For the last several years, the mainstream media has been reporting on the way that painkiller addiction has been working its way into the homes of people who never would have used an illegal drug. This addiction was initiated by the legitimate prescribing of painkillers like Vicodin, Lortab or OxyContin. As a person’s body builds tolerance to the pills, they need more of the drug just to feel normal and keep the pain away. This route to addiction is insidious because the person using the medication may not even realize when legitimate medical use slips into misuse and addiction.
Now, the story is emerging of how soldiers returning from deployments overseas either come back addicted to pain medication or how it develops after they continue the medication in the US.
One of the latest media stories on this tragic problem appeared in the Huffington Post. According to a study published on their website, nearly half the soldiers who return from deployment have chronic pain and 15% are using opioid (synthetic opiates) painkillers.
It’s also notable that of those taking painkillers, 44% state that they have had mild or no pain in the last month.
It’s generally a combat injury that starts this road to addiction. Once a person is on an opioid drug for several weeks, his body will usually be dependent on that substance. That means that it will go into withdrawal if he tries to quit. At that point, he needs the help of his medical staff to wean him off the drug and use other methods to alleviate any pain he may still suffer.
It’s good to see that the National Public Radio report on this situation included the information that the Veterans Administration is trying other resources to help veterans with pain, including acupuncture, aqua therapy, pool therapy, physical therapy and other non-opiate medications. Using these and other alternatives would be part of the bigger picture of preventing painkiller addiction.
Some of these veterans who become addicted will lose everything as a result of addiction, up to and including their homes, their military careers, their families and their self-respect. They deserve the right care to prevent drug addiction from stealing everything they value. After all, they risked everything, right down to their lives, to protect and defend their country.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/01/soldiers-opioid-painkillers
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/07/10/329904066/veterans-face-another-battle-fighting-prescription-drug-addiction