Dependence vs. addiction.Alan Sverdlik's article "Enslaved Enslaved may refer to:
See also drug addiction and drug abuse. analgesics Analgesics Definition Analgesics are medicines that relieve pain. Purpose Analgesics are those drugs that mainly provide pain relief. for almost three years. You can be sure that when my back began to dissolve, I was concerned about my use of narcotics narcotics n. 1) techinically, drugs which dull the senses. 2) a popular generic term for drugs which cannot be legally possessed, sold, or transported except for medicinal uses for which a physician or dentist's prescription is required. to control my pain. What I have learned is that if I take the right amount of pain medication, I do not feel high. In fact, I've never felt high from my pain meds. My concern about the article stems from the popular opinion that if someone is on these meds for longer than a few weeks, they're addicted. Addiction and dependency are two distinctly different issues. Dependency means that one is dependent upon the medication to maintain a normal life. Addiction is when one seeks those same medications for other than pain relief. This was not made clear in the article. I am concerned that people who do not know the difference will allow themselves to be in pain, afraid they will become addicts. My brother considered suicide because he felt he had some character flaw because he needed Lortab to be able to teach biology each day. The people you profiled were addicted, and I hope they can find help. For those of us who are dependent, we need support, not sidelong side·long adj. 1. Directed to one side; sideways: a sidelong glance. 2. So as to slant; sloping. adv. 1. On or toward the side; sideways. 2. glances if we tell someone we're on narcotics. DIANE HARTFORD via the Internet |
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