Should I Be Worried About Painkiller Addiction After My Surgery?
With growing concerns about an epidemic of prescription painkiller addiction, many people are wary of taking these drugs after surgery or for a medical condition. Ethan Bryson, MD, Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, said that it’s important to put the issue in context. For most people, he said, “the risk of addiction is very low if you’re taking the drugs as prescribed.” Even if you become physically dependent on a medication and experience some withdrawal symptoms after taking it, it doesn’t mean you’re addicted. “Addiction is the compulsive use of the drugs despite the negative consequences,” said Dr. Bryson.
-Dr. Ethan Bryson, Associate Professor, Anesthesiology, Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai