Struggling with Opioid Dependence? TurntoHelp.com Can Help!

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals Inc. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

I grew up in an environment where substance abuse was pretty common. While my own father dealt with addiction while I was a young child, he did manage to get a handle on it and stay completely clean afterwards. Unfortunately, being a child in Miami in the 80s, I saw a lot of drug use - not just from my father, but from family members, friends of my fathers, his coworkers, etc. Cocaine was EVERYWHERE - and then, suddenly was crack.

I grew up knowing that drugs weren't something to be taken lightly. People are always shocked to find out that Angeline's dad and I weren't able to make our relationship work when I was pregnant - that too was the result of drugs. Her father had a very serious drug addiction, and it was what ultimately led to his suicide in 2008.

I can't think back on my childhood or teen years and think of anyone that used drugs and didn't have their lives completely ruined, with the exception of my father.

The thing is, drugs have changed over the decades. Cocaine and crack are still around, but there's a new sort of drug that has taken over America, and because it begins as a medically necessary treatment, it's incredibly tricky to deal with.

I'm talking about Opioid prescription painkiller addiction - also known as Opioid dependence. The thing is, this is a doctor-prescribed pain medication! It's not illegal, it's not purchased in a back alley somewhere in a bad neighborhood - it's something that millions of people are prescribed every year in America because they need it.

I first learned about prescription painkiller addiction when Angeline and I watched the television show Intervention. I had no idea that people could become addicted to painkillers, and I was shocked to watch as people told their stories of how they became addicted.

While Opioid prescription painkillers are effective medicines, some people just end up developing a dependence to them, even when they use them as directed and don't actually abuse them. While they are perfectly legit as a form of pain management, it's just one of those things...an unexpected consequence of treatment.

There are literally millions of Americans dealing with Opioid dependence!

Facts about Opioid Dependence: 

• Opioid Dependence is a chronic medical disease that affects the brain and fools it into thinking the Opioid is necessary for survival!While 88% of doctors recognize addiction as a disease, only 59% of adults believe that addiction is a disease
• 75% of adults and 85% of doctors agree people living with OD cannot stop on their own
• 98% of doctors say Opioid Dependence is treatable

I had no idea that Opioid Dependence was actually a chronic medical disease! One of my family members is currently separated from her husband due to issues that began with Opioid Dependence. After suffering a back injury, he began a regiment of prescription pain killers and though we didn't realize what happened until much later, he became dependent on them.

Instead of being honest about what was happening and seeking help, he began a downward spiral that led to other issues and is currently in jail. The most heart breaking part about this is that it just didn't have to happen. If he had sought help, he - and my family member - would be in a much better position right now.

Are you struggling with Opioid dependence? 

Turntohelp.com is an online resource that allows people to anonymously research Opioid dependence, find help and treatment options.