# Does House overcome his addiction to pain pills? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 21, 2008, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-house-overcome-his-addiction-to-pain-pills/473775 "2008-11-21T03:10:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-house-overcome-his-addiction-to-pain-pills/473775/1 "2008-11-21T03:10:56Z")
I watch mostly an occasional rerun, and find his wolfing down the pills to be very upsetting. Perhaps he kicks them (one day at a time, of course) in the new season? ---
**Author:** ![ReuvenB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9fc348/32.png) [@ReuvenB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReuvenB)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-house-overcome-his-addiction-to-pain-pills/473775/2 "2008-11-21T03:20:16Z")
Nope. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-house-overcome-his-addiction-to-pain-pills/473775/3 "2008-11-21T03:21:09Z")
He’s still taking them, though not as often, it seems, and it hasn’t been a plot point (other than a passing reference) in awhile. ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-house-overcome-his-addiction-to-pain-pills/473775/4 "2008-11-21T03:21:46Z")
IIRC, he did briefly break the habit when that obnoxious cop was hounding him. (Honestly, the best thing about this season? No half-season story arc revolving around some incredibly annoying House-antagonist.) He was back on the pills after an ep or two, though, if that. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-house-overcome-his-addiction-to-pain-pills/473775/5 "2008-11-21T03:54:43Z")
Nope–but thankfully he’s managed to avoid [Flanderization](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Flanderization) so far. ---
**Author:** ![Fugazi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f08c70/32.png) [@Fugazi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fugazi)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-house-overcome-his-addiction-to-pain-pills/473775/6 "2008-11-21T04:05:39Z")
I have a problem with calling House’s taking of pain pills an addiction. I’m sure he’s addicted, but that’s not why he takes them. He is in pain, all the time. I get the feeling that if House could get rid of the pain, he’d stop taking the pills soon thereafter. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-house-overcome-his-addiction-to-pain-pills/473775/7 "2008-11-21T04:08:54Z")
> [@Fugazi](#): > > I have a problem with calling House’s taking of pain pills an addiction. I’m sure he’s addicted, but that’s not why he takes them. He is in pain, all the time. I get the feeling that if House could get rid of the pain, he’d stop taking the pills soon thereafter. I seem to recall that indeed: When his leg was temporarily healed (3rd season?) he did, indeed, stop taking the pills until he relapsed. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Hen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@Small\_Hen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Hen)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-house-overcome-his-addiction-to-pain-pills/473775/8 "2008-11-21T12:58:48Z")
One of the more interesting themes of the show is the concept of addiction vs dependence, and where that line blurs. House is certainly _dependent_ on pain pills (as many people are), but is he also addicted? Is he addicted because he enjoys the sedative effects? Because he takes more when in an emotional crisis? What if that emotional crisis makes his pain worse? Is he justified then? I really gotta start watching this show again. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-house-overcome-his-addiction-to-pain-pills/473775/9 "2008-11-21T13:23:18Z")
As he himself once said “I don’t have a pain pill problem, I have a pain problem.” As long as he takes the pills, he is functional in society. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-house-overcome-his-addiction-to-pain-pills/473775/10 "2008-11-21T14:18:40Z")
If House were for real… Suppose some medical or surgical treatment eliminated his pain. Coming off the pills, wouldn’t he have withdrawal symptoms, and if so, would it be safe to say he was addicted? ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-house-overcome-his-addiction-to-pain-pills/473775/11 "2008-11-21T14:29:22Z")
After he came out of rehab, he acknowledged that he was addicted. Then he declared that he wasn’t going to stop taking the pills. The pain is real, and the addiction is real. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-house-overcome-his-addiction-to-pain-pills/473775/12 "2008-11-21T14:40:01Z")
I agree, **Sigmagirl**. I think his “I don’t have a pain pill problem, I have a pain problem,” is an addict’s rationalization. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-house-overcome-his-addiction-to-pain-pills/473775/13 "2008-11-21T14:48:47Z")
