Opioids are highly effective medications that can be used at any stage in the disease when severe pain requires strong medication. Myth 2 . All patients getting morphine or other opioids will become addicts. Addiction is a psychological need for a drug and rarely, if ever, develops in people using narcotics for pain control. Physical dependence, however, always occurs in patients taking narcotics for a long time.
Physical dependence is a problem only when a patient is suddenly taken off the drug.
If this happens, a physical reaction, called withdrawal syndrome, takes place. If a disease becomes cured during therapy and opioid medications are no longer needed, they can be withdrawn slowly so that the withdrawal syndrome does not develop. The bottom line is that physical dependence does not equal addiction. Myth 3 . Patients who take opioid medications develop tolerance and always need more and more medicine.