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For media stories on celebrities to heart breaking stories from our friends,
chances are you know someone who is addicted to drugs or alcohol.
Yet, we often hear the words addiction and dependent used interchangeably. Are they the same?
Today our guest is Ed O'Reilly of the Neil Kennedy Recovery Clinic in Dublin.
He is going to help us sort out the differences and how we might be able to help someone we love.
Ed, nice to see you again. Nice to see you, Gail.
Well, let's start with that difference. I know I have used them interchangeably.
I thought they were the same thing. Well, they are used interchangeably a fair amount.
To some extent the medical field and the addiction field is a little to blame for that because the actually diagnosis you get
is alcohol dependent/*** dependent. What they are actually saying is you are addicted.
The field didn't want to use the word addiction 'cause it is a little bias. It is a little bit more harsh, basically.
Yes it is. Yes, exactly.
What happens is physical dependence is different. It just means your body has acclimated or has gotten use to
a particular medication being in it. If you stop suddenly you have withdrawal symptoms. You feel bad and get sick
depending on what the medication is. Addiction, actually, doesn't mean dependence. Really. What we are really talking
about is negative behaviors that I engage in as a result of my drug use. I can get dependent on pain medication, but I am not
addicted. Unless I'm doctor shopping, I'm stealing other people's medications, and I'm committing felonies to get more
medications. So, we are actually focused on is the negative behavior associated with the use rather than the physical
dependence. The Physical dependence of course factors in, but that is not the main issue.
Interesting. You see people in your clinic who come to you addicted, and part of it, sometimes, is getting them off of
whatever they are on. Is it another type of drug maybe? Yes. There are people who really fight that. They say, "I'm already
addicted to this. "What are you going to do to me?" We do run into that. I will say the category of, "what drugs do you got for
me" is a little bit more prevalent because that is where they come from. Which is they got into the problem in the first
place by thinking drugs were the solution to their life, but drugs can be helpful. Particularly when we talk about the
dependence issue and the fact when you stop using you have withdrawal.
Opiates addicts, in general, call that getting sick and they are very afraid of it.
Some medication that is available can get rid of that and also suppress cravings to use.
So, it is helpful. In and of itself is not treatment, but when used together with treatment it works very well.
It is a little analogous, to me, if I go to the doctor and have high cholesterol. He might put me on Lipitor, but he will
also say: "you need to make lifestyle changes, you need to start exercising, you need to eat a little bit better."
So it is the combination of the medication and the treatment that is helpful. And this kind of takes away some of that physical,
the part that is ugly for them, to help them get through to that treatment. Exactly, that is what it does.
Many people have to take because they are in pain. They have had surgery or for whatever reason, but they are reluctant
to take pain meds because they feel this is going to lead to dependency and addition. What do you say to those folks?
Well, to be honest, it might. Yeah. That's what I say. The data that is out there basically says if you are on
*** based pain medication for about a year, that's a long time, then you'll run a 10% to 20% of those people
will become addicted. Not just dependent, but addicted. Which means they are going to exhibit negative behaviors
associated with the drug use and they are going to keep it up anyway. Okay. Ten to twenty percent. That is nothing to
sneer at. That is kind of scary. Yet doctors are giving out Oxycodone/Oxycontin for really severe pain.
So, what are the guide lines? Are there any? A certain amount of time you should be done?
Well, doctors pay a lot more attention to that these days. Which is good. It is and always talk with your doctor if you have concerns
clearly. But for shorter durations, which is what most people get it for, there generally isn't a problem.
Now, it is a problem if you keep going to multiple different doctors for short durations. Then you are seeking it out again, so
you start to know you have a problem. But I guess the answer would be, if you use with caution do take it. I mean if the doctor
says to take it. Take it the way he says to take it. Don't take too much, don't take too little and save the rest for
later. Don't get it to your friends. This is all good advice you said. Thank you. If people have any other questions
about this we have your number, where they can get a hold of you too. Ed, thank you. Nice to talk to you. Thank you Gail.