How to Help the Veteran in Your Life Get Pain Medication Addiction Treatment
Most people experience pain at some point in their lives. You may get a toothache or, after a long day on your feet, an intense backache. With these temporary pains, over-the-counter pain medications and rest can help.
But sometimes pain becomes chronic. It doesn’t seem to go away, and it makes daily activities hard to do. Imagine having that feeling of a sore muscle or cramping leg on a constant basis where treatment offers only a short break before the pain comes back.
Chronic pain is often treated with long-term use of prescription pain medications. When these medications are opioid-based, the body can become dependent on them. While dependence is not necessarily a problem, sometimes that dependence can lead to an addiction if you start taking more of the medication than is prescribed.
Pain medication addiction occurs because of the way opioid-based drugs change the function and structure of the brain when they are misused. This often leads to a psychological attachment to the drug that is a hallmark of addiction.
When Veterans Develop Dependency on Pain Medications
In a Veteran who has suffered injuries that lead to chronic pain, the overuse of pain medications can lead to an opioid use disorder (OUD).
How Pain Medication Addiction Treatment Works
Several factors make chronic pain management a challenge for Veterans and their families.
- The pain is very real. There is no cure for the underlying cause of the pain.
- Using substances relieves that pain for at least a short period of time.
- The overuse of opioids can lead to overdose risk and to chronic health problems that could impact quality and length of life.
- Pain medications lead to tolerance, meaning a person needs to use more to get the same results.
Treatment for medication addiction has to revolve around addressing more than just the addiction. It has to provide a strategy to relieve the pain and improve the quality of life.
The Importance of Alternative Pain Relief
In a study of 100,000 Veterans who were using opioid pain medications to reduce chronic pain symptoms, researchers found that alternatives to medications can be helpful. They focused on a Whole Health approach to treating this pain. That means using medications and counseling as a way to manage the physical pain while also providing complementary and integrative care, such as yoga or acupuncture.
When treated with a combination of medication, therapy, and holistic care, a remarkable number of people saw improvement. This method reduced opioid use by as much as 38%, and those who continued to need opioids needed the drugs three times less than others.
How to Get Your Family Member Treatment for Pain Medication Addiction
Veterans experiencing pain should not have to suffer. But they do not deserve to fall victim to addiction’s impact on their health and well-being. At Victory Addiction Recovery Center, we offer a comprehensive strategy to help Veterans recover and rebuild.
- Navigating the Addiction: Our team offers Veteran-specific treatment for addiction. This will always focus on providing your loved one with the tools they need to overcome their addiction.
- Reducing Pain: Our treatment options incorporate pain relief solutions designed to meet the unique needs of your family member. We do not want them to struggle with pain.
- Mental Health Support: Veterans also deserve constant and supportive treatment for underlying mental health needs. We offer that, too.
We encourage you to provide family support in a meaningful way. Let our team develop the strategies for healing and recovery to help your loved one get back to living their desired life.
Contact Victory Addiction Recovery Center Now
Let our team at Victory Addiction Recovery Center offer you the treatment and guidance you need to overcome addiction. With comprehensive addiction treatment for Veterans in Lafayette, LA, we are here to guide and support your recovery. Learn more about how our team can help your loved one find treatment.
