Pain from a car accident, back injury, migraine or other physical problem can result in a progressive situation of taking prescription medication to relieve it.
Though we hear in the news about famous sports players, celebrities and actors getting addicted to pain pills, we never think this can happen to us.
After all, we are just following the instructions properly.
Nonetheless, more and more people are finding out that they have an addiction to the pain pills they take which can be due to taking more during difficult situations, gradual increases over time or mixing it with other substances.
Some people use pain pills as a recreational drug or for numbing emotional pain, but many others began their use due to a painful shoulder injury, tightness in one's back or prescribed due to having chronic headaches.
One reason why people may not be conscious that they have an addiction problem is because there was no prior history of similar behavior.
As a counselor, I see patients who report that they never did anything excessively and were always the model of a life of moderation.
They are disturbed and surprised to see that they have a pain killer problem.
For some, this realization makes them feel very vulnerable and can create a loss of self-esteem.
If you suspect or someone that is close with you suspects that you may have a dependence on pain killers, make an appointment with your physician to discuss this further.
It is easy to brush this off or postpone till later.
You can gain control of your life again and find ways to withdraw properly from the medication, lower the dosage or use alternative adjunctive therapies such as yoga or water therapy.