Obstacles to Pain Relief

Fear of Addiction
Many worry that taking opioids such as morphine will result in addiction. Research has shown that there’s little risk of addiction when a doctor administers medicines properly and the patient takes them properly. There is an important difference between dependence and addiction. Dependence on opioid-based medication is natural, normal and not a problem as long as withdrawal from the medication is done gently under a doctor’s supervision. Addiction is something else entirely, and affects only a small minority of people treated for pain. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, addiction to prescription drugs is rare. … Back to Article