Pain pill addiction is becoming an epidemic among all segments of society but especially among teenagers. While illicit drug use (like marijuana, coke, etc.) is going down, prescription drug use is on the rise. This type of drug is extremely addictive when it is taken without proper medical supervision. Sometimes the problem begins after someone is given a pain pill prescription by their doctor after an injury or surgery and then they begin to take them outside of the doctor’s recommended dosing instructions.

What Is Addiction?

Addiction to any substance means that the individual feels that they cannot get by without the substance and they “have to have it.� At times it actually involves a chemical dependence on the substance whether it is alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, or a pain pill. Those who suffer from addiction often feel trapped by their situation and feel that there is no way out, or they may even enjoy the way that they feel on the addictive substance and do not want to give it up.

Follow Directions

If you are facing surgery or your doctor has recommended that you take some type of pain medication you may have concerns about addiction-particularly if you have had problems with it in the past, or if you have a family history of addiction. Feel free to discuss this with your doctor and to examine your choices of pain pill medication. While going without pain medication may not be an option, you may have options as far as how much you take, what you take and how long you take it. If you take a pain pill the way that your doctor prescribes you will probably not have any problems with addiction.

Common Pain Medications:

Some of the common pain medications include: Codeine, Demerol, Hydrocodone, Vicodin, Dilaudid, OxyContin, and morphine. They work by blocking the pain receptors in the brain. Some of the most addictive are those that contain an ingredient that is derived from opium and are in a class called opioids. If the pain pill that your doctor recommends is in this class of drugs you may want to ask about precautions that you can take to avoid addiction, or if there are any alternative drugs you can take.

If you are in pain, whether from surgery or from an injury or any other chronic condition, it may be necessary for you to take a pain pill. But you don’t have to become addicted. Talk to your doctor to make the best choice.

By Margarette Tustle. Read more pill resources at flpill.com

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