What to Expect at a Painkiller Addiction Intervention
Intervention: It’s a popular TV show for some reason and also the hardest day of an addict’s life. It’s most likely the tragedy that makes the show so popular but when it comes to prescription medication addiction, how to realistic is the reality show?
Not very. First, it’s not usually as obvious when those who are prescribed painkillers become addicted as it is when, say, alcoholics or meth users get out of control. For the most part, the one taking the drug recognizes it as a problem before anyone else does, anyway which means that in most cases, the painkiller addict rarely needs an intervention because they seek help on their own.
But if you find yourself in the position of having to stage an intervention for a loved one who doesn’t realize that his or her pill use has reached the breaking point, it will most likely look much different. The stumbling, slurring threats probably won’t happen. More like shame, embarrassment, irritation, denial. These are more commonly seen when prescription medication addiction is confronted.
Most people who are addicted to prescription painkillers don’t consider themselves to be addicts in the same way as those who are addicted to street drugs. They didn’t start using the drugs to get high but to manage pain so addiction most likely came as a surprise. Admitting it and facing a detoxification treatment and the withdrawal symptoms that accompany it when attempted without help is not easy. An intervention with a ride to Meditox sitting at the end of it is actually the nicest thing you can do for someone addicted to pain meds: with a team of medical professionals backing them up, your loved one will be able to swiftly and simply kick their habit without the embarrassment of enrolling in a drug rehab or a local addiction maintenance clinic.
So take heart. A painkiller addiction intervention—if conducted in that window of clarity after the last dose has mostly worn off and before the next dose has been taken—can be a calm and ultimately enlightening experience.
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