How to Know if Youre Addicted to Painkillers

By Anne Watkins

Here’s the bad news: If you’re wondering whether or not you’re addicted to a painkiller such as OxyContin or Vicodin, there’s a good chance that you’re either addicted or very close. In fact, being worried that you’re addicted is a strong warning sign that it’s time to take steps to reverse your habit.

The good news, though, is that it might not be too late. Yes, some people don’t start asking questions until they’re already addicted. But if you’re reading this, chances are you’re not quite there yet. Maybe you’re at a transitional point and you can still get out.

Continuing along your current path will take you into dark places, but you don’t have to go there. It’s not too late. If your drug habit hasn’t reached the level of addiction, you can probably stop taking your medication without too many withdrawal symptoms. On the other hand, if your habit has become a physical addiction, you might want to seek professional medical attention to help you detox and get you on an opiate replacement therapy treatment.

Let’s look at some of the concrete warning signs of addiction to painkillers.

Do you think about drugs often? If you’re constantly thinking about a drug, there’s a good chance that you’re addicted. Do you find yourself wondering when you’re going to get your next prescription? Or do you constantly think about taking your next dose? These thought patterns indicate that the drug is beginning to take over certain parts of your mind. If you don’t change this pattern, you’ll soon find that you’re not interested in anything besides the drug. You’ll lose the ability to take pleasure in other things, and you may begin to neglect other aspects of your life.

Do you need more and more of the drug? Many opiate addicts go through a similar pattern. At first, the drug makes them feel really good; it kills their pain, and they get that little rush of pleasure that fades into a fuzzy euphoria that lasts a few hours. However, after a few weeks of regular use, these effects begin to fade and users find that they have to take more and more of the drug to have the same pleasurable feelings. If you’ve experienced this, it’s time to stop. Hopefully, you haven’t already started taking more than your recommended dosage. If you have been taking more than instructed, end your use immediately.

Have you been using the drug for more than a few weeks? Most doctors are smart enough not to let their patients take an opiate drug for more than 2-3 weeks. However, doctors are busy people, and things can slip their minds. In other cases, they may not be fully aware of the addictive powers of certain drugs.

If you’re prone to addiction, 2-3 weeks of regular opiate use is more than enough to make you addicted to a drug. Sure, it may take a little longer for serious, life-altering addiction to take hold, but you might be surprised by how quickly it can happen. If you’re worried that this is happening to you, stop taking drugs right away. In the event that you still need something to minimize ongoing pain, ask your doctor about alternatives to opiate medication.

Have you obtained drugs illegitimately? There are many ways that people obtain opiate painkillers illegitimately. Some may go to multiple doctors for the purpose of obtaining multiple prescriptions. Some lie about or exaggerate pain in order to obtain unnecessary prescriptions. Some ask family or friends to lie about medical conditions in order to get a prescription drug. Some even buy drugs illegally on the black market. If you’ve done any of these things, this is a major warning sign that you’re addicted.

Are you defensive when questioned about your drug use? When people bring up your drug use, do you feel an intense need to defend yourself? If so, the drug has way too much power over you. It’s recruited you onto its side, and you’re now ready to defend it against anything or anyone that tries to work against it. This is your drug habit priming you for more serious addiction ahead. Soon, you’ll be pushing aside other aspects of your life to continue your drug use. Obviously, this is not a good position to be in, and you should get help for addiction as soon as possible. 

Are you secretive about your drug use? Secretive behavior shows that that you know that what you’re doing is wrong. In your mind, you may come up with all kinds of ways to justify your habit to yourself. But the real truth comes out in your behavior. Are you hiding things from people you love? Are you taking pills in secret when no one is around? Do you look forward to times when you can be alone to enjoy your drug in secret?

However you’re justifying your habit to yourself, these behaviors reveal your dishonesty with yourself. When it comes to drug-related behavior, you should not feel reluctant or afraid to tell your loved ones and your doctors about what you’re doing. Otherwise, you’re in trouble.

Is your life affected by your drug use? Think about how you were in the past. Before you started taking drugs, were you capable of doing more things? And now that you are on drugs, do you find that you avoid certain things, or that you’re less interested in things than you used to be? If so, this is a warning sign that you may be in trouble. Drugs should not control your life.

Is your health suffering? People who are addicted to drugs often neglect doing the basic things they need to do to stay healthy. Have you stopped exercising as much as you used to? Do you often eat less than you should? Do you find that your habit prevents you from getting enough sleep every night? Once you allow your drug habit to start negatively affecting your overall health, you’re heading down a dark path, and it’s time to seek drug treatment.