{"id":3759,"date":"2018-04-03T17:53:38","date_gmt":"2018-04-03T17:53:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/?p=3759"},"modified":"2019-03-06T18:59:39","modified_gmt":"2019-03-06T18:59:39","slug":"warning-signs-of-a-painkiller-addiction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/warning-signs-of-a-painkiller-addiction\/","title":{"rendered":"Warning Signs of a Prescription Painkiller Addiction"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/painkillers-518092940.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-3761\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/painkillers-518092940-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/painkillers-518092940-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/painkillers-518092940-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/painkillers-518092940-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/painkillers-518092940-450x300.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>Prescription painkiller addiction has become a growing and serious problem in the United States. \u00a0A 2017 study conducted by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that an estimated 2 million Americans misused prescription pain relievers for the first time within that year.<\/p>\n<p>While narcotic painkillers are designed to significantly reduce a person\u2019s sensitivity to pain, they can also create a short-lived sense of euphoria. Some people may crave this sensation and become addicted, as they want to experience this feeling more frequently and for longer periods of time. Long-term or misappropriate use of prescription painkillers can lead to physical dependence.<\/p>\n<p>A person can become addicted to painkillers over time; however, there are often tell-tale signs that indicate a growing addiction. They include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Feeling the need to use the drug regularly<\/li>\n<li>Experiencing intense urges that interrupt other thoughts<\/li>\n<li>Taking more medications than prescribed by a doctor<\/li>\n<li>Going doctor shopping to find physicians to provide a prescription<\/li>\n<li>Taking medications longer than prescribed by a doctor<\/li>\n<li>Seeking other sources such as relatives&#8217; medicine cabinets or the internet to get prescription painkillers<\/li>\n<li>Afflicting injuries to oneself to attain painkillers<\/li>\n<li>Continuing to take the medications although they affect job performance, relationships or the ability to carry out routine activities<\/li>\n<li>Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when attempting to stop drug use<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Paying attention to these signs is crucial in getting the necessary help needed. \u00a0Help can be received in a timely manner; the sooner a problem is recognized. If you or someone you know are displaying these signs, speak to your doctor or a professional who specializes in addiction medicine immediately.<\/p>\n<p>To schedule an appointment with Flushing Hospital Medical Center\u2019s\u00a0 Addiction Service Division please call 718-670-5078.<\/p>\n<p class=\"disclaimer\">All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.  Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page.   You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter.<strong>  PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.<\/strong> <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Prescription painkiller addiction has become a growing and serious problem in the United States. \u00a0A 2017 study conducted by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that an estimated 2 million Americans misused prescription pain relievers for the &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/warning-signs-of-a-painkiller-addiction\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[780],"tags":[1383,1384],"class_list":["post-3759","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-addiction","tag-painkiller-addiction","tag-prescription-drug-abuse"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3759","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3759"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3759\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4695,"href":"https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3759\/revisions\/4695"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3759"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3759"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3759"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}