FOUR FACTS ABOUT DRUG ADDICTION....SECOND OF THREE POSTS SO READ SECOND!

As I said in my last post, I had a mystery of my own.  I'm going to be very honest here and confess something...i am recovering from a 5 year addiction to legally prescribed narcotic pain medication.  There, I said it and now it's real.  I was way over-prescribed and was convicted of it.  Do I need them?  Yes and no.  I do at times physically but not like I've been taking them and that's as preventative and not as needed.  Let me be perfectly clear on drug addicts and you need to pay close attention to a few things.

One, nobody ever wakes up and says "today I'm going to become a junkie," and that's whether you're addicted to codeine or heroin.  A drug addict is a drug addict be it from a doctor of medicine or a drug dealer on the corner.  

Two, once you are addicted to any drug (there's a difference between physical dependence such as is the case with steroids and addiction to an opiate or benzo) you are no longer in control but the drug controls you.  You are not weak or cowardly either so don't ever tell a loved one that as it is not helpful but rather makes it so much harder for them to WANT to get help.  If you have a loved one who is addicted, call AA or NA for guidance and there's also some very helpful sites on the internet on how to help.

Three, drug addicts addicted to pain meds are not getting high off of them.  They take them to feel "normal."  You get so sick mentally and physically if you just stop cold turkey and you'd better have a good plan and support system in place before ever going that route.  That is why so many turn to heroin, that and the reason below.

Four, once you reach a certain amount of pills, say 4 at once, you could take 8 and it wouldn't make you high but really, really sick.  It's called chasing the dragon.  That's one of the reasons why so many people are overdosing and dying because of the opiod crisis.  

And then God shows up....read the 3rd and final part to my mystery!