It's kind of become the designer addiction of the week. With more and more stars stepping forward admitting their addiction to prescription drugs, the topic makes headlines all the time.

It's practically become a joke in the entertainment industry, but it's anything but funny. For those in the throes of its hold on them, pain killer addiction is a very serious, life altering problem.

Pain killer addiction happens for a number of reasons. First and foremost, it must be stated that most people who are addicted to them, don't intend to become so. In fact, many who are addicted to the drugs began taking them to fight off serious pain and at the request of a doctor who thought it as best to treat that pain with medication.

The problem here is the best drugs for treating pain in most cases are also addictive.

Since they are both useful and harmful, the problem doctors and patients face in using these drugs is a big one. It's a very delicate balance to make sure a patient gets the pain relief her or she needs without becoming addicted to medications.

Sometimes, unfortunately, that balance is not maintained. The reasons for this are many, but perhaps most prominent is the fact that each person tends to respond to pain killers differently. One person might become addicted within a few weeks whereas another might never become addicted.

What is pain killer addiction?

Basically, it is any dependency on pain killers. The addiction can be psychological, physical or both. The extent will depend on the type of pain killer involved, but unfortunately oftentimes it's a combination of both.

When physical dependencies are included, breaking a habit can be even more difficult. This is because the body begins to actually depend on the drug to function correctly.

When physical dependency is present, those who want to make a serious attempt to kick and addiction often need to seek medical advice. Sometimes hospitalization is needed to help a person get through the cleaning out phase.

Some drugs can present very serious issues when a person is withdrawing from them. These can include tremors, sweats, heart palpitations, and more. The consequences can be as severe as death in some cases unless close medical supervision is included in the mix.

So, why do people bother with pain killers at all?

The simple fact of the matter is that sometimes people need pain killers to get over a hump. Car accidents, surgery and so on can present with very extreme pain. For a person's body to begin to heal, the pain must be subdued or blocked to allow relaxation and rest.

Avoiding pain killer addiction might not always be possible, but patients can do their part to minimize the risk. Only use pain killers that have been prescribed by a doctor. Don't use them longer than you need to. If the pain goes away before the prescription does, stop taking the medication. Use common sense.

Sadly for many, the addiction isn't something they can avoid getting. However, there is help out there to assist those dealing with this most difficult condition. It might make headlines, but pain killer addiction is anything but a joke or a fad.

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