Dual Diagnosis Treatment Center in Redmond
To avoid pain medicine addiction: Take the drug exactly as your doctor prescribes. Tell your doctor about any personal or family history of drug abuse or addiction; this will help them prescribe the medicines that will work best for you.
Remember, it’s common for people to develop a tolerance to pain medication and to need higher doses to get the same level of pain relief. This is normal and is not a sign of addiction. With addiction, you may need to use higher doses, but it’s not for pain relief. Still, talk to your doctor if this effect becomes troubling.
People who continue to take drugs will find that their brain is less responsive to them. This will continue for as long the person continues to use drugs. This is called tolerance. It causes the person to feel less high as they did before they took the drug. They can take more of it to get the same effects. People often find it difficult to enjoy the things they used love, such as eating and sexual activity.
Long-term abuse can cause brain changes and other chemical systems to be altered. This can lead to problems in learning, judgements, decision-making, stress, memory, behavior, and even behaviour. Due to the way drugs work, many addicts continue using drugs even though they realize the consequences.