Posted by Jackie L (207.108.105.173) on August 17, 2001 at 00:00:31:
In Reply to: Interesting comments posted by Todd on August 16, 2001 at 23:24:22:
the simplest way to explain this and how it has been explain to me by pain management doc's and also through just investigating stuff on my own..and educating myself on my own meds...My doctor has also provided me with doctor only litature on this subject...
Addiction = is a craving for the drug...meaning you want it for the "high" feeling and you HAVE TO HAVE IT...and will do anything to get that drug...and this is when you are not in having real pain...but a craving for the drug...
Dependence = When you take ANY narcotic over a period of time..(and other meds are included in this to not just narcotics) you have to wean off of them...Your brain isn't telling you that you HAVE TO HAVE THE NARC's but your Body Will go through some signs of withdrawl if you stop them suddenly...from not having that medicine in your system anymore..but that doesn't mean you are addicted to the meds...If you cut back and do so under doc's care you can minimize alot if not all of the adverse reactions that your body will have going off of the meds... Meaning TAPER OFF OF THEM AND NOT COLD TURKEY!!! You also have pain relief BUT not the "high" from the meds...you can't tell you have taken them...with dependence you don't get the craving for the drug per se...
Basically are you taking them for pain or for the "high" are you trying to "fake" and get the drugs through ANY means possible...that is another indication of addiction...
The other point I would like to make is that Any time you start on narcotics do so under doc's close supervision... and DON"T STOP THEM COLD TURKEY... If you are taking them responsible and have true pain the only thing you should feel is pain relief...when first starting you might get a little tired etc.... If you are getting a CONSTANT "high" from the meds after a short period of time then the dose is TO HIGH!!! and you need to contact your doctor to get the dose adjusted...
I for one HATE ANYTHING that makes me feel out of control or high.... I refuse to take meds like that (and I have had some non narcotic meds do that to me...eg: relafen)I want pain relief and that is all...no added effects for me... I think the majority of TRUE pain patients feel the same way about this statement...You just want to be free of the pain...
This is hard to explain in a short little statement but I hope that I helped with what you were asking about the difference between addiction and dependency...I could add much more but this is the basics of it...
Jackie L.