With nearly 30 percent of adults in the United States living with chronic pain, it only makes sense that many will also need the help of prescription medication to manage the pain.
If you are utilizing pain medication to help you cope with your chronic pain, it is important to know how to tell the difference between appropriate use and potential abuse of the medication. To that end, here are some signs that you may be becoming addicted to your pain medication:
- You frequently think about the medication, the next time you can take it and whether or not you have a large enough supply.
- You take larger doses than what was prescribed or you take the medication more frequently than prescribed, possibly even justifying it by telling yourself the doctor does not understand your level of pain or convincing yourself that you can take it “as needed”.
- You are going from one doctor to another in an effort to get more of the same medication.
- You are dishonest with your doctor in order to get more of the medication (i.e. claiming to have lost your medication and, therefore, being in need of an early refill).
- You purchase additional medication from alternative sources, such as buying medication on the Internet, taking medication from sick friends and relatives, buying medication from other people, stealing prescription pads to write your own prescription or buying drugs on the street.
- You intentionally hurt yourself so you can go to the emergency room and get a new prescription.
If you recognize any of these signs in yourself, it may be time to seek treatment. Contact us at Advanced Spine & Rehab to learn more about our suboxone-based treatment program.