The Prescription Drug Addiction Epidemic: The Truth About Pain Pill Addiction
92Heroine. Crack. Meth. All some of the hardest narcotics to hit our streets in the history of detrimental drugs. But in more recent years, a new face of narcotics has emerged from behind the scenes...and would you believe it? They're prescribed by doctors and medical professionals on a daily basis! You most likely even know someone or are close with someone who is addicted to prescribed medications...maybe you don't even realize that they are addicted to pills. You will find out soon enough. Prescription drug addicts cannot hide their pill addiction for long, as it slowly but surely eats away at their sanity, their bodies, and their lives.
The Pain Pill Addiction
There is an epidemic sweeping over the nation, the epidemic of prescription pill addiction. This pain pill addiction epidemic is far worse than an epidemic of the flu could ever be...and why? Because pain pill addiction keeps its victims sick for years and years.
Most pain pill addicts begin their run with pain pill addiction simply from being prescribed a pain pill or an anxiety pill for legitimate medical reasons - either they have had a surgery or some other pain that the doctor felt warranted a pain pill prescription for numbing the pain, or the person could not deal with anxiety attacks and Xanax or some other anti-anxiety pill was prescribed. Though some people have gotten addicted to anti-anxiety pills, research suggests that the pain pill addiction is much stronger and wide-spread.
The major issue is that the access to pain pills is so wide open! For example, I know at least two people who had merely gone to the doctor with complaints of random body-aches and the first thing the doctor did was hand over a pain pill prescription for Vicodin! I am no doctor, but it truly makes me wonder where these doctors' intentions are lying. Instead of trying to find a way to relieve the pain naturally, they would rather write out a pain pill prescription and send the patient on their way. I wondered for awhile if doctors actually acquire a kickback or commission of some sort from the pharmaceutical companies in exchange for pushing the pain pill prescriptions on their patients. Upon further investigation, the answer is not so clear (ironically)! Some say that the doctors do not receive any monetary compensation for prescribing certain pain pills, while others claim that doctors receive at least perks from the pharma companies. Perks such as tickets to amusement parks, free meals, gift cards, etc. Strangely enough, I cannot find any solid resources on this theory, though. I guess if doctors are receiving kickbacks, they do not advertise it to many!
So the doctor has prescribed Vicodin or Percocet (or even worse Oxycontin) for your aching knee and hasn't even do an x-ray to examine the real cause behind your achy knee? This seems to happen more than most people even realize. The other very likely beginning to pain pill addiction is the surgery story. You were in a car accident and had to have numerous surgeries and after these surgeries were over and your body was pretty much healed, the use of pain pills continued. The reason for this was the way the pain pills made you feel...and then the lying began. Lying to yourself and lying to your family and friends, and most likely your doctor as well.
At this point, the pain pill addict has become totally dependent on these pain pills and is probably taking more than the prescribed amounts every day. If the addiction is really strong, the person may run out of pain pills and begin to blame others for their missing pills...going as far as saying "the dog must have taken them" or "who stole my pills?" and so forth. Other signs of a pain pill addiction can include the addict falling asleep at sporadic times. This can be especially dangerous if the addict also smokes, as the cigarette can fall from their hands and light the person or their surroundings on fire (yes, this has happened). Depression and anger can also be signs of a pain pill addiction, specifically when the person may have run out of pills and they are experiencing miniature withdrawals. Sickness such as stomach issues, vomiting and diarrhea, are also signs that a person may be addicted to pills and withdrawing between pain pill benders.
I have heard of some pain pill addicts taking up to thirty pills in a day! How is this possible? Over time, an addict's body will begin to need more and more pills in order to achieve the high that they are craving. It's the same concept with crack and heroine and other street drugs. What usually happens when a pain pill addict runs out or is running low on their pill stash? They scramble to get more. The first thing they'll do is probably call their doctor and make up some excuse as to why they need their pill refill early...sometimes this works but some doctors start to catch on to the lies and will limit the amount of refill prescriptions given. If they can't get more from their doctor, the next place to call is the pharmacy...and then it's on to whomever in their family or friends may have some sort of pain pill that they can beg for. And if that's a no-go, they may even resort to stealing pain pills from others' homes. I have seen every one of these actions from a pain pill addict.
It is really a sad scenario to see a loved one or friend going through this. The pain pill addict becomes just a sloppy shell of their old selves. They become dependent on drugs that were originally prescribed by their doctors and have also become dependent on family members for survival. Unfortunately what these pill addicts do not realize is that their actions have an effect on the people around them. The people around them may be depressed, physically and mentally exhausted, and losing hope in general. But the addict doesn't care, because the addict can't see anything but pills pills pills. Some people remain addicted to pills for years, some ending their lives by a predicted overdose. The lucky (or blessed) addicts somehow break out of their state of denial and try to get help on detoxing and separating from the drugs.
The life-long addicts may have a routine as to how to get their pills...and that routine could include doctor shopping or even pain management clinic hopping.
Helpful Resources
- America spends billions on pharma drugs only to destroy them at additional cost
- Pain Medication Addiction and Tolerance
Information on pain medication addiction and the difference between addiction, tolerance and dependence. - Pain Pill Addiction - ProjectKnow.com
Pain pill addictions are more common than many people imagine, so it may not surprise you to learn how many people come online in search of good information each month. Whether the issue is morphine, OxyContin or Percocet, getting hooked on these po - Getting Off Pain Pills
- Prescription Drug Abuse Information | Drug Rehab Programs
Prescription drugs are the second most commonly abused category of drugs, behind marijuana and ahead of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and other drugs.
