As I was reading the “Shape” magazine for this month I came across yet another article called “The Accidental Addiction”. It was a report on the sad situation of increased addiction of opiates given to professional people, many of them woman. It always starts out so innocently with a bit of unrelenting pain bringing them to the doctor who prescribes some form of opiate medication with that devil of a “high” to take all the pain away while giving them taking the stress away.
The article tells of a woman they called “Susan” starting her day getting high on Oxycontin and Roxicondone two forms of pain killers. She began to snort them when she was no longer getting her high, finding that she needed to continuously take them to not suffer the symptoms of withdrawal: feeling panicky, experiencing muscle cramps, diarrhea and nausea.
As a 32 year old nurse and middle class mom her odyssey started seven years ago with horrific pain. Apparently she had fibromyalgia and given a prescription for Oxycontin which did little for the pain yet helped her have the energy to get things done. From there things spiraled out of control.
According to the Prescription Research Center 139 million prescriptions were written for hydrocodone up from 112 million just four years ago making them the most prescribed drugs in the country. Being prescriptions drugs they are without the stigma of heroin a chemical relative of these drugs also known as Percocet or Vicodin. Each of these drugs are made from opium or a synthetic of it making them highly addictive sometimes after only a few weeks.They are easy to get and less expensive with insurance co-pays then street drugs.
About 50% addicts of the prescription pain killers are women, which is 20 to 30% higher than for illicit drugs use including marijuana. The reasons for this may be because: more women are affected by conditions associated with chronic pain, women are more likely to go to the doctor to get help, and the higher levels of the hormone estrogen hormone may make a woman more susceptible to feeling high.
If you are suffering from pain, the first thing you need to know is that not all pain is because of a physical condition. Many people have what feels like pain due to emotional trauma. This was true of one of my early clients Lisa E. You can read her story in her testimonial on this website. In other cases, one can get their chronic pain under better control by learning how to relax, taking away the tension that increases the pain one feels. Meditation is a great way to do this. If you want a more structured way of relaxing which includes suggestions of pain reduction, one can learn from a hypnotist in a few sessions how to use one’s mind to take control of the situation before you ever need to reach for any drugs. You can read the testimonial of Mary Ann McNulty on this website to see how that worked in her case with a fast intervention to get her pain under control.
Do make sure that any hypnotist you work with has experience in this specialized area. Check out their website to make sure they can help you.
If you have gotten to the point where you know that your out of control abusing the drugs and most certainly suffering withdrawal as Susan in the article is, please GO TO A REHAB program where they can safely get you off the drugs.
If you know you are getting out of control and you are NOT suffering withdrawal look for a hypnotist to help you to stay away from these drugs. In the testimonial section of this website there are two testimonials from my client Donna N. of her 30 year odyssey with addiction and how she finally dumped it out of her life. These days she is dealing with a tear in her shoulder ligament which caused horrific pain for several months and even with a prescription to use, she hasn’t touched it since she received it a few months ago. She claims her hypnosis is the reason for not even wanting to go there even with a non-narcotic drug.
There are many alternatives to taking drugs which only mask the pain anyway. It is much better to allow the healing ability of your mind to deal with chronic pain giving you the freedom from ever becoming an addict.
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About Suzanne
Suzanne Kellner-Zinck founded Dawning Visions Hypnosis in 2002, She has become an innovator in the use of hypnotism and neuro-linguistic programming in the areas of obsessive compulsive disorders such as: eating disorders, sexual addiction and substance abuse as well as working with those with anxiety and mood disorders.
Her clients have come to work with her from across the United States and as far away as Africa to help them to finally be freed from these emotional issues that once ruled their lives. Today she is in the process of bringing her work to many more in the form of ebooks and other downloadable formats.
She is a member of American Holistic Medical Association and the American College for Advancement in Medicine.
Prior to founding Dawning Visions Hypnosis, Kellner-Zinck worked within vendor programs for the mentally ill working to help them to live up to their fullest potential. Many of her previous clients were able to move out on their own and find fulfilling work.
Kellner-Zinck is a Certified Trainer of Hypnosis and Neuro-Linguistic programing through Tad James Company, Inc. and a Master Hypnotist and Master Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming through Advanced Neuro Dynamics. She holds a bachelor’s degree in education and political studies from Curry College.
Dawning Visions Hypnosis is teaching people that they can indeed leave their unwanted behaviors behind as they move forward to living fulfilling and joy filled lives.