Senior Citizen and Pain Killer Addictions

Pain killers are given by doctors and they can be bought over the shelves. They are commonly used to relief pain. However, how do people become addicted to painkillers? Many people become addicted because they were once in so much pain that their body felt like they needed the drugs. People are prescribed painkillers for headaches, cramps, surgery recover, chronic pain, or because of an injury. Some addicts have been abusing painkillers for the effects that they can get from them

Many medications that are on the market make a person feel like they are high. In fact, certain medications are compared to illegal drugs and have quite the same effects. Drugs like OxyContin, Vicodin, Lorcet, Percocet, Methadone, Darvocet, and Lortab offer pain relief quickly that the body begins to become addicted. People who started because they were prescribed the medication use it to feel normal even though they may not have pain anymore. This is because the body cannot withdraw from the medication normally. Others who started abusing usually start because they don’t feel like themselves on the medication. They are initially trying to flee from the situation.

When it comes to spotting someone who may have a problem with painkillers or prescribed medication you have ten basic signs. The first sign is their usage increases. It may not be noticeable at first because it may happen gradually, but it is the first sign of an addict. The actual addict won’t think anything of it and may even state that they double their dosage. People feel the need to increase because the body becomes immune to the medication and needs more to feel the same again.

In fact, people who are just addict’s will frequently overdose because they try so hard to get as high as their first time. It’s impossible because the body begins to become immune after the first use and repeating only speeds up the process. You will also notice a change in their personality. They will have a very noticeable change in energy and mood. A classic symptom of drug use is social withdrawal. They will try to separate themselves from the people they love.

An obvious sign is when they continue using a great time after the surgery or injury. They may start taking long drives to obtain the drugs. They will also change in habits and appearances. They will stop caring about hygiene or fashion and begin to show signs of glazed eyes, runny nose, insomnia, loss of appetite, and may cough constantly. They will also begin to neglect work or any other responsibilities, become sensitive to noise or light, have blackouts or forget a lot of things, and they will also become defensive. Addicts become defensive because they want to conceal the drugs or their habits.

Medication can do a lot of good when they are necessary to take. By abusing prescription drugs the body will begin to deteriorate and a person’s health will do down dramatically. Even the most cautious person may develop a problem and that is why you should monitor friends and family that are using highly addictive medications.