Anonymous,
What you are describing is called a physical dependance, not addiction. Two very different things but often used incorrectly used interchangabily. Think of addiction as driving force that consumes the individual and causes them to do things they may never have done like rob and lie to people. It destroys the person and their families. A person with a physical dependenance with take their medication as perscribed and go about there activities. The medication allows them to function. They do not spend all their time thinking about their medication or about taking more of it. And the majority of them never get high off their medication.
Diabetics are also physically dependant on their insulin. But no one gives them a hard time. And yes, people do abuse insulin too but you rarely hear about that.
I have taken pain medication daily for the last 4 years. The majority of people would never know this because I am to function well. But they do not see me early in the morning or late at night when the levels are low when I move like a 100 year old woman. My pain medication allows me to be in the world and to sleep at night.
The majority of pain medication related deaths are caused when the medication is adjusted, usually increased, not because we are abusing it.
Reta
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Anonymous,
What you are describing is called a physical dependance, not addiction. Two very different things but often used incorrectly used interchangabily. Think of addiction as driving force that consumes the individual and causes them to do things they may never have done like rob and lie to people. It destroys the person and their families. A person with a physical dependenance with take their medication as perscribed and go about there activities. The medication allows them to function. They do not spend all their time thinking about their medication or about taking more of it. And the majority of them never get high off their medication.
Diabetics are also physically dependant on their insulin. But no one gives them a hard time. And yes, people do abuse insulin too but you rarely hear about that.
I have taken pain medication daily for the last 4 years. The majority of people would never know this because I am to function well. But they do not see me early in the morning or late at night when the levels are low when I move like a 100 year old woman. My pain medication allows me to be in the world and to sleep at night.
The majority of pain medication related deaths are caused when the medication is adjusted, usually increased, not because we are abusing it.
June 30, 2011 - 8:58amReta
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