sister_in_faith Posted December 15, 2011 Report Share Posted December 15, 2011 In annother thread this topic was brought up, and in an attempt to not hijack the other thread I'm gonna go ahead and start a new one. It is an important topic, and a personal one, for me. The fact is that there is a difference between addiction to medications and dependence on medications. As I said in the other thread, it took me years to understand this. I was so terrified of being addicted to medications I would refuse to take them as much as they were prescribed and heaped a lot of unncessary pain on myself. I would always tell my doctors that I didn't want to be addicted to anything, and they would always comment that I didn't have an addictive personality. Then the one stupid doctor who makes a dumb comment that I am addicted to all my medications didn't help. Took another doctor telling me to dump that doctor, and then he explained to me that everyone becomes dependent on their medications, but to be 'addicted' the patient has to exhibit addict like behaviors, like doing anything to obtain medication, etc. I just wanted to put this out there in case there is anyone else who is in my shoes, who is having similar problems. Listen to your doctors!!! Take your meds AS prescribed!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
applepansy Posted December 15, 2011 Report Share Posted December 15, 2011 Appropriate dosing is important in managing pain. I think sometimes people get so afraid of addiction that they set themselves up to fail. It doesn't help that many doctors and nurses do not understand the difference between addition and dependence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sister_in_faith Posted December 15, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2011 Appropriate dosing is important in managing pain. I think sometimes people get so afraid of addiction that they set themselves up to fail. It doesn't help that many doctors and nurses do not understand the difference between addition and dependence.Plus there are a lot of doctors who are so afraid to prescribe narcotic pain medications that even the 'good' patients can run into problems.When my brain tumor was diagnosed I was 'assigned' to an oncologist. He was great. He was a 'close talker', but he was awesome. I was innocent and had NO idea that I could run into the problems I eventually ran into. He treated me, and gave me norco for the pain. If I had a particularly bad headache, or was throwing up a lot, I could go into the infusion center and he would order anything I needed. He was awesome.Then he left the hospital for family reasons (not a good reason in my opinion... I still miss him!!!) So I got a new oncologist, who was an idiot, plain and simple. People I didn't even know came up to me to appologize for having to be his patient! Anyway, that is another story. He started giving me a hard time about being on a lot of different medications. I decided to go to a pain clinic instead of having to deal with him. The pain clinic doctors are the only ones who will prescribe those kinds of drugs (in my area at least). The pain clinic doctor is the one who helped me understand that I wasn't addicted, just dependent.He told me that there are a lot of doctors who are so afraid of the spike in illegal prescription drug use, that they just won't prescribe it at all. It is crazy, and unfortunate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sister_in_faith Posted December 15, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2011 Another thing my pain doctor told me, is that if you are going to take the drug, you might as well take enough of it so that it works!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
applepansy Posted December 15, 2011 Report Share Posted December 15, 2011 I've been blessed to have good doctors for the most part. I've only ran into two idiots in 24 years, one was a pain specialist. The pain clinic I went to was helpful but didn't believe in meds for pain. So I learned other coping strategies and fortunately had a doctor who was willing to fill in the gaps. What surprised me most was my mother's attitude. She's an RN from the old school, so she felt I was an addict because that was what she was taught. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sister_in_faith Posted December 15, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2011 Apple, that is SO funny, because I have the same problem with my mom!!! I am so glad that you have had mostly good doctors!!! I am finally happy with my 'team', and now I just have to put them all under contract to never leave! hee hee hee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annewandering Posted December 15, 2011 Report Share Posted December 15, 2011 My husband and I go to a chronic pain class/group offered by the VA. It is a very popular class! We are taught a lot of coping mechanisms for dealing with pain. One thing they never say is to stop taking meds. What I see is a lot of people try to take as little as possible. Me included. We are all different and what is good for one is not for another. We can support each other but we can not judge others for what they take for their pain. We are not them and they are not us. Our bodies do not react the same. Anyone with chronic pain would do well to get in a group similar because it is very useful, providing it is well led and isnt a group moaning session. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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