Pain-Free Pain Management: How Do I Get Off Painkillers?
You are here:If you’re addicted to painkillers you started taking to treat your chronic pain, you may feel hopeless about your condition. If you’ve made the decision to seek treatment for your addiction, congratulations! Recovery may well be the best gift you’ll ever give yourself. Following are some of the most effective steps you can take to get off prescription opioids.
- Find a reputable treatment center. In this setting, you’ll be cared for by trained medical staff who can safely wean you off prescription painkillers. Medications such as Suboxone are particularly good at reducing the unpleasant side effects of opioid withdrawal, but must be taken under medical supervision.
- Work with a drug counselor to learn about the exact nature of your addiction. Merely detoxing from painkillers, without addressing your underlying addiction, will almost certainly set you up for a relapse.
- Consider individual therapy to better cope with the causes and consequences of your addiction. Your personal and professional relationships have likely suffered as a result of your addiction. A good therapist can help you rebuild trust and restore confidence.
- Join a 12-step group, such as Narcotics Anonymous, to gain the support of fellow addicts. Building a network of sober friends will help you develop a strong defense against relapsing, or replacing painkillers with another substance.
- Find a doctor who specializes in pain management without the use of prescription opioids. Be honest about your addiction from the outset, so your practitioner can help you in the safest possible way.
- Enlist the support of family members, loved ones, and trusted friends. It’s important that others understand what you’re going through, so they can learn how to help you. Open up about your addiction, when it is safe to do so.
Becoming hooked on painkillers is not the sign of a flawed character or moral weakness. Prescription opioids are highly addictive, a fact that some doctors and pharmaceutical companies have sought to minimize for decades.
Learning how to live a pain-free life without painkillers can be very difficult. You don’t have to suffer alone any longer, however. The first step is asking for help. You can do this!
Hope exists in recovery. Design For Change offers a refuge for addicts seeking recovery in a long term residential program with a full continuum of care options. Grounded in the 12 step philosophy, our programs focus on creating change by taking action. Call us today for information on how we are changing lives, one step at a time: (877) 267-3646
