Prescription pain pills are narcotic drugs such as Vicodin, Percocet and morphine that are prescribed by physicians to treat and manage pain. The use of pain pills helps patients recover after surgical procedures, broken bones and injuries. Some people become addicted to the pills after extended use for chronic pain conditions. Also, many people use these same medications for recreational or social use. Once addicted, the chemicals in the brain change, and individuals become physically dependent on the drug, suffering physical withdrawal symptoms if they cease taking the medication.
Mood Changes
Someone who is addicted to pain pills will often have mood swings. They are chemically and physically dependent on narcotics and will feel sad or angry when experiencing withdrawal from the drug. When they take the medication, they will feel happy, euphoric and more social. This is one of the major signs of someone who is addicted to prescription pain pills.
Increasing Dosage
As time passes, a person who is regularly taking pain pills will become tolerant to the effects of the drug. They will not feel the same euphoric sensations as they once did. If the person is taking the medication because of a chronic pain condition, her pain will no longer be relieved. A person who is addicted to prescription pain pills might start increasing the dosage of the medication without seeking the permission of a physician about the pain.
Defensiveness
A person addicted to prescription pain pills often gets defensive if she is questioned about her behavior. An addict might get angry with a spouse who shows concern or switch physicians if she is questioned about the use of medication. She might also blame others for having to take pain killers in the first place.
Faking Pain
Once a prescription runs out, an addict might fake an injury or pain in order to get her physician to prescribe more pain medication. She might try to become diagnosed with a chronic pain condition such as a back injury, fibromyalgia or arthritis to ensure that she has permanent access to narcotics.
Narcotic Seeking
A common symptom of addiction to prescription pain pills is called narcotic seeking. This person might visit the emergency room complaining of severe pain to receive intravenous pain medication or to an urgent care site for an oral prescription. The addict will also start visiting multiple physicians, sometimes driving far away in order to complain of the same condition multiple times to receive multiple prescriptions. Once multiple prescriptions are received, the person will start using multiple pharmacies to have all of these prescriptions filled to avoid being caught.
