How do People Get Addicted to Painkillers?

How Can a Painkiller Addiction Begin?

Painkiller addictions are concerning as they can easily affect anyone, due to the normality of taking painkillers in day-to-day life. Designed to treat illness symptoms, such as headaches, a banged toe or sore throat, or major injuries such as a broken leg, painkillers are commonly used as effective short-term pain prevention, however their addictive tendencies can make them a slippery slope.

Genetic factors

Painkiller addictions can be caused by genetic factors for individuals with family members with addiction tendencies, which can make them more susceptible to being addicted.

Environmental factors

Alternatively, painkiller addictions can also be caused by environmental factors such as consistent health or injury issues. It is common for athletes to be addicted to painkillers due to their repetitive pain symptoms from sports activities.

How Addictive are Painkillers?

After long-term painkiller use, the neurotransmitters in the brain can become dependent on the substance and requires higher doses for the body to function properly. It can take just a matter of weeks for this dependence or addiction to painkillers to occur, which is not a long time.

What are the Signs of a Painkiller Addiction?

Spotting the signs of a painkiller addiction can often be hard for an individual to self-evaluate or a loved one to spot due to the normality of ingesting them. Millions of people in the United Kingdom take painkillers for genuine reasons, whether they have a banging headache from a cold, or hit their knee on the car door. However, it’s important to spot signs that suggest that someone is taking painkillers due to their reliance, such as:

• Faking injury or illness to family members or GP
• Withdrawal symptoms such as low energy
• Poor work performance
• Lack of interest in social activities

How Can You Get Help for a Painkiller Addiction?

If you think you may be showing signs of a painkiller addiction, then it’s important that you are honest with yourself and not in denial. Once you admit that you have an issue, then you should seek help from people around you.

Speak to a GP

If you are suffering with a painkiller addiction, then it’s important that you get help from those around you. Firstly, it’s important that seek medical advice from your local General Practitioner who will be able to provide you with an accurate diagnosis of your addiction.  They will be able to speak to you about your behaviour and what your best course of action is.

Speak to Family Members

It’s also important that you get help and are open with your family members about your painkiller addiction. You should be able to speak to them about how you feel, and why you think you may be addicted to painkillers.

Visit Rehabilitation

If you want to stop your painkiller addiction for good then it will be beneficial to attend rehabilitation, where you will have the opportunity to safely detox and receive therapy that will prevent future relapse from occurring.