With illnesses such as CFIDS and Fibromyalgia, the largest percentage of sufferers are not strangers to prescription pain pills.
DEFINITION FOR DRUG ADDICTION
“Drug Addiction, or dependence, is defined as having at least 3 of the following signs: a tolerance for the drug (needing increased amounts to achieve the same effect), withdrawal symptoms, taking the drug in larger amounts that was intended or over a longer period of time than was intended, having a persistent desire to decrease or the inability to decrease the amount of the drug consumed, spending a great deal of time attempting to acquire the drug, and finally, continuing to use the drug even though the person knows there are reoccurring physical or psychological problems being caused by the drug.”
Over the past 16 years, I have been on pain pills several times. Back when I first became ill 16 years ago, my doctor had me on Valium for the severe back pain I was having. At the time, I was going through 90 Valiums in less than 2 weeks – I was only supposed to take up to 4 per day. I have also found that over the years my tolerance for pain medicines has increased, so it takes more of something for me to feel relief.
For those of you who suffer with me, you know as well as I do that these diseases are a vicious cycle. The pain can be excruciating at times. Many of us also have families to take care of and we feel as though we can’t get through the day without the pain medicine.
After I read the above definition, it made me take a good hard look at myself and I definitely fit the description. I can only imagine how many others do as well, so I know that I am not alone. Over the years prescribing pain pills to us by physicians is a way to shut us up and to brush off our illnesses because they don’t know what else to do. Sad, but true.
Leave a Reply