BGEA: I had a painful injury, and now I'm getting addicted to my pain medicine. Will God help me get off this medication?

I had a painful back injury several years ago, and now I'm afraid I'm getting addicted to my pain medicine because I'm needing more and more of it. If my boss finds out, I'm afraid I'll lose my job, but I know I need help. Will God help me get off this medicine? — J.L.

God doesn't want you to become a slave to anything—including your pain medicine. And yes, He wants to help you deal with this problem because He loves you and wants what is best for you.

Does this mean God may suddenly take away all your pain and set you free from your need for medicine? Perhaps He will, and you shouldn't hesitate to ask Him to do so. But let me be honest: This is not His usual way of working. He may instead work by directing you to the help you need to cope with this problem.

This is why I strongly urge you to talk frankly with your doctor about your concerns. He or she knows the medicine you have been taking, and whether or not you may be in danger of becoming addicted to it. If your doctor doesn't seem to take your concerns seriously, seek a second opinion. Don't delay; this is too serious an issue. Your doctor may be able to cut back on your dosage, or find other medicine to treat your pain.

Then ask God to help you and give you His peace, even when the road seems rough. If you have never done so, commit your life to Jesus Christ. Then ask Him to help you focus on Him and His love for you, and not only on your problems. The Bible says, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee" (Isaiah 26:3, KJV).

3 Comments

Kelly says 8.19.2012, 11:34 a.m.

I had been addicted to opiates for 15 yrs.I am now 10 days clean, cold turkey, and it hasn't been easy.Each day is more wonderful/clearer than the day before.God wants us focused on him and what his will is for us.If God helped me,he will help you.

Steven says 12.24.2011, 2:16 p.m.

What a horrific thing to happen to you.Praise our Lord and King. Thank you that you can bring us through anything, our Lord and Savior forever.

vanessa says 8.21.2010, 11:04 p.m.

If anyone reading this is going through the same thing as the person mentioned above, i hope and pray you will find this helpful! I too was addicted to pain medication purely by accident, but only at first. See, in 08 around new years time, my boss my boyfriend and i were shooting off fireworks, we were completely careful and responsible, long story short, a roman candle fell over from the standing position on the ground and it was dark, I didnt know it, and I was about 150 feet from it. and welll it shot out of the canister and hit me in my left eye and then blew up behind my eye, inside my head. I fell over and had a terrible pain I could never describe fully. after 5 surgeries, and being hospitalized that day for 5 days afterwards, I was on serious medications, that became addictive by mistake. Then after I started healing a month later, I still kept taking the medication to ease my pain emotionally. everyone needs an escape from reality, and sadly we turn to all the wrong things. I lost my left eye, they couldnt save it. Now I have a fake eye, that looks real, but i will never again see out of that eye. After a while, I've learned its ok. God had a reason for this. and I still drive, and do everything normal. so I'm ok with it! It could of been half my face off, or something terrible like the soldiers fighting for us go through, they lose limbs etc..but willingly.