"Pain Management"
"Doctor shopping" is a very common occurrence amongst pain pill addicts. This usually includes the downward spiraling force of the pain management clinics. These clinics state that they aid in relieving chronic pain, but in reality all they do is prescribe more pills to a patient. Usually they offer no other method of pain relief. These clinics are especially easy for addicts to acquire the fix that they so crave.
Some addicts at their worst begin taking the pills in other manners, such as crushing up the pills and snorting them or even shooting them up. This is addiction at the most dangerous level. Many addicts end up in the hospital for overdosing or even for infections due to shooting up the drugs.
It is really scary to me to see how much this epidemic has spread throughout the country...I wonder if other countries have the same problems, but for some reason I doubt it. Our healthcare system is horrible in the aspect that true solutions to medical problems do not seem to be offered so much as a prescription for a pill is handed over. Other ways that this disease has overpopulated include the fact that many teenagers and adults too have taken the pills as a recreational thing (partying with pills) and then wound up addicted to them. Outside of the walls of the doctors' offices and Pharmacies, there are people dealing out pills to teen and adult addicts alike. I know that in my hometown in Maryland, there have been huge busts by the police on restaurants and bars that had pill selling occurring right in their facilities.
More than one person who is close to me has experienced pain pill addiction in one form or another. We have to work together to stop this epidemic from becoming a pandemic. How do we do that? If you notice the signs that a loved one or friend is becoming addicted, take the appropriate actions...do not enable them by helping them get more pills. You might also want to mention it to their closest of kin (such as a spouse or parent). There is a lot of help out there to help addicts safely detox and also rehabilitate themselves. If rehab isn't an option, there are many supportive online resources to aid in getting through a "cold turkey" method. Withdrawals from pills are inevitable and are usually equivalent to a bad virus. Stomach problems such as diarrhea and vomiting will occur, as well as chills and mental struggles. If you can, be supportive to the addict by offering words of encouragement through the struggle of withdrawal.
Pain pill addiction is not a light thing...it is not something to mess around with. It will break down your life and who you thought you were, it will destroy the addict's mind and body and relationships...possibly even ending fatally.
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WillStarr - Yes, you are absolutely correct about that! I was on oxycodone one time, as well and I found myself really enjoying them...the truth is that those pills can be a very slippery slope! Good for you for flushing them...I believe I threw mine away.
Thanks for the comments!
Such a sad reality. And doctors definitively have a lot of fault in this.
Hey, Juan! Hope your weekend is going well! Yes, it really is sad. The doctors and pharmaceutical companies, as well as pain management clinics have a LARGE part in this. I'm sure people would still get the pills through dealers and whatnot but the supply would be harder to acquire for most addicts if their own doctors weren't dishing out the product!
I very like this Hub. I am firmly convinced that the great part of medications we take are unnecessary. I think that we must to respect our body and our mind that sometimes talk to us through some signals like a pain or a sadness. The doctors are part of an unhealthy system and I think that in large part they are not aware of this, they act how they are habit to think: a pain? a solution in form of pill!
Then is the choise of the kind of pill that can be influenced by personal interests.
There is also a lack of communication, too many wrong messages, too much stress in our life and too many things to do, so we can not have a pain.
The solution, if it is possible, have to begin in our mind. We must to be more informed and have less fear of pain. We must still have trust in the doctor, but also have a critic thought.
No, the doctors don't get kick-backs for writing Vicidin scrips but some do for writing drugs like Cymbalta or any non generic or new drug big pharma pushes.. Vicidin is a schedule III narcotic(only moderate risk of addiction) & percocet, oxycotin etc. are schedule II. These pain killers are used by millions of people for chronic & acute pain in the legal and proper manner as prescribed without which there would be no quality of life and pain management doctors do urine test to check levels .. The trouble comes from those who steal , sell their med for whatever reason etc. Those that doctor shop best beware for all scrips of any kind now go straight to the federal government's computers in Washington. Good hub to bring out kitty.
fuscia - What wonderful thoughts...I have to say that I agree with most of them! I do believe in modern medicine to a certain degree, though. Without antibiotics, for example, simple and curable infections would still be taking lives on a daily basis. And I am not saying that no pain medication should be dealt out, but I am saying that the concept is over-abused. It's sort of goes along with what I like to call the "wuss-ification" of America. No one can handle pain and no one can handle anxiety so we have to pump them full of pills in order to deal. It is truly ridiculous. Thanks so much for your comments!
AP - You may have a hard time convincing me that the doctors don't acquire any perks or money from writing pain prescriptions. While I agree that certain forms of pain and illness warrant a prescription for pain medication, I don't agree that everyone who says they have pain needs a pill for it. I know many people, people that are close to me, that have been on pain pills in the past and they had no REAL cause of pain...they started lying to themselves after first taking the pills for something else, claiming they have diseases that I don't even believe are real diseases. I won't name them here, because I don't want to cause a riot from people that believe they have them. While I am a huge believer in Western Medicine and microbiologial advances, the system is abused...and the doctors and pain management clinics have some part in this. It is a good thing that they test urine for levels now; however, I know that they didn't always do this as a close person to me was able to shop the clinics and pick up whatever she wanted. Her levels were definitely over the expected/allowed levels...she even fell asleep in her food a few times. This addiction turns people into zombies...selfish zombies. I am speaking out against it because I have witnessed it personally...and many more people are dealing with it in their own families and in their own lives. It is a topic that I am quite passionate about (in case you couldn't tell ;) ). As always, I appreciate your comments. Very great insight! Thanks, AP.
