There is a lot of talk about getting addicted to pain medications. I take high doses of medication because I hurt my back a while ago and it hasn't healed. What are the signs of addiction?
Many people take opioids for their pain. Opioids are the medications that are regulated by the government because of the potential of their abuse. Being addicted or hooked on opioids is not the same thing as building up a tolerance to the medications, something that can happen as well.
Someone who has become drug tolerant of their medications has reached a point that the dose he or she is taking is no longer doing its job. It is not unusual for a body to become used to taking a medication and developing this tolerance. At that point, if you want the drug to be effective, you need to speak with your doctor about increasing the dosage or the number of times a day you take the drug.
Addiction is different in that if you're addicted, you feel like you need the medication rather than just wanting it for pain relief. You think about getting the medication and how to get it if you don't have any left. You think more about the actual getting of the medication than using it and the pain relief it provides. You may do things to get the medication that you might never have done otherwise.
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