The Chronic Pain Intervention

• The Traditional Chemical Dependence Intervention
• The Dual Diagnosed Intervention
• The Chronic Pain and Addiction Intervention
• The Chronic Pain Suffering Intervention

Many people who suffer from chronic pain have begun their journey toward finding relief from pain. At times, the added problems of chemical dependency and/or psychosocial problems occur. Issues of addiction, negative side effects of medication, decreased activities, and apparent inadequate analgesia, and aberrant behaviors, frequently leave professionals frustrated with very few answers. These patients commonly remain highly focused on their pain and lead a life that is listless and hopeless. Patients can continue to be highly focused on medications as the answer to their problems. At times they are labeled “addicts” and forced to enter a classic recovery process that they do not understand, can’t fit into, or see how it applies to them. In the end, the only thing left in the lives of these people is the next doctor’s appointment – living in pain and being surrounded by frustrated loved ones who have to deal with their ongoing pain and disabilities..

The truth is, most of the alcoholics/addicts have no idea why they can’t stop. Without an intervention of some sort, the individual in question will certainly experience a series of institutions, jails and most certainly – death. This is a guarantee, not speculation.

The intervention of a chronic pain patient is somewhat different than the traditional substance abuser that is placed in a program of total abstinence from chemicals. The pain sufferer frequently needs continued medication management. A traditional intervention with a pain patient seldom works, because the patient does not feel that their problems are being addressed. The pain sufferer panics and experiences trauma at the mere thought of having to live in uncontrolled pain (real pain). The fact is that the significant portion of these pain patients are not addicts in the sense of a primary addiction. When the addictive disorders (“pseudo addiction”) occur as a result of pain issues, this dictates a different approach than if the addictive disorder preceded the onset of pain.

The common cause of aberrant drug related behaviors, pseudo addiction, in chronic pain sufferers’ start in the beginning of their treatment. The term pseudo addiction is use4d to describe a condition of being under treated. The use of progressively increasing narcotics,as a result of hyperalgesia (opioid induced hypersensitivity to pain stimuli leading to a paradoxical increase in perceived pain) can become problematic, creating a drug seeking patient. This becomes a trigger for acquired drug related behaviors. The fear of pain tells the client that they need more medication. Denial about the negative effects of the drugs on their behavior and health occurs. A vicious cycle of drug abuse and drug related behaviors ensue. With this in mind, the two major areas of chronic pain intervention are:

1) Education and practice of the intervention with the family and friends

2) Professional intervention should be designed to inform the patient that treatment is aimed at pain relief and resolving the problems occurring from drugs.

A chronic pain intervention is an opportunity for the family to understand, begin healing and help. In a real sense, a successful intervention leaves all that participate in the process empowered over a situation that once seemed hopeless

Issues that cloud professional’s and families judgment regarding the true nature of the chronic pain patient’s behaviors are: 1) Prior attempts at addiction treatment; 2) Stigmatization of either pain, addiction, or psychosocial behaviors; 3) Unilateral criticism of the client’s use and external pressure to discontinue Opioids and sedative hypnotics (when a client perceives the need for these medications as their only source of relief).

Prior interventions attempts to stop the spiraling effects of denial can build resistance. Like all addictions, the denial is buried deeper by each unsuccessful attempt to stop the problem, thereby not only escalating denial, but may reinforce proof that these attempts can, in fact, make the pain worse and intolerable. Remember that many pain disorders are of such severity that the illness has created real emotional trauma issues (PTSD), that the client experiences while living in a pain state. The highest rate of suicide is relentless pain and depression (15%). The client sees no light at the end of the tunnel.

“Alone you can do it, but you cannot do it alone” There is hope by the sea at Bay Recovery Center 1-800-375-7263