Were both correct on this kitty, I agree with you, its just that the trips and golf clubs so to speak more often come with the newer drugs but on the pain clinics your right that it goes the pain way too: a little fine tuning and were in synch again hopefully. Kitty, I have a wound in the back that an operation made worse & every other treatment was ineffective. When the patient takes their medicine for chronic pain as prescribed after time the only effects felt are simply pain reduction. I to have known of foolish people who abuse their medicine and it is a problem. Were you aware that all scrips are now uploaded to Washington? A medical person told me recently they know of several that have 'shopped' who have received important letters from a federal agency, lets hope they take heed. Thank you kitty.
All these drug addictions are created by the pharma mafia to make more and more money. Thanks for this hub!
nextstopjupiter - i have to agree with you. I took microbiology a semester ago and the microbiology book even stated that the pharmaceutical companies will only invest in the medications that one would continually take over a life-time, such as blood pressure medications. They do not want to invest in finding cures for anything such as aids or cancer...they'd rather keep people sick and make more money than to lend money to find a cure to help people get healthy! How pathetic and disgusting is that? Thanks for commenting.
God hub Kitty, so many people have battled this problem because some of the more effective pills are so addicting, my Mom had chronic pain that was actually complicated with an addiction on the side so it can make pain worse in the long run if your doctor isn't paying attention. Thank you for sharing!
I just found this article http://www.naturalnews.com/032620_pharma_drugs_tak
Chatkath - Hello, Miss! :) Hope all is well. I'm sorry to hear that your mother has struggled with pills and addiction...it is truly a rough thing to deal with on many levels. Is she doing any better?
nextstopjupiter - Wow! Jackpot! Thanks so much...I think I might post this in my links. I guess it's a good thing that people turned in so many untaken pills, but at the same time it's scary in a way.
What people do not understand about presription pills is what they do to you liver and kidneys. Aspirin too. They can destroy your primary functions of the body. Check it out. Nothing on the sides of the bottles will tell you that, you would be shocked though!
LeeLee - you are very right about that! I meant to include that in this hub but forgot. Thanks for reminding me. It is very true that these medications do number on your liver...they can cause cirrhosis of the liver if taken enough and long enough. Thanks for your insight, as always. :)
kitty: That is the sad part. Nothing is mentioned on the sides of the bottles etc. People have no clue. If they look it up online they will be terrified as to what all these drugs can do to you.
Agreed, LeeLee. :) What are you doing for this full moon coming up?
For me, we must be responsible for our actions. When we ingest any drug, we know that it can give adverse effects if it is taken improperly. Then enters information and research before taking any drugs, especially the non-prescription drugs. There are doctors one can ask, there are books one can read, there are online forums one can join. Information with discipline is the key.
What I normally do. Taking a ritual cleansing bath at nine, taking pictures outside at midnight then doing some spells. Oh I love those nights. So what will you be doing?
princechammy - you are absolutely right. For every action there's a reaction...so if we make some bad decisions, the consequences aren't generally going to be good ones. Wonderful advice with the research tip. It is always good to do research before taking any sort of meds! Thanks for commenting and nice to meet you! :)
LeeLee - that sounds absolutely lovely! Being as it will be a Wednesday night, I'll probably sleep! Haha...I don't feel like I ever have enough time in a day to do anything magical for myself. I know...it's sad. If anything I might take a bath and do a little meditating or scrying...if I can break away from the family. :) Wish me luck! Oh, and let me know how those pics and whatnot turn out.
I just went and asked Sydney for the pictures. You will have them tonight. She is setting up her new phone right now so she is putting that first.
Oh on a full moon I will absolutely scry. However you can do that even in the daylight hours. It's a trip and one of my favorites.
About your favorite flower I bet you it has do with fairires. Like Buttercup, Tansy wtc..
Well written. Prescriptions are so abused.
LeeLee - nope, sunflowers! :)
Leighsue - Thanks. I fully agree.
A friend of mine needed a hip replacement and was unemployed (not by choice-she's in Mortgage Finance). For 2 years she was prescribed more and more oxycontin to deal with the pain since no one would do the operation without insurance coverage. When she finally got the new hip and felt so much better (no pain) she tried to go cold turkey off the medication and ended up in the ER with withdrawal symptoms. Very scary.
PegCole17 - It is very scary to know that these pills that doctors prescribe to their patients are SO addictive that one can get extremely sick if trying to quit them cold turkey. I hope your friend is doing wonderfully now and OFF the pills! Thanks for reading & commenting.
From personal experience I know that MANY doctors will seek the easy way out by prescribing pain meds...which is unfortunate. Very informative and well written...
krazikat - Very true and it is indeed unfortunate for the patients. Hopefully you came out of it, if indeed you had the same issue with your doctors. Thanks for commenting!
Excellent hub on a very important topic. I'm also horrified at how ready doctors are to prescribe all sorts of medications, not just painkillers but also anti-depressants.
There have been studies that show that anti-depressants don't really work, that even placebos work better. And placebos at least don't have any terrible side-effects. In fact, it's been shown that exercise works better. But sometimes, it's not just the doctor, but the patient who demands a 'cure-all' pill. I think it's part and parcel of our society's demand for instant gratification, and people not wanting to accept responsibility for their own health.
As for the relationship between doctors and drug reps, it's very insidious. Big Pharma actually sponsors a host of continuing education courses (often in exotic locations) for which doctors get credits and at the same time they can also write off these 'learning vacations' on their tax returns.
visionandfocus - Very true about the placebos, I've heard that before. I just saw a commercial yesterday for a drug called "Abillify" and it said that you should take it along with an anti-depressant. But my question is, if antidepressants are supposed to work, why would you need to take another pill with them to make them work? Very confusing...and some of the side effects included severe depression and thoughts of suicide! Ironic.
I had no idea about the pharmaceutical companies giving classes to doctors...very intriguing. Thanks for bringing that to my attention, as I knew the doctors got some sort of kickback from pushing certain drugs, I just didn't know what type of kickback.
