Addictions to prescription painkillers has become a huge problem in the US in recent years. Narcotic pain medications and opiates such as Hydrocodone and Oxycodone are common drugs that are prescribed by physicians in order to treat pain. Oftentimes, a patient will continue to take the prescribed medication for extended periods of time and then find themselves dependant to the drugs. When this happens, seeking treatment immediately is by far the best option and is necessary to avoid more severe long-term complications.
The more you know about something, the greater your options are. That is true about just about everything, right? Here are four steps to help with addiction to pain killers:
Step 1: Become educated about the problem.
Take time to learn about the risks, causes and symptoms of pain pill addiction. You can learn some causes of addiction, particularly if you really wish to truly help someone. There are many sources of good information to help you become educated about pain killer addiction. The CDC (cdc.gov) is an excellent resource, as is The National Institute on Drug Abuse (drugabuse.gov).
Step 2: Create a support system.
As much as possible, keep in mind that being bored is the worst thing for individuals with addiction problems. The fact is that you are not always going to be around to help the addicted person. That is why support groups can be extremely helpful in providing individuals struggling with drug addiction with more assistance. There are Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meetings most everywhere in the country and most every day. Involvement in these support groups often results in the individual finding themselves a sponsor. A sponsor is usually another person in the group with the experience of being clean and sober for a longer period of time. The sponsor will volunteer to help the individual in any way possible.
Step 3: Help breakdown resistance to treatment.
This is often referred to as an intervention and will at times be necessary, especially if/when the person does not think that they have a problem. This will be when you gather the support network you have created in order to help allow the individual to better understand what they are doing to themselves, as well as others around them. This can be a difficult situation, and one should not undertake this without proper guidance.
Step 4: Seek the proper type of treatment.
The simple fact is that addiction to pain pills is both a physical and a mental addiction, that will require a great deal of perseverance to overcome. Ideally, the individual will seek help at a qualified treatment facility. An excellent facility is in Hattiesburg, Mississippi and is called: The Drug and Alcohol Detox Clinic of South Mississippi. There is a great deal of information available on their website at: Web Or call and someone will help answer any questions you may have. There’s Still Hope!
