Synopses & Reviews
People who are recovering from alcoholism and drug addiction are told they risk relapse if they ever use addictive substances such as alcohol, street drugs or prescription pain killers. Yet, millions of people suffer daily with pain caused by severe back problems, cancer, and other chronic diseases. This first-of-its-kind book helps recovering people sort through a myriad of issues and questions, such as
- Which over-the-counter medications are safe for people who are in recovery?
- What should you tell your doctor about past drug use if you suffer from chronic pain?
- Which cold remedies are particularly dangerous to recovering people?
- Can refusing to treat severe pain inhibit healing or cause even greater health problems?
Many effective pain treatments exist today, including opiate-based medication. People in recovery who are suffering from pain, however, face a special challenge: can they use medicine's most effective pain medications--opiate-based medicines--without triggering relapse? This book will address this and other important issues related to pain control and addiction, including
- the available types of pain and pain medications,
- psychological approaches to pain,
- an exploration of the links between pain control and addiction,
- and the non-pharmacological (alternative) physical treatments for pain, such as acupuncture, chiropractic, osteopathy, and cranial manipulation.
Synopsis
People in recovery who suffer from pain, whether it's acute, chronic, or the result of an ongoing condition such as cancer--face a special challenge. How can they use effective pain medications without triggering a relapse? Pain-Free Living for Drug-Free People is an information-packed guide to pain management in recovery and other issues related to pain control and addiction.
Synopsis
An authoritative guide to pain control and pain medications for people in recovery.
People in recovery from addiction who also suffer from pain face a special challenge: Can they use today’s most effective pain medications without triggering relapse? Here, two leading experts in addictive diseases and pain medication examine issues related to pain control and addiction, including types of pain and pain medication; non-pharmacological, physical treatments for pain; and psychological approaches to dealing with pain. This is an essential guidebook for recovering people, caregivers, and medical professionals who need timely and trustworthy information in order to make safe decisions about pain control. Special features include easy-to-use charts classifying over-the-counter drugs as safe or unsafe for recovering people, case histories of individuals in recovery who successfully managed pain without risking relapse, and the latest facts about often-abused prescription drugs such as OxyContin and Vicadin.
About the Author
Marvin D. Seppala, M.D., vice president of medical affairs for the Hazelden Foundation, is the author of The Clinician's Guide to the Twelve Step Principles (2001). A graduate of Mayo Medical School, he completed a fellowship in psychiatric training and addiction at the University of Minnesota. At Hazelden Springbrook, Dr. Seppala works with many clients who have both addictive diseases and chronic pain.David P. Martin, M.D., Ph.D., is a consultant in the Department of Anesthesiology at Mayo Clinic and an assistant professor of anesthesiology at Mayo Medical School. He is board certified in anesthesiology with advanced certification in pain medicine. Dr. Martin received his M.D. and Ph.D. in neuroscience from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.