'the pill addict becomes a shell of themselves'....this is so true. I have a son who is addicted to pain pills. He truly is a shell of his former self in every aspect. Prior to the addiction, he had everything going for him. He had a very good paying job, he owned his own home, two vehicles paid for and paying on another one, a wife, and a beautiful son......all of it gone.
He refuses treatment...I have tried repeatedly. He doesn't realize his addiction has effected the entire family. His younger brother avoids him when he's around....he even mentioned to me how bad his brother looks the last time he was here to visit.
Before the addiction, I could count on him for anything. He was always there to lend a hand.....
Most of the time I don't know where he's staying or even if he has food or shelter. It's a nightmare for anyone who has to watch a loved one go through this addiction.
proudmamma - I feel for you, I really do. Someone very close to me was addicted to pills for years, but she has finally come out of it and has been clean for about a year. It's wonderful to see her true self. The pills definitely drowned out her personality and beauty...so I know exactly what you're talking about. I hope that your son realizes what he's doing and gets out of it soon. I will pray for him and for strength for you. Keep your head up and teach your other son to stay away from the pills at all costs. Blessings to you.
Thank you for posting this article. Many people are not aware that these prescription drugs can be addictive regardless they are recommended by a doctor.
Great hub-- so glad I just found it. I am so on the same page. The whole presecription drug epeidemic is another example of the dehumanization of people and turning them into profit centers. The line between doctors and drug pushers sometimes is mighty thin. My dentist gave me Percoset when I had a tooth pulled. Is that ridiculous? I didn't even fill the prescription. We all need to listen to our bodies and take responsibility for our own health.
robie2 - I'm in agreement with you as well concerning humans being turned into profit centers...Christmas is one of those holidays in which we are BANKED off of. Sad but true. Yes, that is a bit ridiculous...I agree. Thanks for reading & sharing. :)
Wow! All of you people are commenting & agreeing on how great this article is....obviously all of you are completly thinking of the abusers ONLY, & also none of you have ever known anyone to be a sufferer of chronic long-term pain like myself! These pills are made from nature (with added chemicals), there is a reason everything is on earth, the only reason people are making a big deal out of pill addiction is because the need of a prescription to get it. The only reason a person would be in withdrawl and act like an "addict" is because it is not readily available and people have to go through a big frustrating time-consuming ordeal just to get them. Now if you could just walk into a pharmacy, like in Canada, & buy codeine, or just be able to buy what they want, there wouldnt be any withdrawl or stealing, etc. Call me insane but you can walk into a liquor store and buy booze that can screw you up just as much as pills can. Alcohol is legal because it was done so many years ago for tax reasons. Since when does anyone, like the government care about people and there pill addiction?! they could care-less what happens to an addict. So why can't people just mind there own business and if people want to ruin there kidneys, so be it! By the way- the biggest false statement in all this is that Drs "easily" write out prescriptions for pain pills, or "push" pills & send them on their way! I don't know where you get that info, from 10 yrs ago, up until now, it is very hard to get pain meds, ofcourse you have ur handful of corrupt Drs, but isnt that with everything in this world? If you could just buy the pills, the only person the user would be hurting is themselves...unlike smoking cigarettes, one of the most addicting substances ever..ever hear of "nic-fits"? Im sure a person would lie, steal, have tantrums, etc, if they couldnt just go buy cigarettes when they needed one! & innocent people are being hurt by second-hand smoke. All in all, the real point is alot of people DO need pain meds for long term pain, the writer made it sound as if every single person who gets pills sont need them, & gets addicted. Very narrow-minded for a writer! Besides the mis-spelled words & grammar mistakes! I live every day in pain even with taking meds, until you are in pain so bad that it makes your life much less desirable & unable to do the things you want, then you should not be writing about it. This writer can't say the article was on experiencial knowledge, AND cant say it was on theoretical knowledge, since no research was even done, just guesses, assumptions, & people 2 he/she has known!As for a Pain Management Clinic- "clinic" gets a bad rep, perhaps you should write about a methodone clinic which hands out the equivalent of heroin in a differant form. Iff a person is on pain manangement, & getting pain meds on a regular basis, you most certainly need to prove your diagnoses with MRIs, reports, etc. its actually these articles & emphasis put on the pain pill world that is making it hard for terminal ill cancer patients, people with chronic neuopathy & several other severe pain problems to get there meds! Get educated!!
ALSO--KittytheDreamer- twisting words & making statements you are uneducated about is so frustrating. Anti-deppresants don't all work, most people have to try differant ones & differant dosages for years until they find one that makes them fell better. Also some people can be on an anti-deppresant at a high level & still have bad days, thats why you can add abilify, as for suicidal thoughts being "ironic"...that is because before it is fully in your system, the side effects take a toll on some people, which the inserts with the meds would explain! Again, obviously someone totally clueless, as was Tom Cruise to Brooke Shields. I dont mean any dis-respect at all to you, just annoyed at peopel that dont understand how many people DO need meds, & count on them to live a half way decent life.
Karen - So sorry to have offended you...I definitely didn't pick you out of a line of people and scream "ADDICT"! in your face, so you might want to take another "chill pill". If you absolutely NEED the meds because of an actual disease such as cancer or glaucoma, then I fully understand the need...but I DO NOT believe in meds for people with "back problems" that aren't diagnosed properly. And I definitely have experience with this as my mother was addicted to pills for 6 years. Not to judge, but sweetie...you've just announced to the world that you are indeed addicted to pain pills. I wish you the best of luck and hope that the pills aren't running your life...that you're running your own life.
And PS - what grammar & spelling mistakes?
