Chronic Pain And Addiction

Chronic Pain And Addiction

Table of Contents

Handling clients who arise with chronic pain issues is an extremely sensitive matter. The first procedure while handling such patients would be to use non opioid painkillers.  Analysis of the patient after consumption of the pain relievers would indicate how the patient is responding to the drugs. In some instances, some of the patients may have chronic pain that is resistant to non opioids but responsive to opioids. Frances (2005). There should also be agreements with the patients of the responsibilities both yours and theirs. This ensures that there is an essential structure for the treatment. Patients are aware of times when they will get medication refills. They also know how they will go through monitoring such as urine drug tests and pill counts.


Regardless of whether the patient has a substance abuse issue, he or she should receive addictive pain medication to cope with the pain. There should, however, be extreme caution when dealing with such patients. There should be application of various measures. The medical practitioners should require that the engagement of the patient in addiction treatment such as attending a substance abuse counseling. Grant JE (2006). The medical practitioner should also demand from the patient documentation verifying that they engage in addiction treatment. This should take place at every primary care visit and prior to medication refills. The medical practitioner should also have communication with the patient’s substance abuse treatment provider. This is to ascertain engagement of the patient in addictive treatment procedures. American Psychiatric Association. (2000).

Medical practitioners should look for various warning flags that indicate that a client is malingering. Such include persistent, non compliance in moments of prescribed evaluation or treatment. Another sign of malingering is striking inconsistency between stated problems and physical findings. Hoover CF. (1998).


Reference:

Frances, R. J., Miller, S. I., & Mack, A. H. (2005). Clinical textbook of addictive disorders (3rd ed.). New York: Guilford.
Grant JE, Brewer JA, Potenza MN.  (2006) The neurobiology of substance and behavioral addictions.CNS Spectr.; 11(12):924–930.

American Psychiatric Association. (2000)Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.4. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc.





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