The Dangers of Painkiller Addiction

All of us would have used pain killers at some time or the other in our lives. In fact, pain killers are among the most commonly used medication all over the world. Generally the choice will be between an aspirin or Paracetamol or one of the NSAIDs. Occasionally, for those of us with very severe pain or for those suffering from a terminal illness and the associated pain, narcotics may be prescribed.

Narcotics act directly at the pain processing parts of the body and modify our response to pain. So we may feel the sensation but we will not be affected by it. This class of drugs is very potent in this respect. Consequently, a few patients become used to the apparent disconnect produced by these drugs and start using them even when the pain is not there. This becomes the painkiller addiction – an unfortunate outcome of using this particular class of medicines.

As time passes, such an addicted person becomes dependant on that particular drug and without it, becomes irritable and unsociable. This consequently leads to errors in judgment, issues with social skills, work place problems and finally social mal-adjustment. The severity of these changes in behavior will depend on the specific drug. Some drugs in the class, like morphine and meperidine are quite powerful, but others like buprenorphine or tramadol do not cause as much dependence. In fact, drugs having properties similar to the latter two are helpful in the process of de-addiction.

Fortunately, while a pain killer addiction can have serious long term consequences, there are several effective ways to get free of the habit. Common treatment stages include counseling, certain drugs, support groups, and behavioral therapy techniques. Using such therapeutic methods in a balanced way increases the chance of successful rehabilitation.

Like any addiction, the best possible time for getting de-addicted is before forming the habit – in other words, never get addicted at all! Hence the narcotics, as a class is restricted for use only by doctors duly licensed to prescribe them. Furthermore, measures to educate people, including patients and their relatives about the nature of the drugs and the unfavorable effects if taken without proper guidance and indication, will go a long way in decreasing the personal burden and stigma at the individual level and the healthcare costs at the national level.