The interesting challenge about making a generalization as to whether people should or should not take opioid medications for pain management is that no two people are exactly alike. Many doctors are suggesting that opioids do not need to be considered for the treatment of pain until every other method has been tried. Increasingly, studies are finding that more holistic approaches to pain management work in providing pain relief. Opioids can be a last resort medication or prescribed for severe pain. Many other doctors continue to point out the fact that not everyone can or will get addicted to opioid medications. People can have a predisposition to addiction which makes their brains more susceptible to the heavy effects of opioid medications. As the opioid epidemic has revealed, however, people who do not have a predisposition to addiction will still respond in an additive manner to the opioid medications. Part of the reason the opioid epidemic has grown to such proportions is that people were surprised by their developed dependency on the opioid medications. Even more surprising was the fact that the drugs stopped treating pain and when they weren’t taking the drugs, they were craving them.
That being said, it is difficult to definitively claim whether or not it is safe to take opioids. When taken by the rules of the prescription for only the length of time prescribed opioids can be effective in managing pain. People are capable of responsibly taking opioid pain meds and not becoming addicted to them. In small doses, opioids can have a profound effect on relieving pain and helping a patient cope with physical trauma, recovery from a surgery, and more.
Another question which commonly comes up in regards to taking opioid medications is whether or not it is safe for someone in recovery from substance abuse to take opioid medications. Until the use of opioids is no longer a standard for pain treatment by doctors, it is likely that in the event of a serious accident, physical trauma, injury, or surgery, someone in recovery will be prescribed an opioid. The risk is very, very high for relapse into addiction. Doctors should be made aware of the addiction history and seek out non-addictive alternatives or require careful monitoring of medication management. People in recovery regularly go through surgeries which require them to take the opioid medications without abusing them or relapsing into opioid addiction.
Pain management in the age of the opioid epidemic is leaving people struggling to heal their pain and their dependence on opioid drugs. Avalon By The Sea offers a residential program for pain management as a primary issue in addition to substance abuse issues. A trusted program providing trusted results, Avalon is a trusted provider of mental health care. Call us now for a confidential assessment and more information: 888-958-7511.
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