Pain Killer Addiction: Top 10 Signs You May Have It
Prescription Pain Killer Addiction: The Problem
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, in 2009 there were 7 million abusers of prescription drugs. The majority of this abuse was from prescriptions. Teens typically obtain these prescriptions from family or friends. The number of fatal prescription drug poisonings has more than tripled since 1999. In 2003, 10% of 12th graders reported using Vicodin. (National Institute on Drug Abuse\’s 2003 Monitoring the Future survey of 8th, 10th, and 12th graders.)
I\’ve seen many adults who began using prescription medications for a medical problem such as back pain, only later to become addicted to the medication. Others began experimenting in high school only to find they could not stop using. Finally, I see many patients wondering if they have an addiction. They can\’t stop their medication, but they have never been addicts in the past nor are they experiencing addictive behavior.
Top 10 Signs of Prescription Drug Addiction