Addiction is linked to many things, and chronic pain is one of them. Chronic pain is any pain that lasts longer than 12 weeks. The pain can range from moderate to debilitating.
Living in discomfort can eventually cause physical, mental, and emotional struggles. After all, it’s hard to focus on work or school and maintain strong social connections when you never feel well.
Our Outpatient Rehab in Agoura Hills Works with Chronic Pain Sufferers
Awakenings Treatment Center works with clients who suffer from chronic pain and substance abuse. Though each person has unique circumstances, we find that most clients become addicted to prescription medications for one of two reasons. Either they have been prescribed the drugs and grew dependent on them, or they used the drugs to self-medicate.
Unfortunately, chronic pain and addiction create a dangerous cycle. If the underlying pain is not treated, it’s difficult to stop abusing drugs. If a person continues to use drugs, they can’t get healthy. The Awakenings treatment team understands. We offer comprehensive, dual-diagnosis addiction treatment in Agoura.
Why Chronic Pain and Substance Abuse are Often Connected
1. Habit-forming Pain Medication
Chronic pain sufferers are often put on medication to treat their symptoms. Medication used to treat persistent pain include opioids, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and over-the-counter pain relievers. Unfortunately, many of these drugs can be habit-forming.
While the majority of chronic pain sufferers will not become addicted, enough can. And this is a problem. According to the CDC, roughly 115 people die every day from an opioid overdose. From 1999 to 2016, more than 630,000 Americans died from opioids.
The increase in deaths can be traced back to three reasons:
- In the 1990s, opioids were overprescribed. The laws were less strict, allowing doctors and pain clinics to write an excess of opioid prescriptions. Pain patients also had an easier time doctor shopping.
- In 2010, overdose deaths from heroin increased. As the laws cracked down on doctors and pain clinics, it became harder for people to get opioids. Some who were addicted switched to heroin, a cheaper and more accessible alternative.
- In 2013, overdose deaths from synthetic opioids increased. Today, we still see many synthetic drugs that contain illegally made fentanyl. In fact, because of fentanyl, synthetic opioids now surpass prescription opioids as the most common drugs involved in overdose deaths.
2. Self-Medicating Practices
People turn to drugs and alcohol for all types of reasons, such as social pressures, curiosity, and a desire to fit in. However, we don’t talk enough about people who abuse substances to reduce the symptoms of mental illness or chronic pain, a practice called self-medication.
When prescription painkillers are used differently than prescribed, they can be dangerous. A person may end up taking the wrong dosage, the wrong type of medication, or combining it with drugs that create an adverse reaction. Even though the intention was not to get addicted, abusing drugs can quickly lead to addiction and the need for dual diagnosis rehab.
Chronic pain and addiction do not have to be your life. Awakenings Treatment Center specializes in treating chronic pain disorders and substance use disorders. Contact us to learn about your options.