> [@LawMonkey](#): > > IIRC, he did briefly break the habit when that obnoxious cop was hounding him. (Honestly, the best thing about this season? No half-season story arc revolving around some incredibly annoying House-antagonist.) He was back on the pills after an ep or two, though, if that. He went into rehab when the cop was around, but he had one of the staff sneak him pills. He did go for a week as a bet with Cuddy and after that admitted he was an addict. And wasn’t going to do anything about it. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-house-overcome-his-addiction-to-pain-pills/473775/14 "2008-11-21T15:18:19Z")
> [@BarnOwl](#): > > I agree, **Sigmagirl**. > > I think his “I don’t have a pain pill problem, I have a pain problem,” is an addict’s rationalization. I don’t see it as a rationalization. I think he believes that his addiction isn’t a problem, and if you think about it, he’s right. The pills are legal, he can afford them, and they don’t get in the way of his work or his personal life (if he ever felt the need for a personal life). Why should he stop? ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-house-overcome-his-addiction-to-pain-pills/473775/15 "2008-11-21T15:23:02Z")
> [@BarnOwl](#): > > If House were for real… > > Suppose some medical or surgical treatment eliminated his pain. > > Coming off the pills, wouldn’t he have withdrawal symptoms, and if so, would it be safe to say he was addicted? You need to make the distinction between physical and psychological addiction. Physical addiction is when a body exhibits tolerance to and withdrawal from a substance; psychological addiction is the other layer of addiction. In my psych class (it’s too early in the morning for me to dig around for a cite) this semester is was mentioned that cocaine is not necessarily physically addictive (no withdrawal occurs if one stops taking it). Since it has some pretty serious effects on the reward centers of the brain, it is nonetheless highly psychologically addictive. In the case of heroin, which is both physically and psychologically addictive, some addicts (when tolerance builds up to the point that is makes getting high much more expensive) are able to occasionally detox for a couple of weeks to “reset” their tolerance, so they can get high off of a smaller amount of heroin. The physical addiction in that case is relatively minor compared to the psychological addiction. On the flipside, there are plenty of medications that cause physical tolerance and withdrawal symptoms, but taking them isn’t at all pleasant so no psychological addiction forms. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-house-overcome-his-addiction-to-pain-pills/473775/16 "2008-11-21T15:31:56Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > I don’t see it as a rationalization. I think he believes that his addiction isn’t a problem, and if you think about it, he’s right. The pills are legal, he can afford them, and they don’t get in the way of his work or his personal life (if he ever felt the need for a personal life). Why should he stop? Vicodon contains acetaminophen, the main painkiller in Tylenol, which destroys the liver. In the levels House takes it, I’m surprised he has any liver left. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-house-overcome-his-addiction-to-pain-pills/473775/17 "2008-11-21T15:49:20Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > I don’t see it as a rationalization. I think he believes that his addiction isn’t a problem, and if you think about it, he’s right. The pills are legal, he can afford them, and they don’t get in the way of his work or his personal life (if he ever felt the need for a personal life). Why should he stop? I don’t follow the series too closely, but aren’t there some illegalities in the way House gets (or has gotten) his drugs? I think he takes the pills well beyond the prescribed dosage, so me must have to pull strings to get refills. And on a rerun I watched last night (USA), House’s pain disappeared - briefly. Nevertheless, he popped the pills. To me, that seems to be a pill (not a pain) problem. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-house-overcome-his-addiction-to-pain-pills/473775/18 "2008-11-21T15:53:04Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Vicodon contains acetaminophen, the main painkiller in Tylenol, which destroys the liver. In the levels House takes it, I’m surprised he has any liver left. In the House universe, finding a liver, kidney, heart, or bone marrow transplant is easy, convenient, and usually nigh instantaneous. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-house-overcome-his-addiction-to-pain-pills/473775/19 "2008-11-21T16:38:46Z")
Remember, it is the House Universe, and not reality. Not in its portrayal of drug use/abuse, principles of pain management, or how medicine is really practiced. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-house-overcome-his-addiction-to-pain-pills/473775/20 "2008-11-21T16:46:05Z")
I’m told that in the Sherlock Holmes stories (upon which _House_ is based), Holmes at some point buries his hypodermic needle through which he administers his cocaine. Perhaps House will at some point emulate Holmes and we’ll see an episode based on the needle-burying story. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-house-overcome-his-addiction-to-pain-pills/473775.md?page=2)