U2forever
vision over visibility
I wish this could be an opportunity to understand the difference between dependence and addiction. You can become dependent on a med even if you take it exactly as prescribed. Even certain anti-depressants cause withdrawal if they are stopped suddenly.
I don't get the sense Prince was abusing the opiates - just dependent on them and in larger and larger doses as his body developed a tolerance.
MzOpinion8d, you are correct.
Addiction and physical dependence are not the same but are related.
After taking a drug for a while, you may develop a tolerance to it and have withdrawals symptoms if you stop using it. This is physical dependence.
If you abuse the drug and you know what you are doing is harmful and you know it can and will mess up your life anyway, you are addicted.
You also have Psychological dependence, which I find to be most intolerable because of cravings and this can be nonstop and go on for a long time. This is called
PAWS: Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome. Paws is the second stage of withdrawals and occurs because of brain chemistry and is emotional.
Our minds can be a terrible place sometimes.
I have to take very strong pain meds for the rest of my life, so I have experiences I wish I never had.
I have read some really terrible things about Prince elsewhere and I find this horrible. Being addicted to narcotic pain meds does not a bad person make.
Addiction can cause a person to do bad things though.
Compassion and understanding goes a long way, just like education.
JMO