Hello. My name is Melissa and I am addicted to pain killers

Two weeks ago, I was trying to be helpful at work by putting away some boxes. Long story short - I zigged and the boxes zagged. I felt ok until I was getting in my car to leave and my lower back starting throbbing. I hung in there through the weekend with ibuprofen and laying flat on my back, but ended up calling in hurt and having to go to the doctor for a workers comp exam. After the drug pee test AND alcohol blow, the doctor finally saw me. He poked around and then handed me a prescription for a painkiller and a muscle relaxer. Sweet. The next few days were hazy and blissful - not so much pain in the back, and not so much of anything else either. I was perfectly content to lay there, watch tv, and get better. Towards the end of last week I realized that the painkillers weren't working as well. They weren't putting me out like they had been, and the creeping pain in my butt and leg wasn't disappearing like before. No biggy though, cause I think overall I'm getting better. Move ahead to this past monday. I woke up in the morning feeling pretty crappy, like I had been drinking all weekend long. I was dizzy, dehydrated, and shakey. Weird. My back was also still twinging, shooting pains down my butt and leg. Gotta take my owie pills. But first I have to shower, brush the choppers, iron my clothes, lube up with the appropriate lotions and products, put make-up, clothes, and shoes on, wander around aimlessly, and finally eat my breakfast. By the time breakfast comes around I'm in the car riding shot gun trying to eat with a shakey hand and keep the milk from dribbling down my chin. What the hell is going on?? I get to work, get settled, get a drink, and finally take my pills around 9:30 am. Within a half-hour all the shakes, aches, pains - everything - is gone. I feel great. Today I wake up shakey and dehydrated again. Around 11:00 I take a painkiller, cause my back is twinging sitting in that damn chair all morning and I'm terrified of hurting myself again or undoing any healing I've done. Soon after I notice how normal I feel. Ok kids, let's think this over. The pills aren't fun anymore, and I feel like crap when I skip taking them - can we say my body is accustomed to these drugs? Is this what addiction is? How scary is this? Very. VERY very. So obviously, I'm not taking the pills anymore. I'm gonna tough it out with ibuprofen and walking and stretching. What is most distressing to me is how fast it happened. It took about 7 days total to get to a point that I could have started taking MORE since it felt like they weren't doing anything anymore. Jesus. I've never been more glad that I'm paranoid about taking medicine. After my physical therapy appointment this coming Monday I'm getting back to the gym and back to normal. I'm sick of being sick.