Dealing with chronic pain is a huge mountain for anyone to climb. It essentially has the ability to directly affect a person’s quality of life. We are talking about interfering with sleep patterns, restricting the individual from enjoying physical activities and sometimes affecting their ability to work.
There’s a few different ways people can deal with pain. The Internet is filled with holistic self-help methods that sometimes work but are usually ineffective over the long haul. Surgery is always a possibility if the doctor feels it will make a substantial difference. However, how many horror stories have we all heard about regarding back surgeries that left the patient in worst condition that they were in before the surgery?
It’s not surprising that the preferred method of treating chronic pain is pain medication. If managed properly by a physician, a patient has a realistic chance to get some level of relief. However, dealing with prescription painkillers comes with a significant risk. If the pain is chronic and unlikely to diminish over time, addiction to the painkiller seems inevitable.
The truth is there’s a fine line between dependence and addiction. After taking prescription painkillers over a period of time, doses need to be adjusted to compensate for the patient’s body building up dependence. When withdrawal symptoms start appearing after any period of abstinence, withdrawal is indicated. Since painkillers are usually opioids, here’s a brief list of possible withdrawal symptoms:
- Breathing problems
- Blood pressure and heart-rate issues
- Diarrhea, nausea and vomiting
- Muscle cramping
- Sleep issues
All of these symptoms create even more problems. Once addiction sets in, the drug user faces the distinct possibility of needing drug addiction treatment. This becomes even more likely should a patient start self-medicating and goes off-prescription to deal with their pain issues. How should someone deal with an addiction when pain medications seem to be the only solution for pain?
Addiction Treatment and Pain Management in a Florida Heroin Rehab Center
Since both heroin and painkillers derive from opiates, the addiction treatment process for both substances is the same. The good news is most of the top heroin rehab centers in Florida are equipped to deal with both treating the addiction and offering pain management options. Let’s take a look at what is involved.
Opioid Addiction Treatment
Once a patient enters rehab with both an addiction and pain problem, the first task at hand is dealing with the addiction. Addiction presents a considerable risk to a patent’s well-being, and it needs to be dealt with right away.
With opioid addiction, a detox program is almost always necessary. The goal of a medically-monitored detox program is to make sure the patient is safe while they go through withdrawal. If they start displaying any discomfort, the medical staff has the option to offer medicine to help with pain or sleeping issues.
After detox, the focus shifts to therapy. Where pain treatment was the overriding cause of the addiction, it’s here that a meaningful discussion about pain management can start. The treatment center’s counselors and clinicians will also want to address any potential personal problems that may be prompting the addiction. The final goal is to make sure the patient has the coping skills they will need to avoid relapses.
Pain Management
Managing one’s pain while in recovery is very tricky. The first thing an addiction counselor in Florida will talk about with an addiction patient is the need for absolute honesty and accountability. If the patient is suffering from chronic pain issues, there’s a good chance they will need to keep taking some type of medication. That’s where honesty becomes important. That’s what addiction counselor preach.
As long as the prescribing doctor knows the patient is in recovery, the doctor will know they need a cautious approach. They may suggest physical therapy in conjunction with lower level pain medications and see if that works. At the absolute least, they will want to closely monitor this type of patient for signs of addictive behavior. The patient might also enlist the services of a behavioral psychologist to add another level of accountability.
If the pain doctor has to increase doses or revert to stronger medications, the responsibility for being forthright falls on the patient. A good pain management plan requires good communication between all parties, including addiction counselors when necessary.
If you are dealing with pain and suspect you have an addiction problem, we can help you with both issues. For more information, please call us at 844-903-2111.