0800 470 0382
It can be difficult to know whether your painkiller use has developed into a painkiller addiction. Especially if you are using prescription painkillers due to a serious injury.
Identifying that you have a painkiller addiction is not always easy, as the average person does not have experience with addiction to know the signs to be on the lookout for.
But you have nothing to worry about. You will be able to find all the information you need, and you will be able to confirm if you have a painkiller addiction and the treatment options available for painkiller abuse.
GET IN TOUCH
Are you suffering from Painkiller Addiction and need help? If so, Rehab Clinics Group are a leading UK based experts in drug rehabilitation treatment. Find out how we can help by getting in touch with our friendly team today. You can either call our confidential helpline on 0800 470 0382 or request a callback by clicking on the below form.
Symptoms of Painkiller Addiction
You can ask yourself some questions to see if you have a painkiller addiction. These can include:
- Do you continue to use a prescribed painkiller even though the pain has subsided?
- Do you use more than the prescribed dose of your painkillers?
- Do you find yourself thinking about painkillers as soon as you wake up and the last thing before you go to sleep?
- Have you gone to multiple doctors and chemists in order to get a prescription for painkillers?
- Have you lied to your doctor or chemist in order to get more painkillers?
- Do you experience increased pain after missing a dose?
- Do you experience drug withdrawal symptoms if you go a day without any painkillers?
Experiencing withdrawal symptoms from painkillers is a definitive sign that you have developed a prescription drug addiction.
It is not uncommon for people to abuse painkillers due to their effects creating a sense of calm and euphoria as they enjoy the high sensation – it is very easy to develop a painkiller addiction because of this.
Another common cause of painkiller abuse is started as a way to deal with a chronic pain condition as normal medication does not help anymore.
Painkiller abuse can change your brain’s chemistry and cause your body to become reliant on painkillers in order to produce the feel-good chemical dopamine.
Health Risks from Painkiller Abuse
It is never good for your health to abuse any drugs, but painkiller addiction, especially, can be very dangerous.
The short-term effects can include:
- Increased drowsiness and tiredness
- Mood swings
- Stomach pain and cramps
- Dry mouth
- Headaches and migraines
- Slow reaction times make driving dangerous
- The potential risk of an overdose
The long-term effects can include:
- Extreme drowsiness
- Difficulty breathing
- Loss of consciousness
- Muscle weakness
- Cold and clammy skin
- Blood pressure issues
- Kidney and heart issues
- Insertional problems
- Chronic constipation
- Worsened pain sensitivity
It is never too late to get help and make a positive change in your life. You can overcome your painkiller addiction. You just have to be willing to put the work into treatment at prescription drug rehab.
Common Painkiller Addictions
Prescription drugs are not always safe, even if prescribed by a doctor. If you take painkillers for long periods of time or in larger doses than prescribed, it is easy for a painkiller addiction to develop as your body becomes more dependent on the drug.
There are a number of painkillers that can result in addiction and abuse, including:
- Morphine
- Codeine (co-codamol)
- Tramadol
- Fentanyl
- Hydrocodone
- Oxycodone (OxyContin)
If you feel like you require rehab treatment for any of these addictions, get in touch today on 0800 470 0382.
Treatments for Painkiller Addiction
You can receive treatment for painkiller addiction through a drug rehab centre.
In a rehab centre, you can receive everything you will need in order to enable you to overcome your addiction.
It is important that you remember that addiction is not something that can be cured. It is instead a condition that you must learn how to manage through a lifestyle change.
You will be taught how to make adaptations to your life so that you can avoid relapsing once you leave the rehab centre as part of your therapy in rehab.
Therapy treatments are a big part of your stay at rehab because painkiller abuse is often a way to mask a deeper problem, such as chronic pain or a mental health issue.
Therapy will help you and your therapist to identify why you abuse painkillers and if you have any triggers for it. Common reasons found are:
- Trauma
- Domestic abuse
- PTSD, Anxiety or depression
- Bipolar disorder
- Homelessness
- Sexual assault
When a person experiences a trigger for trauma, for example, it could be anything that reminds them of the event, such as a certain smell or sound. During therapy, you will learn how to identify what your triggers are so that you can avoid them.
And if you cannot avoid them, how to safely deal with them without resorting to painkiller abuse. This could be through a mindfulness exercise like meditation or calling your sponsor through a local support group.
What matters is that the cause of your painkiller addiction is understood, and the coping mechanisms are healthy. Only then can real progress in improving your mental health and fighting your addiction be made.
What to Expect During Detox
First of all, during your painkiller detox, you can expect to experience withdrawal symptoms as they come with your body trying to withdraw from painkillers.
Detox should never be attempted alone because due to the severe withdrawals that are commonly experienced. Relapse rates are also higher when a home detox has been completed.
Only through medical painkiller detox in a rehab centre will you be safe from the most dangerous symptoms as you will be supervised by the centre’s medical team day and night. In addition, they are there to provide you with medication to relieve the withdrawal symptoms if they prove too much for your body to handle.
The painkiller detox tends to take around ten days to complete, but once it is over, you won’t need to worry about withdrawal symptoms again, and you can safely go the rest of your life without abusing painkillers again.
Aftercare Support and Long-Term Recovery
Aftercare support is an important part of achieving long-term recovery as it can continue to provide you with the help you need after you leave the rehab centre.
Aftercare services are available up to a year after you complete rehab treatment and include follow-up therapy sessions to make sure that you are continuing to make good progress with your mental health.
They also include a personalised relapse prevention plan designed specifically for you and your individual needs. It will contain everything you learnt about managing your addiction during therapy and will help you to avoid giving in to your cravings.
For more information on how rehab can help you with your painkiller addiction, please give us a call at 0800 012 6088.
