Since his death, there have been countless articles speculating why a man as rich and famous as Prince would “allow” himself to become addicted to painkillers. But no one plans on becoming an addict. I know this because I, an educated stay-at-home mom, am an addict.
Like Prince and the millions of Americans who take prescription painkillers every year, I began taking them for their intended purpose: I was in pain.
When I became pregnant at 31, I knew my body would change irrevocably. I thought my red curls might go straight or my green eyes might reject contacts. I thought my feet might grow. I wasn’t prepared for my body chemistry to change. After my first son was born, certain foods tasted strange. I became allergic to alcohol. Muscle relaxants, which had previously helped my intense period cramps, no longer worked. My whole body felt different. Off. Wrong.
I had looked forward to reclaiming my body after pregnancy, but it was no longer the body I knew. In addition to physical changes, my mental state was also rocked by motherhood.
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