Have you become dependent on prescription pain killers or other medication?

The compulsion to use drugs and/or drink can take over an individual’s
life. Addiction involves not only compulsive drug taking but also a wide
range of dysfunctional behaviors. Addiction leaves people and their loved
ones at increased risk for a wide variety of illnesses. These illnesses can be
brought on by the addicts’ behaviors, or because of toxic effects of the drugs
themselves.

The difference between a person with opioid addiction and a person who is
dependent on opioids for chronic pain is simple. The opioid-dependent person
with chronic pain has improved function with his use of the drugs and the
person with opioid addiction does not.

Addiction is a biological and psychological condition that compels a person
to satisfy their need for a particular stimulus and to keep satisfying it, no
matter what.

It is a compulsive behavior that demands more and more drugs, regardless
of the consequences that lead to dysfunction. A person who is addicted to
opioids has a disease that undermines optimal function and drives one to
compulsively use a drug, despite the negative consequences.

A person in pain who is effectively treated with opioids finds life restored-
even if he or she is dependent on them. With the pain muted by stable and
steady controlled use of long-acting opioids, a person can reclaim his or her
life, go back to work, return to family life, and pursue favorite pastimes.

However, dependence is a physical state that occurs when the lack of a drug
causes the body to have a reaction. Physical dependence is solely a physical
state indicating that the body has grown so adapted to having the drug
present that sudden removal of it will lead to negative consequences such as
a withdrawal reaction. This can occur with almost any kind of drug.

Addictive Pain Medications

Opioids, a family of drugs that have effects similar to those of opium or
morphine, can be addictive. They include:

Codeine
Oxycodone (including brand name OxyContin)
Morphine (including brand name MS Contin)
Meperidine (including brand name Demerol)
Hydrocodine (including brand name Vicodin)

Who Is at Risk for Addiction?

Many people who take their pain medicine as directed by their doctor do not
become addicted, even if they take the medicine for a long time. However,
some people may be at a higher risk of becoming addicted than others.
People who have been addicted to substances in the past or those with a
family member(s) who are or have been addicted to drugs or alcohol may be
at increased risk of becoming addicted to narcotics.