Getting treatment at a specialized facility is one of the best ways to beat an addiction. However, drug use misinformation and popular misconceptions can make that difficult.
To help you cut through to the truth, here are some of the most common myths about drugs, why they’re wrong, how they’re misleading you, and what you should do.
Myt`hs About Drugs #1: If You’re Hurting, up the Dosage Yourself
To start with, it’s not uncommon to hear people say that if you’re in a lot of pain, just take a couple of extra pills of whatever painkiller the doctor already prescribed. This couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, increasing the dosage yourself can lead to dramatic consequences if you’re not careful. Consequences can range from ineffective pain relief to addiction or even death. If your medication isn’t doing its job of making you feel better, bring it up to your doctor, and take advantage of your doctor’s expertise. They can help you understand how much dosage you need and the dangers of self-medication.
At our pain clinics, we have programs designed specifically for regulating medication dosage and helping patients control their intake.
Drug Myth #2: Medication Ends When You Feel Better
At the other end of the spectrum, there are a lot of people who believe medication only lasts as long as you feel bad. It can be tempting to give up the minor inconvenience of needing to remember to take your medicine. Once again, though, the consequences can be dangerous. Many types of medication are about more than just alleviating your immediate symptoms. They’re about building long-term resistance and making sure your illness doesn’t come back. If taking your medication is proving to be particularly difficult, have a talk with your doctor and see if your doctor has an alternative solution that might be easier for you to handle. If money is your primary concern, your doctor may also have a cheaper alternative or a different payment plan.
Drug Myth #3: You Can’t Have an Addiction to Medicine Your Doctor Prescribes
This is a particularly dangerous myth, especially because many people believe it to be partially true. Most people know better than to think that when a doctor prescribes medication, you won’t have an addiction problem with the medication. However, many see addiction to medication as being much harder when compared to illegal drugs. That is unfortunately not true. In fact, it’s very easy to have an addiction to prescribed medicine, especially painkillers. If you believe that you are starting to develop a dependent relationship with your painkillers, your doctor may be able to help. A simple switch to another type of painkiller might be enough. If it’s late, then recovery and care at an organization like Encore Health Group may be necessary. A pain medication therapy management program may be able to provide the help you need.
How We Can Help
Medication is one strategy for dealing with pain, but it’s not the only option out there. Through a variety of programs, we can deal with your pain. Such strategies include interventional pain management, medication management or medication-assisted therapy. We can help you find the right solution to your pain. Whether you’re dealing with consistent chronic pain or acute pain that doesn’t go away, we can help identify the best course of action for you.
There is a lot of drug use misinformation out there. However, if you consult the experts, you can get a much better idea of how to manage your pain and how to avoid building a dependence.
