Symptoms of Painkiller Addiction
More than 106,000 people in the U.S. died from illicit drugs and prescription opioids in 2021. About two-thirds of those overdose deaths were linked to painkillers like fentanyl. Opioids are widely referred to as “painkillers” because they interact with receptors in the brain, blocking pain signals between the body and the brain.
Whether opioids are prescribed or illegally obtained, users are at a high risk of addiction. Recognizing the symptoms of painkiller addiction is crucial for early intervention and treatment.
Types of Painkillers
Painkillers consist of two main categories – opioid and non-opioid, with each offering potential risks and benefits.
- Opioids – Opioid painkillers, such as codeine, oxycodone, and fentanyl, are derived from the opium poppy and bind to opioid receptors in the brain to reduce pain signals. These medications can be highly effective for managing severe pain but also carry a risk of addiction and overdose if misused.
- Non-opioids – Non-opioid painkillers, such as acetaminophen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen, work by blocking the production of pain-causing chemicals in the body. These medications are generally considered safer than opioids but may have risks and side effects.
Common Signs of Painkiller Addiction
According to Mayo Clinic experts, common signs of opioid addiction, known clinically as opioid use disorder (OUD), may include:
- Taking an opioid other than as prescribed.
- Taking opioids “just in case,” even when not in pain.
- Mood changes, including excessive swings from elation to hostility.
- Changes in sleep patterns.
- Borrowing medication or “losing” medications so that more prescriptions must be written.
- Seeking the same prescription from multiple doctors for a “backup” supply.
- Poor decision-making, including putting themselves and others in danger.
Johns Hopkins Medicine adds that the following signs may also point to painkiller addiction:
- Evidence of physical dependence on the drug is exhibited by withdrawal symptoms such as cravings, sweating, stomach cramps, and nausea when drug use stops.
- Continuing to use despite harmful consequences to health, safety, financial security, or personal relationships. Time and focus on getting and using opioids increasingly interfere with daily life.
- Other signs may include:
- Drowsiness
- Weight loss
- Frequent flu-like symptoms
- Decreased libido
- Lack of hygiene
- Changes in exercise habits
- Isolation from family members or friends
- Stealing from family members, friends, or businesses
- Financial difficulties
Risk Factors for Painkiller Addiction
Several factors can increase the risk of developing painkiller addiction, including a personal or family history of addiction or substance abuse, mental health disorders, chronic pain conditions, and trauma or adverse life events.
Additionally, individuals taking higher doses of painkillers or using them for extended periods are more likely to develop tolerance, dependence, and addiction.
1. Genetics – Research suggests that genetics can play a role in the risk of developing opioid addiction. Certain genetic variations can affect how the body processes opioids, making some individuals more susceptible to their addictive properties. Scientists have analyzed the genomic data of more than 1 million individuals and discovered shared genes commonly inherited across addiction disorders, irrespective of the type of substance used.
2. Environment – When individuals are exposed to various stressors and triggers, such as peer pressure, social isolation, and exposure to trauma or adverse life events, their risk of substance abuse and addiction increases. Access to addictive substances, such as prescription opioids or illicit drugs, can also increase the risk of addiction.
3. Mental Health – Individuals who struggle with stress, physical or emotional pain, or mental health conditions like depression or anxiety are more at risk for addiction. Pain often causes emotional distress, leading some individuals to self-medicate with opioids.
Some mental health conditions can co-occur with substance abuse disorders, resulting in a cycle of addiction and worsening mental health symptoms. Therefore, addressing mental health issues promptly and effectively is essential to reduce the risk of developing addiction.
4. Age and Gender – Studies have shown that younger individuals, particularly those in their teens and early twenties, are at a higher risk of developing opioid addiction due to ongoing brain development and increased impulsivity.
Gender differences can also affect the risk of addiction, with men more likely to misuse opioids and women more likely to experience chronic pain conditions that require pain management with opioids.
Long-Term Effects of Painkiller Addiction
Chronic use of opioids can lead to changes in brain structure and function, which may result in cognitive impairment, mood disorders, and other adverse effects. Even non-opioid painkillers, such as NSAIDs, are not safe for excessive or long-term use as they increase the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, kidney damage, and other health problems.
Non-Opioid Painkillers
Non-opioid OTC and prescription painkillers include Aleve, Advil, Motrin, Tylenol, COX-2 inhibitors, some antidepressants, and anticonvulsants like Neurontin and Lyrica. The Cleveland Clinic warns long-term use of non-opioids increases the risk of the following:
- Liver damage.
- Kidney damage.
- High blood pressure.
- Bruising and bleeding.
- Heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular problems (those with existing heart problems or high blood pressure at the highest risk).
- Gastrointestinal bleeding and ulceration can lead to chronic inflammation and damage to the stomach and intestines.
- Skin rashes or blisters.
Physical Effects of Opioid Addiction
- Organ damage – Opioids can cause respiratory depression, leading to decreased oxygen supply to the body’s organs, which can cause organ damage or failure. Long-term use of opioids also increases the risk of liver and kidney damage due to the accumulation of toxic metabolites in these organs.
- Respiratory failure – Prolonged use of opioids or high doses can increase the risk of respiratory depression and failure, which can be life-threatening. Additionally, combining opioids with other drugs that depress the central nervous system, such as alcohol or sedatives, can increase the risk of respiratory depression and further complications.
- Chronic pain – Prolonged use of opioids can increase the sensitivity of pain receptors and decrease the body’s natural ability to modulate pain signals, leading to hyperalgesia, which is an increased sensitivity to pain.
- Increased risk of infection – Opioid abuse can impair immune function and increase susceptibility to respiratory infections such as pneumonia. Using needles to inject drugs increases the risk of skin infections and abscesses and the transmission of infectious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis C.
