How do You Know You are Dependent on Opiates?

Some stories of opiate addiction start with opiate prescriptions. Chronic pain from injuries, joint pain or damage from arthritis, or other chronic conditions like multiple sclerosis can lead to a prescription for an opiate pain medication. Our bodies get used to substances we take and the drug effects can diminish over time. This means higher doses and possibly using more than prescribed. The overuse alone may not cause dependence, but there are ways to identify that you are dependent or that you are on your way to becoming dependent. Being aware of these symptoms can facilitate taking measures to seek out alternate ways to deal with pain to avoid or control opiate addiction.

Symptoms of opiate dependence:

• Excessive yawning – early symptom
• Feeling like you need them throughout the day
• Anxiety – when not having opiates for a while, or when not available
• Thinking of ways to get more opiates if you feel what you get from the doctor is not enough
• Constipation with continued use or diarrhea during a withdrawal period
• Depression
• Apathy
• Muscle aches
• Hot flashes
• Runny nose – flu-like symptoms

More information about addictions can be found by clicking here.

A video that shares some perspective and stories surrounding how opiates become a problem can be watched here.