DEAR DEIDRE: MY partner is addicted to codeine but she denies she has a problem.
She injured her back in an accident two years ago and, even though she’s healed now, she can’t stop taking the pills.
She claims she’s still in pain but I know she’s not.
I’m 38 and she’s 34. We’ve been together for five years and her personality has completely changed.
She started taking codeine after she got whiplash in a car accident. It helped her sleep and move around.
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The GP stopped prescribing codeine to her, so now she gets it anyway she can – in cough medicines and high-strength headache tablets, making sure she goes to different pharmacies and stores so no one suspects.
She takes far more than the safe dosage. I don’t know how to help her. She won’t go to the doctor or talk to anyone.
I love her, however I don’t want to spend the rest of my life with a drug addict. How can I help her?
DEIDRE SAYS: Codeine is a painkiller derived from morphine and, like all opioids, it can be addictive.
It’s also very hard to detox from alone.
The doses available over the counter – usually mixed with paracetamol or ibuprofen – are much lower than prescription doses, which is why your partner is taking so much.
It’s hard to help someone who is in denial.
Find support through adfam.org.uk, which helps addicts and their families. They don’t have a helpline but their website will steer you to local support.
My support pack, Drug Worries, provides useful information.