Whispering Wyrd

Something I’ve seen quite a bit is a lot of people don’t realize addiction can happen with legally prescribed medications. Because a doctor wrote the prescription and kept sending refills, they assume it must be safe and couldn’t possibly be an addiction. But a lot of addiction cases come from legally prescribed substances.

It’s not just benzodiazepines. It can also happen with opioids, painkillers, stimulants, and other substances. The addiction is very real. Just ask anyone who has struggled with it, or ask the people who love them and watched it happen. A substance being legal doesn’t mean it can’t create devastating, life changing addiction.

Meds like benzodiazepines can create both psychological addiction and physical dependence. That means the body itself can become literally dependent on them. Coming off long term benzo use the wrong way can be dangerous and in some cases even life threatening. That’s why careful medical supervision and correct tapering are so important. It’s not something to take lightly, ever.

Recovery literature clearly states that a lot of us didn’t think of ourselves as addicts because we had a legal prescription. We realized the truth, that we were indeed addicted, when the drug was taken away or became inaccessible. I know that reality because I lived it. When access became iffy, I saw how desperate and distorted my thoughts had become. I was prepared to do bad things to keep getting the drug.

So yeah, it can be extremely frustrating when someone you care about refuses to recognize the reality of addiction simply because there was a prescription involved. That kind of denial can delay help, increase shame, and keep people trapped in addiction and destructive behaviors longer than they need to be. Acceptance is one of the first steps toward healing.

Here in recent years, stricter laws and prescribing changes have made some meds, like benzos, harder to get. There are good reasons for more caution, but there is also another side to the story. It’s a double-edged sword. A lot of people who were put on these meds years or decades ago can’t just “hop off” them. Suddenly stopping benzos is dangerous. Some people have been cut off too quickly when doctors retired, moved, or changed policies. The human cost of that should never be ignored.

Addiction comes in many forms and affects people from every walk of life. Too many people still carry the stereotype of what an “addict” looks like. But addiction doesn’t look the same across the board. It could be your neighbor, somebody in your church, a coworker, a parent, a veteran, or the person smiling beside you in line at the store. Addiction doesn’t discriminate.

Until addiction is seen for what it really is and until compassion replaces stereotypes, people will continue to suffer in silence. Even die in silence. But every time when we tell the truth, every time when we choose understanding instead of judgment, we help break that silence. And that’s where the healing begins.

Amituofo
~Buck