A paracetamol, ibuprofen 600, Advil or other painkillers are sometimes just a necessity. Sometimes even for long periods of time, but if you don't actually need a painkiller or take much more than the maximum dose, you can suffer from an addiction to painkillers. You would think that this is not dangerous, since you can just get these drugs at the drugstore and pharmacy, but if you take too much of them, it is dangerous.
Therefore, in this article, I discuss addiction to painkillers and what you can do about it.
Why can painkillers be addictive?
No one who takes painkillers does so with the idea that it can be addictive. After all, you can already buy them at the drugstore. If you suffer from a headache or cramps once, it is easy to take a quick painkiller instead of looking at alternative treatments. A glass of water can often do wonders as well.
Sometimes it is also more difficult to do something about the pain through alternative avenues than through prescribed avenues at the doctor's office, making it easy to get painkillers. While, for example, hypnosis also works well to reduce pain .
You often get painkillers, such as Ibuprofen 600 after a tooth is pulled, for a while after surgery . Those painkillers can make you a little groggy, and you may find that a pleasant feeling that makes you finish the whole box, when you don't really need that much.
That drowsy feeling also makes you think less, which actually suppresses emotional problems as well. Because of this, a painkiller can be mentally addictive. For feelings of stress and anxiety, you may take a painkiller because you have been led to believe that it will make you feel less bothered, but then you might as well take a placebo.
Painkillers also help you relax. For example, a paracetamol helps relax your blood vessels which you also notice in your muscles. If you are mentally tense you often have tense muscles as well which exacerbates this feeling.
Or if someone has been a dentist , years of posturing can cause chronic pain in the neck for which you have to take painkillers. I once heard a story of a retired dentist who sat with this problem and each time managed to pressure his doctor to prescribe him more or a heavier painkiller. To the point where he was just addicted to morphine which you really only get in the hospital. Eventually he went to rehab to learn to deal with chronic pain in a different way.
The downside is that if you have chronic pain and always need painkillers for it, or need to find an alternative. If you take painkillers for a long time you will need more and more over time as the example of the dentist illustrates well. As a result, one paracetamol is no longer enough, but you have to take the whole strip for the same effect.
Fortunately, most painkillers are not physically addictive, as alcohol is. For a mental addiction, you must already have problems you want to suppress. So in general, it doesn't hurt to take painkillers for a month, or several if the doctor prescribes it.
What are the effects of too many painkillers?
Like most medications, painkillers have side effects. The more painkillers you take the greater the likelihood of these side effects.
If you only look at a paracetamol you will see that too many tablets can cause liver damage. If you eat many tablets at one time, such as an entire strip, it is important to contact your doctor.
After taking paracetamol for years, you can also suffer from side effects, such as damage to the kidneys and liver. This can then be seen by yellowish skin, yellowish discoloration of the eyes, frequent urination, sore throat and feeling tired.
In addition, combinations of paracetamol with other medications can be dangerous. In the news now, for example, much is being made of the fact that the artist Prince took a lot of paracetamol in combination with oxycodone and that an overdose of this probably killed him. And this even though this medication was simply prescribed.
Taking ibuprofen for an extended period of time (years) can also be harmful to your body, especially your stomach. You can suffer stomach perforations and stomach ulcers from taking ibuprofen for years. These can even be fatal.
Tips against painkiller addiction
To avoid becoming addicted to painkillers and to get rid of an addiction, I have some tips for you.
Tip #1: Read the package insert
The package insert contains information about the maximum number of painkillers you can take per day and what side effects you can get from the medication. Just assume that if you go over that maximum dose you will suffer the side effects anyway, and stick to the maximum dosage to minimize the chance of addiction.
Tip 2: Challenge yourself to stop
If you don't stop taking painkillers because you're afraid you might get hurt somewhere, that's an idea that's getting in your way. By challenging yourself to quit it you can find that your fear of pain was not necessary for anything, and you can also find that it was your thought process that kept you addicted and not your body. After all, it's not a drink.
Caution! If you need to withdraw from heavier painkillers, such as morphine, you may well experience withdrawal symptoms such as temporary memory loss, which is why you should stop taking these medications under supervision. These tips are really for ibuprofen and paracetamol addicts.
Tip 3: Relax
Usually, addiction to painkillers is psychological. If you don't have a condition that causes you chronic pain, you can assume this. Stress and anxiety can cause you to reach for a painkiller. By relaxing you reduce feelings of stress and you can also reduce your anxiety . Self-hypnosis is a good way to relax and de-stress. Lie or sit in a comfortable place and take a few deep breaths in and out. While doing so, try to relax your muscles as well.
This allows you to shift the urge to take that pill for a while so it goes away.
Treatment for painkiller addiction
Hypnosis is a great way to get rid of an XTC, cocaine or ritalin addiction. As a result, I also think it is the way for you to get rid of a painkiller addiction. In addition, hypnosis itself can be used against chronic pain, making it just right for someone with an addiction to painkillers. It is always still better for your body to be "addicted" to hypnosis that has no side effects than to be addicted to a pill that does have side effects.
Because an addiction to painkillers that you can just get at the drugstore and pharmacy is primarily psychological, a hypnotherapist will explore your beliefs about pain with you. After all, your beliefs have the most influence on your behavior.
Next, your triggers are also explored. At what times do you reach for your pain medication? Is it a ritual that now comes with brushing your teeth in the morning or evening? Or does something always happen that makes you feel like you have to take a painkiller because otherwise you won't be okay?
If it appears that taking a painkiller has become a routine or ritual, hypnotherapy can help you break that routine so you don't take unnecessary painkillers.
If it turns out that taking a painkiller is happening to reduce stress or anxiety, the hypnotherapist can give you tools to deal with that stress or anxiety in a different way so that you no longer need a painkiller for it.
These two modes of intervention can be changed with techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy and neuro linguistic programming while under hypnosis.
In addition, you may not be able to find a logical cause for using painkillers. In that case, regression can be a good way to find the cause. During regression therapy, you can recall memories that have influenced your development and may have disrupted it, making you more prone to addiction to painkillers now. During such a session, you can look more neutrally at that moment and see how that moment created your current beliefs. You can also "rewrite" your reaction to that moment during the regression so that you are less affected by the feelings that created the addictive element in your life.
Want to learn more about what hypnosis can do for you and others around you? Then check out Hypnosis Institute Netherlands' seminars and trainings.
