T he Long Journey Out of Opioid Dependency
“I was in so much pain that, some days, when I came home from work, I would sit on my couch, not move until the next morning, without eating…”
Jean-Marie, a fifty-year-old glazier, remembers vividly the agony that consumed him after being diagnosed with degenerative disc disease.
In 2012, a scan revealed a spinal birth defect that led to the degeneration of his vertebral discs. His doctors first prescribed painkillers and muscle relaxants, but the relief was short-lived. Subsequently, they turned to a powerful painkiller – sustained-release morphine, in a brand called Skenan.
No doctor warned him of the risk of dependency associated with high doses. Jean-Marie admits he didn’t read the instructions. For a week, the pain subsided. When it inevitably returned, his emergency fix provided temporary relief.
“I was in the moon,” he confided to his doctor, hoping for a solution. The doctor, seeming unfazed, suggested yet another form of morphine – Actiskenan, a faster-acting morphine. He took six tablets a day. “I took it to be able to work: you are in pain, you take one and you can leave,” he shared with a sigh.
Jean-Marie was taking around ten pills a day. He became dependent.
A Spiral of Dependency
Every three months, his prescription was renewed. No physical examinations, no probing questions.
Then, in 2017, the inevitable happened. Vomiting, sweating, diarrhea. He found himself in the emergency room, consumed by the agony of withdrawal.
“They gave me my dose, and I felt better,” he recalls.
The emergency doctor pointed him toward addressing his addiction. Referral in hand, Jean-Marie found himself at the university addiction service in Lyon, under the care
of Dr. Benjamin Rolland, who had recently founded the Lyon Resource Center for Addiction in May 2023. Slowly, month by month, Jean-Marie began to wean himself off the drugs that had come to both soothe and enslave him.
One question haunts him: why wasn’t he warned? “Why was I allowed to gorge myself on medications from 2012 to 2017? Why didn’t anyone tell me?”. The emotional wound of neglect persists.
An Ongoing Challenge
For many, opioids provide relief from agonizing pain. But they also hold a dangerous potency. Opioids encompass both natural substances like morphine, codeine, and synthetic ones like fentanyl or tramadol. Due to their effectiveness in combatting moderate to severe pain, often stemming from conditions like cancer, post-surgical recovery, or chronic pain
These drugs target opioid receptors within the brain, playing a key role in regulating pain perception. They also significantly elevate feelings of pleasure, reward, and well-being.
Walking the tightrope between pain relief and addiction is a complex and delicate process.
This is a story of navigating those complexities.
It’s an ongoing battle.
What strategies can individuals, like Jean-Marie, utilize to navigate the complex journey of recovery from opioid addiction?
## Interview with a Recovering Opioid Addict
**Interviewer:** Jean-Marie, thank you for sharing your story with us. Your experience highlights a crucial issue: opioid dependency. Can you tell us about the beginning of this journey for you?
**Jean-Marie:** It started with a debilitating pain. My work as a glazier became incredibly difficult due to degenerative disc disease. Initially, painkillers and muscle relaxants offered some relief, but they didn’t last. Then came the morphine.
**Interviewer:** I understand. Doctors prescribed you sustained-release morphine, Skenan. Did anyone warn you about the potential for dependency?
**Jean-Marie:** No one mentioned it. I didn’t read the instructions carefully either. I was desperate for relief, and when Skenan worked, I was grateful. But when the pain returned, I was back in agony.
**Interviewer:** And that led to increasing doses?
**Jean-Marie:** Exactly. My doctor prescribed Actiskenan, a faster-acting morphine. Six tablets a day – that was my life then, just enough to function and work. It felt like a vicious cycle.
**Interviewer**: That’s heartbreaking. How did you realize things were spiraling out of control?
**Jean-Marie:** In 2017, I had terrible withdrawal symptoms: vomiting, sweating, diarrhea. I ended up in the emergency room. They gave me morphine, and I felt fine. That’s when the gravity of my condition really hit me. A doctor finally urged me to seek help for my addiction.
**Interviewer:** What followed after that moment?
**Jean-Marie:** I found myself at a university addiction service in Lyon. It was a long and difficult journey, but with their support, I gradually began to recover.
**Interviewer:** Jean-Marie’s story underscores how easily someone can become dependent on opioids, even when prescribed by a doctor. It also shows the immense courage it takes to seek help and embark on the road to recovery. Thanks for sharing your experience, Jean-Marie. Your story is incredibly valuable and sheds light on a critical health issue.
***Note:** This interview draws inspiration from the provided text and incorporates additional information to create a conversational tone.
