Painkillers, or prescription pain medication, are a vital treatment option after a serious injury or disease. Yet, many of the medications used to treat pain also are highly addictive, putting patients at risk. Painkiller addiction can happen for multiple releases. If you are addicted to painkillers, reach out for help from a detox center near you.
How Does Painkiller Addiction Occur?
A pill addiction like this can occur from the misuse of prescription medications. For many, this happens by overusing their own prescription. However, it can also occur if a person uses some else’s prescription. Many of these medications are opioids. These drugs interact with and stimulate the pleasure center of the brain. As a result, the brain continues to seek out these drugs on a compulsive level to feel the same euphoria. Over time, this leads to dependence, a situation where a person is unable to stop using the drugs without professional treatment.
What Types of Drugs Can Form a Painkiller Addiction?
There are many medications that can be used to treat pain. Some of them are more addictive than others. The most common painkiller addictions occur from drugs such as these:
- Codeine – Often used to treat mild to moderate pain and coughing but tends to be less potent than other forms. It is a commonly abused drug by younger adults, it is combined with sugary drinks, and labeled sizzurp or purple drank.
- Dilaudid – Used to provide powerful pain relief and is often given only in a hospital setting or through extended-release forms. Overuse can cause difficulty breathing and sudden death.
- Fentanyl – 100 times more potent than morphine, it is only used in the most severe cases of pain relief. Overused, it can lead to overdose.
- Morphine – Often used as a treatment for severe chronic pain, this drug is highly addictive and often associated with drug-related deaths due to unintentional overdose.
- Hydrocodone – A common ingredient in painkillers like Vicodin, it is often combined with acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
- Methadone – A moderate type of pain medication often used to help people avoid the side effects of drug withdrawal from drugs such as heroin.
- Oxycodone – Often known by the brand names Percocet or OxyContin, this drug is widely prescribed for various types of pain and is highly abused as a result.
What to Do If You Have a Painkiller Addiction
Do you suffer from a painkiller addiction or another drug addiction? You may if you are using more of these drugs than prescribed to you. If you are using a prescription not written for you, abuse of these drugs is highly common.
A key indication of addiction is to consider what occurs when you stop taking the drug for a bit of time. Do you feel withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, insomnia, nausea, and pain? If so, that could indicate addiction is present.
If you believe you have a drug addiction like this, it’s important to take action. It will worsen over time as your body becomes accustomed to the drug, and you need to take more. This also increases the risk of overdose. Even if you’re unsure if you have a true addiction or if you just need to use your pain medications, reach out to our team at Midwest Detox Center to learn how we can help. We offer programs such as these to help you:
- Women’s drug rehab program
- Men’s drug rehab program
- Medication-assisted treatment
- Residential drug treatment programs
- Medical detox programs
Overcome Your Addiction at Midwest Detox Center
If you are struggling with a painkiller addiction in Ohio, our team can help. The sooner you reach out to learn the resources and tools we can offer, the faster you reclaim your future. Learn more about Midwest Detox Center when you reach out to us online or call 833.647.0392 for a consultation.
