Chronic pain affects one out of three or four adults; millions of people suffer from severe disabling pain. Opioids used as the doctor has prescribed are supposedly not dangerous according to some well-established medical groups; but if this is the case, why are so many people addicted to them? A person exhibits compulsive behavior to satisfy their craving for a pain killer or pain medication even when there are negative consequences associated with taking the pain killer or drug.

There are many side effects and adverse reactions that can occur with the use of opioids as pain killers. 2.2 million people aged 12 and up first abused painkillers within the past year; this is more than the number of people who started using marijuana and has overtaken the use of cocaine. More than 415,000 people received treatment for pain killer abuse or addiction this past year.

Many chronic pain patients may be under-treated as a result of doctors who are trying to gain control over pain killer addiction, they report. Less common side effects and adverse reactions of pain killers are: confusion, hallucinations, delirium, hives, itching, hypothermia, bradycardia (slow heart rate), tachycardia (rapid heart rate), raised intracranial pressure, ureteric or biliary spasm, muscle rigidity and flushing. There are a number of effective treatment options to treat pain killer addiction to prescription opioids and to help manage the sometimes severe withdrawal symptoms that can accompany sudden stopping of pain killers or drugs.

Although detoxification is not a treatment for pain killer addiction, it can help relieve withdrawal symptoms while the patient adjusts to being free of pain killers or other prescription drugs. Many other drugs can interact with the opioids and cause a variety of symptoms; this can be fatal. Treatment options for pain killer addiction include: medications, such as methadone and LAAM (levo-alpha-acetyl-methadol), and behavioral counseling; usually, the patient is medically detoxified before any treatment approach is begun.

Pain killer addiction includes: opiate dependency, opiate addiction, narcotic dependency, narcotic addiction, and pain killer dependency or painkiller dependency. An opioid-dependent pain patient has improved function with the use of the drug while an opioid-addicted patient does not have improvement. If you are addicted to pain killers or other drugs or think you may be, you can start working to increase the body's endorphin production naturally; some ways are laughing, touching, massage, acupuncture, acupressure, walking, anything that makes you feel good that's natural.

Some insurance companies will pay for one or two weeks; some may pay for rehabilitation too. If you can't do an in-patient rehab, find out how you can do outpatient rehab and pay for it under your insurance plan; check your insurance policy to see if it's covered. If you don't have insurance, check with your local mental health agencies to see what is available that's free.

It's important to go through rehab following your detox stay: make it a part of your plan of action. Many insurance plans do cover inpatient detox, check yours if you have insurance. All other demands of children, a job, school, or any other responsibilities may make inpatient treatment seem like an intrusion but it's not.

Experts say that only a small segment of patients with a medical need for using narcotic pain medications ever become addicted. The many problems that are associated with pain killer addiction and abuse have experts, doctors and authorities searching for solutions. Do things that make you feel good as long as it's natural.