How does someone in recovery from addiction obtain chronic pain management without relapsing?
There has been a lot of confusion about what the best relapse prevention treatment plan is for someone in recovery with a chronic pain condition, who also requires psychoactive prescription medication. I propose that effective chronic pain treatment requires a three part approach that includes a combination of the following components utilizing a multidisciplinary integrated pain management strategy: (1) A medication management plan; (2) A cognitive-behavioral treatment plan; and (3) A nonpharmacological pain management plan. Quality recovery, effective pain management and relapse prevention is possible if treatment providers are willing to work together to develop a collaborative multi-disciplinary treatment team, and the patient is willing to do the footwork and follow their APM treatment plan. With an appropriate plan in place and positive support, these patients can obtain successful chronic pain management without relapsing into prescription drug addiction or self-defeating behavi
