Chronic Pain and Rehab: How to Manage Addiction and Health

If you struggle with chronic pain and addiction, making the decision to receive treatment at a rehab center can feel like choosing between two types of suffering. Here is what you need to know about the Saint Cloud rehab centers that will help you manage both your physical health and your addiction.

The Relationship Between Chronic Pain and Addiction

Doctors usually diagnose chronic pain after months or years of consistent pain. This pain may fluctuate somewhat in that time, but it must be regular and non-improving to be chronic pain.

Many people who suffer from chronic pain are frequently prescribed opioids to treat their symptoms. Though these drugs are often provided legally, addiction to these substances has become an epidemic in the United States as a means of managing pain.

In Saint Cloud alone, 10 percent of the population have significant disabilities. Though disability does not always equate to chronic pain, the two are often linked. Moreover, chronic pain often appears without a disability diagnosis.

In instances in which chronic pain goes undiagnosed or is misdiagnosed, the individuals suffering from these symptoms desperately seek relief through self-medicating, using both illegal and prescribed drugs.

How Do Doctors Approach Chronic Pain?

Chronic pain is different for every individual and can be the result of disability, injury, surgery, or other life strains. As a result, medical professionals struggle to treat the root causes of pain. In turn, these addictive prescriptions become the go-to solution.

However, chronic pain is rarely a temporary issue. Patients experience and adjust to short-term pain relief with these drugs that are masking a chronic situation. This leads people to use controlled substances long-term, which drastically increases the chance of drug abuse.

I Take Medication for Pain—Am I Addicted?

Using medication under your doctor’s advice to manage chronic pain is nothing to be ashamed of. In some cases, medications for pain management are the only option for patients whose pain cannot be cured. It is not wrongful to want relief from constant pain.

However, you should carefully watch your likelihood of addiction, especially if you are predisposed to substance abuse.

Here are some warning signs that your are abusing your prescription medications:

• You take more than the advised dose. This could mean that you feel the urge to take a pain pill too soon after taking one, or even taking more tablets/an increased dosage than medically recommended.
• You feel as though you cannot function physically and emotionally without the medication. This often results in a type of panicked feeling or anxiety if you do not have access to your prescription.
• You look for doctors who will prescribe these medications without too much questioning or examination.
• You might start feeling unusual if you have an opioid addiction. This may mean you feel more agitated, lonely, depressed, or defensive over the use of medications. If you think that taking prescribed drugs are consuming your mind, look at rehabs in Saint Cloud.

What to Expect in a Saint Cloud Rehab Center

As you come to terms with your addiction, it can be hard to accept that you will have to totally stop your dependency on your medications. This can be a frightening reality for chronic pain patients to face when looking at drug rehabs. But there is hope for both pain and addiction management.

In a Saint Cloud rehab center, you will have a unique program that is created specifically for you. This will factor in your type of addiction, your chronic pain, and your mental health, among other factors.

It is vitally important to be sure that you have a record of all your all health problems so that you can have the best possible treatment plan for your needs.

How Can a Saint Cloud Rehab Center Help Your Chronic Pain and Addiction?

Some patients seeking addiction help have preconceived notions that they will have to abide by the “cold turkey” method, in which they quit all addictive substances in one go.

However, rehab centers offer many different options that make the process of detox smoother and less painful, including therapy, support groups, and even medically supervised detox. The goal for treatment is to conquer your addiction without causing more pain and unnecessary discomfort.

In fact, many addiction survivors still take medication for preexisting conditions such as anxiety, migraines, and other types of chronic pain. Receiving professional treatment does not equate to giving up all of your medications.

So how will you battle substance abuse without relapsing into severe and debilitating pain? More importantly: How will you leave rehab with the skillset you need to live your life of chronic pain without resorting to drug abuse?

Your Saint Cloud rehab center’s programming should include:

• Holistic approaches that steer away from triggering chemical dependency. This might be include professional care like individual psychotherapy, group counseling, or other treatments that will help you handle the mental stresses of chronic pain.
• Structured activities and healthy meals. Oftentimes, lifestyle changes like regular sleeping habits and nutritious foods can help mitigate your chronic pain symptoms.
• Inpatient and outpatient services. Drug rehab is not one-size-fits-all, and the same programs will not work for everyone.
• Dual diagnosis treatment programs. Just like chronic pain contributes largely to substance use disorder, so does mental health. Dual diagnosis works to treat mental health along with addiction, which can help you learn to manage your chronic pain and mental illness symptoms without drugs.
• Non-opiate medications. There are other forms of medicinal treatment for chronic pain that will not have the same risks as controlled substances and other prescription drugs. These medications might reduce swelling, dull pain, or result in increased mobility.

Finding the Best Drug Rehabs for You:

Treatment for addiction and chronic pain through rehab centers is possible and successful. Remember always that if you or a loved one are suffering from substance abuse, there is hope and a supportive community with others like you.

Here at The Blackberry Center in Saint Cloud, Florida, we look at the whole picture of addiction and treatment, not just one piece. The programs we offer will fit your specific needs.

Reach out to The Blackberry Center online today. You can also call us at 407-449-8410.

The post Chronic Pain and Rehab: How to Manage Addiction and Health appeared first on The Blackberry Recovery Center of Central Florida.

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Original Author: The Blackberry Center