The Stages of Painkiller Addiction

In many American communities the abuse of prescription painkillers has surpassed that of marijuana and cocaine. Studies show that more than 2 Million Americans use painkillers every year.  Many patients are prescribed painkillers (also commonly called opiates or narcotics) for legitimate medical concerns, i.e. to control pain from serious injuries or to make post-operative pain bearable. 

Well-known painkillers, such as Vicodin, Percocet and Oxycontin are highly addictive and for good reasons. This class of drugs kills pain from nerve endings found throughout the body to the spinal cord and then to the brain. When the brain becomes involved, dopamine is released.

Dopamine, essentially, delivers a feeling of overall wellness – not only is the pain gone; dopamine makes you feel happy as well. To a would-be drug addict, lack of pain + feeling good can be an irresistible combination. Without proper medical supervision, use of painkillers can go on well beyond the time they are needed and may result in addiction.

If you are concerned that you (or someone you know) have crossed the line into addiction, here are some warning signs to be on the look-out for:

• Patient needs to take more of the medication in order to get relief from pain.  You should tell your doctor if the meds are no longer working and you may get a new prescription.  If the person just keeps taking more, the body will need more and more to achieve the same effect, which can result in addiction. Often, at this stage, the patient is not trying to avoid pain, but is looking to get "high" from the drugs instead.


• Early addiction to painkillers can also result in personality and behavior changes. As addiction grows, everything else becomes secondary – look for people who used to be quite sociable to now seem to be "hiding out".


• Mid-stage addiction to painkillers can find the user missing work or school on a regular basis. They are spending more time sleeping and are obsessed with how to get more of their drug of choice.


• Full-blown addiction to painkillers has many repercussions.  Someone who is typically "tidy" about their appearance suddenly loses interest in grooming, bathing and shaving.  They may not be eating or sleeping as they had before painkillers entered their lives. Along with "letting themselves go", they will often let go of their responsibilities; quitting work or school altogether is not uncommon because it is now hard for the addict to function.


• Late-stage addiction finds the addict doing little or nothing; literally. Most of their time is spent in somewhat of a stupor and their speech may become incoherent.  In order to get more of the drugs, some addicts resort to stealing, forging prescriptions and other criminal acts. By this time you no longer recognize the person you once knew; if they continue to use they will likely end up jailed, hospitalized or dead.

Serious physical consequences are directly related to abuse of painkillers. These drugs are known to lower blood pressure, slow heart rate and pulse and to interfere with respiratory functions.  Overdose is not uncommon and can easily (and unexpectedly) result in death – the risk of overdose is heightened when you add other drugs/alcohol to the mix.

Withdrawal symptoms can be difficult to handle, but it can be done. Symptoms experienced may include any or all of the following: Uncontrollable twitching or movement of body parts, profuse sweating, chills, fever nausea, vomiting, bone pain, restlessness and insomnia.

Many thousands of people are recovering from painkiller addiction

Most addicts find it nearly impossible to quit using painkillers without help.  There are many reputable treatment centers all across the globe that are prepared to help you or your loved one. Additionally, Twelve-Step Programs (such as Narcotics Anonymous – N.A.) have helped many addicts to recover and to reclaim their lives.