With fatal overdoses continuing to increase, health experts are warning that painkiller dependency is becoming just as much, if not more of a concern than illegal drug addiction.
In Ontario alone, prescription opioid deaths have risen by 40% in just six years. In Saskatchewan, they have more than doubled since 2010 and with an 80% increase in deaths in British Columbia last year, figures have reached record levels.
The problem is that there’s a strong possibility that we will all need to take prescription medication at some point in our lives. Whether you’re recovering from an injury or operation, when used properly, painkillers can provide a safe and effective method of pain relief. If you want to ensure that you’re using these medications without putting yourself at risk however, below are three tips for avoiding prescription drug addiction.
Always follow your doctor’s advice
The reason why prescription drugs are only available from your doctor is because they are usually stronger and therefore pose more risks than something anyone can just pick up at the pharmacy.
If you have been prescribed medication from your doctor, it’s very important that you follow their advice otherwise you could be putting yourself at risk of addiction or overdose.
When we take something frequently, our bodies become immune to it which means that we need to take larger doses in order to feel the same effects. If you’re taking your pills more often than you should, this could be a sign of prescription drug addiction. If you are in a lot of pain and need the medication, always speak to your doctor before changing your dosage.
Other signs of prescription drug abuse include:
- Your doctor is refusing to prescribe you more pills or you’re starting to become conscious about how often you request a prescription. You may decide to change your surgery to avoid confrontation.
- You’re getting your medication from other sources. If you’re so desperate to get hold of some painkillers that you will buy online, use other people’s prescriptions or even steal to get hold of them, this is a clear sign of prescription pill abuse.
Know the signs
Because prescription drugs come from our doctor, we assume that they’re perfectly safe. For this reason, addiction often goes undetected for a long time.
Below are some of the more common signs of prescription drug abuse:
- You’re constantly thinking about your medication – you will become preoccupied with when you can take your next dose and whether your supply is enough.
- You’ve stopped following your doctor’s advice and take your medication more often than recommended.
- You want to change doctor because yours if refusing to prescribe you more pills.
- You get your medication from other sources, even if it’s unsafe.
- While some conditions require long-term medication, others don’t. If you’re still taking pain relief for a broken bone that healed six months ago for example, this could be a sign of a problem
Seek help for any underlying mental health conditions
Those who have experienced childhood trauma such as physical or sexual abuse, violence or losing a parent, may turn to substance abuse as a coping mechanism and start to develop prescription medication abuse symptoms.
If you have an undiagnosed mental health condition or one you’re aware of but are not seeking help for, this could put you at greater risk of suffering from addiction. Speaking about why this is, Howard Forman, medical director at Montefiore Medical Centre in New York commented:
“If you give oxycodone to an anxious person, they will be less anxious. After the pain has gone away however, they may have become accustomed to a medication that is powerfully helping their distress. Now you have the makings of someone who could be hooked. People with mental health problems such as anxiety and depression are more likely to use painkillers on a long-term basis.”
If you think that you or someone you know may be showing prescription drug abuse symptoms, please feel free to contact Toronto Trauma & Addiction Counselling in the strictest of confidence and we will be more than happy to help.
