, combined with a customized aftercare program.   We need to empower people with the information and resources they need to get help, and spread the word that there is assistance available.