Pain Killer Addiction: Fast Growing Problem

Pain killer addiction is one of the fastest growing addictions it the country right now and has overtaken cocaine and marijuana use in many states. An estimated 1.6 million Americans have used pain killers non-medically, according to the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse.

Pain killers or opiods are being prescribed more and more after surgeries, illnesses or accidents. Chronic pain sufferers, surgical patients, sickle-cell patients, and cancer patients seeking relief from pain are given pain medication by their physicians and subsequently become dependent. Many develop long term addiction to the drugs.

Those with pain killer addiction can end up compulsively and uncontrollably using despite adverse consequences-or dependence, which occurs when the body adapts to the presence of a drug. Dependence to pain killers often results in withdrawal symptoms when that drug is reduced or stopped. These include restlessness, bone and muscle pain, vomiting, insomnia, diarrhea, chills and involuntary leg movements.

Many that suffer from painkiller addiction are hooked on drugs like Oxy Contin, Loritab, Vicoden, Perocet, and Dilaudid.

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