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3 Chronic Pain and Addiction: Double Trouble

During a rare moment of clarity, Amy admitted to herself that her life was a mess. She had deteriorated over the last few years, experiencing increasing pain and a general feeling of being a loser—and the more drugs she took, the worse she got. On some level she knew her screwed-up life was caused by the drugs she was taking, though she’d deny that to Chris with a vengeance. That usually shut him up, but lately it was getting tougher, and he was more verbal, more critical, and more demanding.

Deep down Amy knew she was destined to become addicted. After all, both of her parents were; her dad died of a heroin overdose, and her mom was addicted to hydrocodone, OxyContin, morphine, and valium—the same meds she was taking. So it was inevitable from her first dose of codeine cough syrup she took as an adolescent. These drugs “worked” in her brain. They made her feel like she could cope better with the world and, lately, Chris. She reflected on the irony of her developing addiction, similar to her family’s, although she had vowed, “It will never happen to me.” It was as if the drugs carried her away, or took control, robbing her of her free will.

According to a 2006 study, 90 percent of all people in the United States receiving treatment for pain management receive prescriptions for opioid medication, like both Jim and Amy did. These medications carry with them a risk of dependency and addiction. For those with chronic pain who become addicted when they take opioids for pain relief, the two conditions exacerbate each other, making both worse than they would be alone. Many professionals believe the benefits of opioid treatment far outweigh the risk of developing addiction, but those who do become addicted find themselves in a conundrum: They need opioids to treat pain, but when they take them, they experience horrible consequences. This presents a huge dilemma for those of you in Mary’s or Chris’s position.

Addiction Explained