If you think you or someone you know may be dependent on painkillers, then you’ve taken the right step by looking for information here. We’re here to help you learn about dependence, to the group of painkillers called opioids, and to guide you in finding help to overcome it.

What is Opioid Painkiller Dependence?

Opioid painkiller dependence can affect anyone and occurs when your body starts to rely on a certain type of painkiller you may have been taking. These painkillers belong to a group of medicines called opioids. If you feel a strong desire to take your pain medication repeatedly, even after the pain passes, or if you find you have been using higher doses to feel relief, then these are signs you are dependent on it. Opioid painkiller dependence can lead to loss of control over how much to take and the inability to stop, even if it hurts people’s health, their job or their family and friends. When the desire to take opioid painkillers becomes so compulsive that it results in these kind of harmful consequences, it can be considered an opioid dependence.