Treatment for Pain Management and Addiction

The combined treatment of co-morbid pain and addiction is not only possible but as retrospective analysis from an established treatment center clearly shows, is available and highly effective.

Bay Recovery Centers is an integrated treatment setting with individual treatment plans which establishes time frames for stabilization of both pain and addictive disorders.

This study focuses on twenty clients/patients who received 24-hour residential treatment for multiple diagnoses of chemical dependence and pain/medical disorders often impounded by psychiatric/psychological conditions.

Seven clients initiated the prescription drug use after an injury or with psychiatric illness without pre-existing drug or alcohol problems, but seven of these patients had had psychological pre-existing trauma or diagnosis. Six had an average of three prior chemical dependency treatments. Two had six chemical dependency treatments, and one had 12. Six used Subutex (Buphrenophine).

Treatment was initially aimed at stabilizing the pain and associated medical conditions then integrating elements of pain management and chemical dependence treatment. Addressing dependence/addiction to pain pills by utilizing treatment techniques focused upon the physiological changes that occur with addictive medications prevented the stigmatization usually associated with “addiction”. Patients suffered both from aberrant addictive behaviors as well as, more often, physiological dependence on a mixture of prescription narcotic, benzodiazepine and tranquillizers. Many of these patients were not primary drug addicts, but had become dependent or addicted to drugs as a result of their physical or mental conditions and/or associated chronic pain.

Contrary to conventional wisdom, we find that successful treatment outcomes occur more frequently with both chronic pain and addiction to “pain killers” than with the uncomplicated “primary” (street drug) addiction population. Once the pain enters a state of remission and/or tolerability, the patient with chronic pain no longer fears a return of intractable suffering, and is therefore more motivated and responsive to the treatment paradigm.