Drugs, Alcohol Addiction's Most Common Cause Finally Revealed

The United States is facing tremendous health threats with which drug addiction and prescription drug abuse are on the top of the list. Recent studies show that an overwhelming number of Americans are suffering from drug addiction and abuse due to chronic pain.

Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center researchers published on their May issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine that their study showed a large number of people who are relying on alcohol and drugs to treat chronic pain. These patients end up abusing the said substances and have eventually grown attached to it by self-medicating their pain sensation.

The research pointed that one of the illegal drugs used for chronic pain self-medication, mainly because of its pain reliving components, are marijuana and heroin. "The researchers screened approximately 25,000 patients in primary care for illegal drug use and misuse of prescription medications," EurekAlert .reported.

Out of the 25,000 patients screened, 589 confirmed that they used illegal drugs, alcohol, and high dosages of prescribed medicine to treat chronic pain. 79 percent of the patients even explained that the high consumption of alcohol was done not to treat it but was used as remedy to manage the pain.

Patients claim that the chronic pain and other pain-related experiences they had is what pushed them for quick remedies and self-medication with drugs and alcohol being the easiest source. However, these actions may only lead to greater physical dysfunctions which the patients are unaware of. One of the struggles is how to stop their drug or alcohol addiction.

Journal of General Internal Medicine lead author Dr. Daniel Alford stated that pain should be treated properly for a quick recovery. He even added through the Medical Daily, "If drugs are being used to self-medicate pain, patients may be reluctant to decrease, stop, or remain abstinent if their pain symptoms are not adequately managed with other treatments including non-medication-based treatments."