Psychological Effects of Opioid Addiction
Individuals with painkiller addiction may experience depression, anxiety, irritability, mood swings, and changes in sleep patterns and appetite. Painkiller addiction can also lead to cognitive impairment, such as memory loss, difficulty concentrating, impaired decision-making abilities, and increased suicidal ideation. Additionally, painkiller addiction can lead to social withdrawal, relationship problems, and an overall decrease in quality of life.
Treatment Options for Painkiller Addiction
Stopping opioid use and undergoing the accompanying withdrawal without professional help can be uncomfortable and potentially dangerous. Most experts advise withdrawing under a physician’s care at a medical detox center or hospital. Health professionals can administer medications (medication-assisted treatment) to keep you more comfortable and continuously monitor your vital signs to ensure your physical and mental well-being.
Once you complete detox, you are ready to enter an outpatient or residential treatment program where addiction specialists will help you identify the root causes of your addiction and teach you how to manage it successfully. Participating in a support group during and following rehab will help you stay on track with your recovery.
With the right help and support, individuals can overcome painkiller addiction and reclaim their lives.
Why Choose Midwest Recovery Centers?
Offering a world-class medical detox program and proven extended care treatment model, Midwest Recovery Centers has helped countless people recover from alcohol and drug use and transform their lives. Contact us to learn how we can help you or a loved one overcome addiction.
Reviewed and Assessed by
Taylor Brown, B.A.Com., CADC
Tim Coleman, M. of Ed.
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Medical
Midwest Recovery Centers believes strongly in a client-centered approach. Substance Use Disorder is not what it was 5 or even 2 years ago. The substances on the street are constantly changing and so are the number of contraindications and fatal threats that substance use imposes on the person suffering. Our Medical team continues to stay up to speed with new advances of evidence-based approaches in treating those with both substance use disorder as well as their co-occurring mental health diagnosis. There are many varying pieces to each client’s situation when it comes to tackling the puzzle of a medical detox, and each step in the treatment planning is carefully selected, reviewed, and communicated for the best possible outcome of each client. We understand that consideration of the medical history, family history, past trauma, past and current substance use are all key indicators to most effectively give each client the best chance at developing a recovery process. Each client may present with a different scope of medical needs whether it’s their blood work or the most effective medications for them. Midwest Recovery Centers is proud to have the finest medical team to meet these individual and specific needs of each client that walks through our doors.
Clinical
When it comes to the therapeutic treatment of patients with substance use disorder, Midwest Recovery Centers believes in a client-centered approach guided by evidence-based practices. Substance use disorder has been identified by the American Medical Association as a disease, but because addiction is a disease that impacts behavior, treatment of this disease is often heavily focused on modifying behaviors and thoughts as well as establishing a new way of life. We place a strong emphasis on educating patients about this chronic illness and empowering them to practice treating it as such. Our clinical team is composed of leading experts in the field. We believe in having a staff as diverse as the clients we serve; from Licensed Professional Counselors to Licensed Clinical Social Workers, our staff is highly trained and educated in not only addiction but the mental health issues and life circumstances that often accompany it. Many of our clinicians have their own personal experience in long term recovery which lends them to an even better understanding of what our patients are experiencing. Our staff is highly skilled in choosing the most effective therapeutic modality for each client’s needs, to give them the best chance of securing the recovery process that will change their lives. Our clinical team understands that this is a family disease. This is why clinicians will offer weekly updates to families as well as concrete tools for families to utilize as they journey through this illness with their loved one. Those tools will be offered by the patient’s individual clinician as well as at our free Family Night on the first Wednesday of each month, offered to anyone in the community.
Our Origin Story
I began Midwest Recovery in honor of my mother, Betty Lou Wallace, who taught me responsibility in life and sobriety.
Mom was born, raised, and lived most of her life in Missouri, a state I'm still proud to call home. She had five children. The youngest were my older brother Don and me.
We knew that the disease of addiction ran in the family, but it wasn't until Don and I grew older that we realized we were falling into addictive patterns. Through it all, Mom was supportive of her children but firm about one principle: whether the disease was inherited or developed through your environment, you were responsible for your recovery from addiction.
"I will be supportive of your recovery but I will not enable your addiction," she was fond of saying.
Ultimately, I stayed sober from 1990 to 1997, when I relapsed. With Mom's support, I was able to get sober again in 2002. Tragically, Don was not so lucky. He passed away in 2005 from complications of an injury and continued addiction.
Mom wanted no parent to suffer from the sorrow and anguish of losing a child, so in 2002, she helped me establish my first treatment center business.
As Mom grew older, she shared with me some lessons she had learned through her affiliation with Al-Anon, a support group for family members of loved ones struggling with addiction. She asked me to stay clean and sober one day at a time and to use the lessons I learned in my own recovery to help others who were suffering.
In 2008, Mom passed away from throat cancer, one day after my six year sober anniversary. I still remember that one of the last times we spoke, she told me she was proud of my recovery.
Mom would be so happy to know that myself, our partners, and our team are carrying on her legacy in her home state. I don't know if my own recovery process would be intact without her and the lessons she shared. So much of what we share with our clients at Midwest began with Betty Lou.
Above all, Mom imparted several teachings that I carry with me every day: that people are inherently good, and if they fall into addiction, this makes them sick, not bad. She taught me to be patient, tolerant, loving, and kind to myself and to others.
Most of all, she taught me that recovery works if we are able to be honest with ourselves about our own behavior. That’s what she helped me accomplish and that’s what we strive to accomplish with every Midwest client.
On behalf of Betty Lou, I thank you for your interest in Midwest Recovery.
Jeff Howard
Start Your Recovery Now!
Have A Midwest Recovery Centers' Team Member Call You Today.
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