Hey Kitty, Thanks for the post! I wasn't offended and I was addicted to pain pills ;) Having been in recovery (clean and sober from all substances) for three years now, I decided to come on here and start doing some writing myself. I'm new here and just shared my first two articles... but would love for you to check out the one I just wrote on acceptance.
I'm looking forward to reading some more of your stuff.... and if you have any advice/tips for me as far as writing on hubpages, don't hesitate to let me know. Thanks!
If it's a problem stop making them. If they are not available, then doctors cannot prescribe them. I found them useful when I injured myself, and I never was addicted to them. Then you have idiots Abusing them, which hurts the ones who need them for actual pain.
"Pain pill addiction is not a light thing...it is not something to mess around with. It will break down your life and who you thought you were, it will destroy the addict's mind and body and relationships...possibly even ending fatally."
This last paragraph in your hub is hard hitting, yet in some cases true. Sharing this hub to spread the word.
Princesswithapen
I'm not sure if one of your comments by followers mentioned this, but Tramadol is another very potent painkiller that is being over-prescribed and is apparently more difficult to get off than Oxycontin. It is one of the most sought-after street drugs in British Columbia, but is mostly prescribed in the United States.
Great hub. Voting up and useful.
Great hub -pain pills are a gold mine for the drug companies - they scrambled a while back to make up for the fact that a lot of their patents were expiring and with no real break through drugs, narcotic pain pills have filled the gap very successfully. Who are the real drug dealers these days? Big Pharma and the doctors and politicians in their pockets. It's a disgrace and it's going to get worse since no one including Obama will take on Big Pharma
We can all take on Big Pharma by looking for causes and alternatively proven cures. The consumer has the power to educate him/herself and chose to boycott Big Pharma all together. After having read Kitty's excellent article many will think again before swallowing any prescribed drugs.
Voted up, useful, interesting but unfortunately not funny.
Thanks to everyone who had a say on this recently. I believe that it is definitely a major issue...a pandemic really. However, the problem with totally boycotting drugs is that some people really do need drugs in particular cases. Where would we be without antibiotics? We'd be dying from bacterial infections left and right. That being said, the pain pills are the major issue...as we all know. Some people need them when they get out of surgery but not for years after...at least not many of them. If you are an older adult, it is possible that more meds will be needed (obviously with the wear & tear on the body, etc.) but that doesn't mean to overtake the prescription or take something that is more powerful than you actually need. Thanks again everyone!
I am one of those pain sufferers who went to the doctors for help and ended up addicted to Codeine based tablets. The problem with these pills is that in the UK you can walk into a chemist and buy them without a prescription and so they are easy to access. You should be able to go to your Doctor for help and get the tests and treatment you need not be fobbed off with addictive drugs that are at times worse than street drugs. And as for needing them for chronic pain sorry but once you've taken them for a while you become immune to their pain relieving properties and so end up taking more and so become addicted. Yes I do agree that if you are suffering from cancer you should be given all the treatment's and drugs you need. Addiction is the last thing to worry about in those situations.
The one thing that really annoyed me last time I visited the Doctors was the fact that I said I was worried about becoming addicted to the drug I was taking. She said to not worry and keep on taking them.
nishlaverz - Thanks so much for being open and sharing y our story with us. It is truly sad that the doctor didn't even listen to your concerns about addiction. Just goes to show how much they care. Blessings and good luck to you!
Yeah prescription drugs are the worst because there legal and it makes a person think there ok because of that. it has messed up so many people. Great topic. Healthy remedies are the best way to cure aliments.
I agree with you, this problem can creep up on the best of us. Habits are formed so easily, but are so hard to break. Be vigilant, if you feel discomfort; try to hold off taking the pills as long as you can. I know, it’s easier said than done. Great Hub, vote up.
Hello Kitty, this is such an informative hub. Voted up!
@ SoberNation: Congratulations on winning against your addiction. Perhaps you can share your experiences with others on hubpages.
Thank you, ramurray3 and thost.
jpcmc - Glad you found it informative. :)
Kitty, You article is well rounded from a laymen's point of view. People need to understand this site is for opinions as much as evidence based. Prescription drugs are the new fad and 7 out of ten in jail today are there because of it. Doctors in the past have been reimbursed but that is a big no no these days. What will probably end up happening if this epidemic continues is a pain management course will require oversite, meaning a limited number will be available at a given time. It would only make sense. I am surprised more illegal labs have not started up. A single pill can sell for $90 and a bottle has a street value of $5000. Don't be surprised to see abuse increase, especially in hard times.
TK - Almost all the information on the web is opinion-based...thanks for sharing though.
This is a wonderful article that clearly needed to be written. I think you did it with great respect and professionalism. As a woman who personally knows several people that got hooked on what are deemed safe drugs, I can tell you that just because they are prescribed does not mean they are safe!!! Kudos to you!!!
Great hub kitty! From what I've seen the pandemic is already alive and well and growing. I put the responsibility for this squarely on the doctors who prescribe these pills; passing them out like candy with no thought to their patients well being. Unfortunately I was under the care of one of these quacks and it took a long time to get away from him. I injured my shoulder last year but rather than sending me to an orthopedist for the surgery needed to fix the problem he just kept upping the dosage of the pills he prescribed. I've seen the destruction these poisons can do and so has he but it didn't slow him down a bit. Thankfully I've gotten to a competent physician and am on the mend-without narcotic drugs I might add. I think too often incompetent doctors use pain medications as a way to hide their lack of training or humanity.
Thank you, AS Berrios. You are a strong & intelligent woman!
BobMonger - You're right. Pills are a quick treatment for symptoms but they aren't a cure for the problem. It's sad how often prescriptions are written and no real cure or help is offered for the underlying problem. Thanks for sharing your story. Stay strong!
