Health experts are warning that painkiller dependency is quickly becoming a greater concern than illegal drug addiction.
The number of deaths caused by prescription painkillers in the USA over the last 10 years was four times higher than the rate of deaths from cocaine and heroin combined. In the UK, 2015 saw 807 fatal overdoses involving prescription drugs compared to 718 from heroin and cocaine.
Fatal overdoses have increased across Canada as well. 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.
It’s clear that prescription painkiller addiction has become a global problem and Canada is pursuing unprecedented measures in order to curb their use. Discussions are currently underway for the introduction of cigarette-style warning stickers on prescription painkillers.
Backing the campaign, Health Minister, Jane Philpott has vowed to fix what she has called ‘the nation’s greatest public health crisis’:
“We’re concerned that opioid prescriptions are on the increase. We need to understand what’s behind that and make wise recommendations. You don’t want to drive people to use even more harmful street drugs and illicit substances so it needs to be done with a tremendous amount of wisdom and thoughtfulness and we are certainly consulting widely to make sure we don’t have any unintended consequences from our actions.”
Whether they’re prescribed by a doctor or purchased over-the-counter, painkiller use can become a problem for anyone. Worryingly, thanks to the prevalence of these seemingly harmless medicines in our everyday life, addiction can easily go undetected.
If you think that you or someone you know may have a problem, below are some of the more common painkiller addiction signs:
- You constantly think about your medication and are preoccupied with when you can take your next dose and whether your supply is enough.
- You’ve stopped following your doctor’s advice. When we take something frequently, our bodies become immune to it which means that we need to take an increasingly larger dose in order to feel the same effects. If you’re taking your pills more frequently than you should, this could be a sign of addiction. If you are in a lot of pain and need the medication, always speak to your doctor before changing your dosage.
- If your doctor is refusing to prescribe you any 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 that you may need painkiller addiction treatment.
- You can’t seem to stop taking the pills. 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 is one of the many painkiller addiction signs.
- You’re not quite yourself. An addiction can affect us both mentally and physically. Perhaps you’re not taking care of yourself the way you used to, you’ve stopped caring about personal hygiene or you’re suffering from mood swings. You may also find yourself getting angrier than usual, neglecting responsibilities and sleeping or eating habits may also change.
If you think that you or someone you know may have a painkiller addiction, please feel free to contact Toronto Trauma & Addiction Counselling. We will be able to provide you with more information about painkiller addiction symptoms and the different treatment options which are available.
