Living with chronic pain can, in many cases, be nearly impossible. Simple daily tasks can be challenging, let alone living a normal, healthy life. Chronic pain gets in the way of hobbies, hygiene, relationships, work, school, family life, and more. However, there are ways of dealing and coping with chronic pain that doesn’t involve using dangerous prescription pills. Keep reading to learn more about the management of pain and medications while dealing with chronic pain.
What Is Chronic Pain?
Chronic pain is pain that is ongoing and usually lasts longer than six months, according to Cleveland Clinic. This type of pain can continue even after the injury or illness that caused it has healed or gone away. Pain signals remain active in the nervous system for weeks, months, or years. Some people suffer chronic pain even when there is no past injury or apparent body damage. Chronic pain is linked to conditions that include:
- Headache
- Arthritis
- Cancer
- Nerve pain
- Back pain
- Fibromyalgia
Chronic Pain and Addiction
One of the ways to treat chronic pain is by taking medications. Medications help alleviate the symptoms associated with chronic pain so that sufferers can live more normal, symptom-free lives. However, chronic pain medications are highly addictive and can make chronic pain worse.
Medications prescribed for the management of pain include:
- Over the counter medications, such as Tylenol or Advil
- Narcotic pain medications, such as Fentanyl, Dilaudid, or Oxycodone
- Antidepressants
- Sleep aids
- Anxiety medications
While medication is a helpful tool for the management of pain when used in the short term and under the careful supervision of medical professionals, ongoing use of them can be very dangerous. They are highly addictive and can lead to a long battle against chronic pain.
Addiction knows no bounds and can happen to anybody at any time. Signs you may have become addicted to your management of pain with pills include:
- Drug-seeking behavior, such as multiple prescriptions at multiple pharmacies
- Your chronic pain symptoms are worsening or not improving
- Withdrawal from enjoyable hobbies or activities
- Poor performance in school or work
- Obtaining medications on the black market or taking more than prescribed
- Too much time spent thinking about drugs, including obtaining them, anxiety over how many you have left, being high from them, being hungover from them, and more
- Financial troubles due to money spent on your medications
- Using your chronic pain as a defense to others for taking so much medication
Tips for Living with Chronic Pain
There is no single cookie-cutter treatment for chronic pain. Everyone’s levels of pain are different. This makes chronic pain such a personal journey to overcome, requiring individualized treatment plans. However, some simple tips for living with chronic pain you can start incorporating today include:
- Understand your condition. The more you learn about chronic pain and your illness, the better you will manage it.
- Reduce stress. This can be easier said than done, but stress is a trigger for many chronic pain conditions. Keeping stress levels low through healthy eating, exercise, hobbies, and more will help your condition.
- Cut back on alcohol and smoking. Alcohol and smoking can make it more difficult to recover and affect healthy, restful sleep.
- Find fellowship. By joining a support group of others suffering from chronic pain, you can trade advice, learn new tips, or simply have an understanding shoulder to lean on.
- Seek holistic therapies. Massage therapy, yoga, chiropractic, and acupuncture are just a few examples of holistic therapies that significantly improve chronic pain conditions.
- Get help. If you feel as if the only way to manage your pain is through dangerous prescription medication, there is a way out. We can help you learn to live a life free of addiction while improving your chronic pain condition.
About The Pointe Malibu Recovery Center
Living with chronic pain without the use of dangerous prescription pills is possible. You do not have to rely on a prescription to live your life. You can reclaim your life from chronic pain and not worry about the high risk of overdose or death from taking your medications.
The Pain Recovery Program at The Pointe Malibu Recovery Center is here to help you with your chronic pain, suffering, dependence, and addiction. Our clinical and medical professionals assist you in understanding the origins of your suffering so that you can be more in tune with your condition. Rather than depending on medications or surgery, you will be offered alternative measures to reduce your pain and lessen your suffering. We will help facilitate the decrease or elimination of harmful medications so that you will experience lower pain levels and improved quality of life. We provide world-class opioid addiction experts and real-world, effective treatment solutions. Each plays a critical role within the umbrella of our Integrated Care Alliance.
Your multidisciplinary team uses the Comprehensive Diagnostic Evaluation to recommend an individualized treatment plan, incorporating effective medical, psychiatric, and therapeutic strategies appropriate for you. This comprehensive approach to evaluation ensures that your future health and wellness needs are matched with the proper treatment modalities and level of care.
Your Assessment Team Includes:
- Physicians
- Chronic Pain Experts
- Physical Therapists
- Psychiatrists
- Trauma Therapists
- Dieticians
- Psychologists
- Addiction Therapists
- Spiritual Therapists
If you’re ready to start your journey to long-lasting recovery from chronic pain and dangerous medications, our addiction treatment team is here for you.