I am starting an organization to fight the Prescription Pill Epidemic. It's called P.O.P.P.E.D. - People Opposed to the Prescription Pill Epi-Demic. I am starting small with a facebook page and hope to build it up from there. Anyone wishing to join, please check out my page: http://www.facebook.com/supportpopped
Very interesting hub. I am sure before all these pain killing pills existed people were able to manage pain a whole lot better than we do today - and naturally! We have been spoiled by all the choices and some of it is coming back to haunt us.
melancauli - Very true indeed!
Prescription pills are a problem now a days. Many easily get addicted to it. Thanks for brining it up.
A scurge on our society, high profits perpetuated by mad men and bandits. Medicine has come so far to fall back so rapidly under the guise of the pharmaceutical revolution.Big business pushes medicine that allows us to either perform past our bodies ability or stiffle creative impulses. Of course these are gross generalizations I am making but do they ring true? Cheers for another great hub! F
Great hub! Very informative and a subject that really needs more attention across the board. I know a lot of people that are or have been affected by addiction to prescription drugs.
This is a great hub. Great job.
Very interesting and informative hub about prescription pain killers.
informative hub.
Why don't you do some research on how many people are helped by pain medications? The Media likes to portray Pain Medication as some kind of evil, and band waggoners like yourself make for bad press. Sure there are addicts. And there are Millions of people who are helped.
Blaming Doctors is appalling. The vast majority of Doctors have their patients best interests in mind. Sensationalistic reporting makes it more difficult for them to do there jobs as they have to weigh to cost of helping verses the cost of being harrassed by the Government. And running expensive diagnostic tests XRays, CT Scans, MRI for pain related issues which nearly always heal themselves is a huge cost driver in medical insurance.
Patients EXPECT their Doctor to write them a prescription. And if it's for pain medication under the supervision of a Doctor it is not going to result in addiction. Addicts are not the result of Physician Care. They are the result of dysfunctional patients.
Blaming prescription medication for addiction is like blaming guns for murder.
"ScienceDaily (Jan. 4, 2010) — Millions of Americans with significant or chronic pain associated with their medical problems are being under-treated as physicians increasingly fail to provide comprehensive pain treatment -- either due to inadequate training, personal biases or fear of prescription drug abuse." "Because of this, many people suffer needlessly with pain that could be treated, and almost 80 percent of visits to community pharmacies involve pain issues," Hahn said. "We're in the middle of a storm here, and have to out some way to navigate through it." "Surveys show that at least 30 percent of patients with moderate chronic pain and more than 50 percent of those with severe chronic pain fail to achieve adequate pain relief," she wrote in one article. "The economic impact of acute and chronic pain exceeds $100 billion per year in the U.S. alone." -- Source http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/10010
Mike - Hate to tell you this buddy, but it sounds like
a. you're benefiting off of pain pills either financially or for your own addictions
or
b. you're under-educated on the woes of pain pill addiction and it has never actually affected your life personally.
or
c. you're an annoying troll...which is probably the most likely case here.
So, sadly, I will not be arguing with you over this matter as I feel you have no argument.
And one more thing, I would love to live in a world where all of (or most of as you say) the doctors and other people in the world have everyone else's best interests in mind, but that is just not the world we live in. Wake up.
First great article. I have soo many friends in FL with a Baaaad opiate problem. Second- Kinda rough on Mike weren't you? It sounded like he presented a pretty logical argument for the other side. Gotta take it if you can dish it. Just saying... Thanks for the wake up call article, we needed it!
Interesting hub thanks for writing it. I have had several injuries in the past which required me to use pain medication and a couple of times I found myself wanting the meds more than I really needed it. I can easily understand how someone can get hooked to the good pain medications as they do work very well and can be highly addictive. This is one of the more dangerous addictions out there.
Great hub! I personally know someone who was hooked on Vicodin for years and had a tough time getting off of it. By the many comments, I'd say prescription pain killers is a "popular" subject. I noticed one comment that said something about people handling pain better in the old days. I'm not sure that's exactly true. I guess it would depend on how far back you go. Laudanum was used for a long time which I believe was a form of opium. Back in the 1800s, they put coke in everything (even in the original coca cola). You could buy heroin over the counter for crying out loud! Vicodin seems tame compared to all of that, but I know it's just as dangerous and the withdrawal from it is horrible because I watched my friend go through it. I got a little bit of it myself when I had a knee replacement, but it was nothing like what he went through.
Great hub. In the UK, codeine is dished out without a prescription, which I think ios extraordinary.
kuttingxedge - Opiates are a major problem. And you're right, I was kind of rough on him, but I think the way he presented his point of view was offensive and this is a subject that I feel very passionately about. Plus I'm just sick of people sticking up for the pharma companies...basically just sticking up for greed.
CZCZCZ - That's the danger of pain meds. You start to want them without even realizing that you do. Admittedly, it happened to me after I had my first baby. They let me have hydrocodone and I began wanting it, without having much pain...so I got rid of them. It's very easy to get addicted to pain pills, especially when the doctors are saying it's okay for you to take them for such a long period of time.
Ann1AZ2 - Apparently it's a popular topic now...I wrote this hub probably over a year ago, if not longer but it's somehow found a resurgence of interest from hubbers. Which is a good thing! The more people who are educated on the addictive levels of pain meds the better. And you're right, there were other pain relievers in older days, however, I have a hard time believing that there were as many people addicted to those drugs as there are today addicted to the prescription drugs. Thanks for your comment!
Ivona - Thanks for reading...really? I had no idea! Wow.
