Problem with Pain Pills
I have a friend who has to take OxyContin for pain or they can’t function.
They are supposed to be taking two 80’s a day, but they go through a month’s pills in about 2 weeks and then go through withdrawals every month.
What can I do to help them?
Is there a rehab program that can break the abuse but keep them on the medication?
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Professional Help Is Needed
Your friend is in trouble. So many people sustain an injury and are given a prescription for an opiate, only to soon develop an addiction. If your friend is supposed to take two pills per day, but doubles that and suffers the withdrawal there is cause for alarm. The first thing that comes to mind is to have a conversation with the doctor to openly and honestly discuss everything that is going on with the OxyContin use. Pain management clinics are not just about prescribing drugs. The organization I work for, goes to great lengths to properly screen and assess patients, to avoid addiction issues and properly help them to manage the pain. People who have slipped into addiction need the help of professionals, who know how to guide the patient back to wholeness. I recall a patient who was in long-term rehab for opiate addiction. She had chronic knee pain, but because of her addiction she could not take drugs. She was given alternative therapies, which turned out to be very effective. There is hope for your friend, but professional help is needed to find the right treatment program to facilitate a positive outcome. The addiction untreated will likely escalate. |