My SO is always concerned about the potentially addictive medications I am on.. I try and assure him that, while dependant, I am not addicted.. He doesn’t see the difference.. Unfortunately, when I am tired or just generically foggy I find it hard to explain.. Medical Dependance is a body’s need, a requirement to be healthy.. For example, an Insulin-dependant Diabetic is exactly that, dependant. The insulin helps the body function properly with the problematic pancreas. For us with chronic pain, for whatever reason, we take the medication to function properly with the problems that each cause us pain. Yes, if we stop taking our meds, we do into withdrawal; it’s a chemical dependace, so of course we do. Should a diabetic stop taking insulin, would they not go into a withdrawal? Absolutely; sugar levels will start to rise, and the body’s functionality drops. Addiction is very different. Addition is filling a mental and emotional need to feel that high, and rarely a medical necessity. This is NOT why we take the medications we are prescribed.. We don’t want the high, we just want to feel less pain.. Less pain does not a high make.
Now, I admit that there are persons who take prescription medications to the excess, to go beyond the need to feel less pain, to the pain where there is no pain and they get that high, or continue prescription medications long after a temporary need has been resolved, again to get that high. These people are addicted. Just because you are dependant does not mean you are addicted.
Just because you are addicted does not make you medically dependant.
Fibromyalgia 