I found this article very good. I was once addicted to painpills myself among other things they were my favorite drug of choice i would snort them mainly. This is truly a problem nowadays do to the fact that it is legal. I have seen to many people going to the doctor and getting prescribed bottles of pain meds that on the street can come out to thousands of dollars for something that only cost them less than 50 bucks. The amazing thing that when i was using how easy it is to get the pills just simply going to a couple people and finding out they are everywhere.This leads to other addictions ie heroin usually due to a tolerance. Very good article informative thanks for posting.
Karen_ I am a chronic pain patient. This article has some great information,but you're right about it being about the abusers. I live with it daily and I felt compelled by many hubs on here to share. There are those of us under strict dr care and don't abuse our medications. I volunteered for pain management.Pain management clinics don't give you narcotics, they teach you how to NOT abuse them.other things that will help with your medication. also exercises you can do,to be aware of abusers that may be around you .Living with horrible pain is not a crime.Not all of us abuse our meds. So even though I thought she had great points.This hub is wrong about things like going to pain management for pills. At least that was my understanding of how she described pain management.That's a service to help us manage our pain and how to relive it somewhat for the patient.they talk about how to protect yourself from people stealing and abuse.Patients that fail urine tests and pill counts are the only ones made to go,or the Dr saw abuse.The dr. rightly so should with hold a patient who is abusing their narcotics.To help them understand.Then there's people like me who went to understand.I learned in pain management alot of good information.A pharmacist came in told us how much they money people on the streets charge for the medication, how to watch for abuse.My classes also brought in a police officer for one class to tell us what selling and stealing themif you're caught,how much jail time you could face stealing or selling them. Every class had someone come in that field come in to give you acurate information. They brought in a physical therapist and other experts explain how to properly manage your medication.Most dr.s are honest and monitor their patients with chronic pain.To blame them is wrong.I don't agree with the dr being blamed.
Rusty - The name's Kitty. :) You have very valid points; however, I am not blaming every addiction on the doctors, I am only saying that they are a part of the problem. The pain management clinic you go to or went to must be miraculous compared to the others that I've had experience with. They don't provide any alternative forms of pain relief (music therapy, massage therapy, aromatherapy, spiritual relief, etc.) only say "here's your pills, try not to get addicted". Have you ever worked closely with a doctor? Do you work in a hospital or a doctor's office? There are many very good doctors out there who truly do care about their patients' wellbeing; however, there is more than one doctor out there who could really care less. Greed has taken over and will stay for quite some time. I've worked next to doctors who don't give two craps about their patients, and that's not just in one tiny hospital...it's all over the place. Just as there are good people in the world that want to help others, there are also people who aren't so concerned with others and really truly care about themselves. Again, let's not be naive and think that everyone in the world is out for our benefit and wellbeing. Great points again, but I have to politely disagree.
Funny thing to MikeNV - I noticed a comment on DzyMissLizzy's hub on taking meds that can make you sick...in which you agreed on her take on prescriptions and that lifestyle changes can make the difference in pain and illness...why the change of heart after reading my hub?
"MikeNV Level 4 Commenter 3 days ago
The question you should be asking your Doctor is:
Do I have a ___________________ (Insert Drug Name) Deficiency?
They love that question.
Doctors are very quick to offer a Drug Solution to treat a problem when the should be looking deeper into the issue to find the CAUSE and CURE the CAUSE with a non-drug treatment.
Of course this depends on the Physician. But most have succumbed to the belief that it's just easier to write a Prescription than to try and get people to change their lifestyle and eating habits.
Nearly all disease can be cured with proper lifestyle and nutrition.
However there still remain illnesses - Genetic, Trauma, Nerve Damage that will require life long pharmaceutical management in order to help alleviate the suffering.
I think the point of your message is to not just take things blindly, but to consider what one puts into their body.
Statins block the production of Cholesterol in the liver. You have to ask yourself WHY you would want to block Cholesterol... because it's a reaction in your body to an illness. The SOLUTION is not to block the Cholesterol, but to figure out why your body is creating the additional Cholesterol and then treat the CAUSE."
Kitty, To answer your question, I have worked in health care since I was 14 and got my work permit.I took nursing classes and worked in hospitals with dr.s and I socialized with dr.s and other health care professionals.I also was hired for a better salary, to work for the school district .I still did in home nursing care for the elderly ,and yes even some of my elderly patients abused their medications I also have two relatives I know for sure are abusing their medications.
There is a need for people like me suffering from nerve damage, causing my right leg to give out and fall. In an effort to help me not take so many pain meds. I thought I'd take the stairs in my dr.s office! I fell down the entire staircase. As I went through all this on my page, I have numerous conditions, yet I still volunteered for pain management and addiction classes too.So I would know what to do when I see the signs.My spine is no longer able to be worked on ,it could literally fall apart if they try again.The bulging disc in my back is so big it's affecting and damaging my sciatic nerve.The bulge in my neck causes horrible headaches that instead of my pain pills, I use excedrin migrane and go to bed.I have never taken my narcotics for any other pain than my back.An abuser would run right for the pain medication bottle.
My point is ,there ARE people that are in horrible pain that need these meds and their injuries are severe needing some pain relief, with pain medication. With all due respect it's kind of narrow minded to think ALL of us are abusing medications even drs and nurses.My dr is so strict I have to report for urine tests and pill counts. You have 24 hours to get the test or pill counts. if they find street drugs such as meth, heroine, crack.to name a few. If you fail any of these tests. you violate your pain contract. Then no more narcotics.
Yes there are people who are SENT to pain management and addiction classes because their dr.s were with holding medication, until they complete them, they do the minimal amount they have too and don't finish all of them.
I took every class to the end , and felt them to be helpful and informative.I practice something they taught me everyday. I highly recommend people should sign up for them.Also to practice them, even though I fall and it hurts badly, still I walk every single day. Now I have to have one of my caregivers with me,because I hurt myself pretty bad trying to do it alone.As I said prior you bring up some great points here,I just felt I should try to help you see it in a different light. From another angle and not say all of us do not need pain medication or abusing them. Some of us are responsible and truly need them.I tried herbal remedies, chiropractors, even chinese remedies,light yoga, meditation. I don't want to live in this pain , with needles shoved in my spine and neck screaming in agony while being held down. Noone but a person in severe pain would go through the tests,and mine is well documented.Backed up by extensive tests and surgeries. I ended up on disability and it came up in court in front of a federal judge who had my medical records.She felt I wasn,t being prescribed to many after reviewing all of my chart.When other side tried to paint me as a narcotic abuser.This is documented in my injury case file.
I hope you have a lovely day kitty.
Rusty - I fully understand that there are people out there who might need something such as pain meds in order to function on a daily basis; I never said that NO ONE should take pain meds. My point is that they are just too easy to get addicted to, as you can see by the many testimonials online and even in the comments of this article. I don't find myself to be narrow-minded in the least, as I've seen and worked with patients who are in MUCH pain and definitely need the pain meds. I would never say to deprive them of that. But there is a difference between people who have REAL problems with pain and people that just say "my back hurts" or come up with all of these supposed diagnoses in order to get more pain pills. The pain mgmt clinic you go to is on a much higher level than the ones in my area. Where do you live, if you don't mind me asking? Because all of the pain mgmt clinics in this area are the same...and they don't do any testing of blood or urine in order to ensure that the meds aren't being abused. What's to stop someone from pharma and pain mgmt shopping? With all due respect, I feel that the people who are actually on pain meds for a good reason would not get offended by this article. This article merely addresses the laxidaisical view that much of the medical world takes when it comes to pain meds. And you can't tell me that in every hospital you've worked in that the nurses try other means of pain relief, most of them just give out the pain meds because they are on such strict time management. That's not to say that they are abusing the system, they are just doing their job and in a country where the demand of nurses is greater than the supply, we don't give the nurses enough time to provide their patients with other ways of relieving pain other than meds. It's a sad affair, really. While there are many benefiting from the use (and NOT abuse) of pain pills, there are that many more if not more who are deteriorating because of the pain pills. Thanks for your opinion, and I apologize for offending you, but I have to say that you are being narrowminded in thinking that I am calling ALL doctors and health care professionals the problem. Many are a PART of the problem, we can truly blame the pharma companies for this disaster. Stricter limitations should be placed on pain pills, that's all I'm saying. Let's stop encouraging the destruction of life and start encouraging a fix.
I'm sorry but I just couldn't finish reading this load of crap. The comments are very telling too, that the writer has no inkling of what it's like to have to depend on medications to get through a day. These aren't happy pills, they're medicines that - in the case of antidepressants - bring balance to a chemically imbalanced brain. It doesn't mean they're drug addicts. And I'd like to know where you get all these doctors that prescribe without examining the patient???
This is inaccurate, judgemental opinion, and not informative reading. If you want natural pain relief, you don't see a physician, you see an herbalist or homeopath. What makes you think natural medicine is harmless?
The more you argue with ignorant responses, the more you're showing just how much you really know. Don't embarrass yourself any further.
Not to mention that this article keeps changing every time I read it. It's interesting to see these changes on top of the comments going on here.
Sandy - I find it interesting that you couldn't "finish reading this load of crap" yet somehow you noticed that the article "Keeps changing"? Funny as I haven't touched a single word in the article since I wrote it a year and a half ago. And again, I just have to say that the people who actually NEED the pills in order to function would not get offended by this article...only the people who feel guilty would take the time to write such comments as you and the last lady. Again, let's stop feeding into destruction of life and start encouraging the positive...which means NO MORE PILLS for people who DON'T need them.
Brilliant hub Kitty. This topic needs to be discussed in the open as too many people are becoming legal addicts. I'm with you on the issue of doctors getting rewards for promoting pills from the pharmaceuticals. To be honest how would they survive without the doctors and hospitals churning out their legal drugs?
After big operation I was put on morphine to manage the pain, when it wore off the pain returned and the doctors simply prescribed more morphine. I asked 'do I have to be on this for life?' to which they replied 'well we can take you off morphine and put you on weaker medication that will keep the pain at bay' to me that sounds like for life! I sought alternative pain control methods and weaned off the morphine.
voted up!
editorsupremo - Thank you so very much! It's good to hear from someone who has been through a similar experience with the pain meds being prescribed and seeing that you rose above the temptation. It seems like as of lately that I'm getting quite the opposite reactions from people here. It's not that I'm saying NO ONE should be on pain meds, it's that I'm saying not everyone who has pain should be on them. You're right, there are alternative methods to relieving pain and most people don't want to realize it or are blinded by the pain meds that they are already taking! Thanks again for the support.
Hey Kitty, I have read the negative responses to your hub. It is clear that they have misunderstood what you are saying. Of course there are going to be people who have chronic illnesses that need to take pain meds in order to have some quality of life, but it is those who have become addicted to pain relief meds, not to relieve pain but to obtain the euphoric feeling that pain meds give that you are pinpointing. Those are the people who do NOT need pain meds once their pain has been relieved.
I would not be concerned about the negative comments as the majority of readers understand what you mean. In any event, it's good to have a healthy debate and see both sides of the argument.
WillStarr Level 8 Commenter 11 months ago
Some of the pain meds are very easy to like! I've had two shoulder surgeries, and Oxycodone both times. I found myself taking the stuff more for the euphoria than for the pain, so I flushed them down the toilet.
They are necessary at first for severe pain, but they are dangerous. Great Hub!