The Accidental Addict

creative nonfiction
by Ed Cohen

I just spent five days in the hospital.

On May 27, I had cervical spine surgery to remove bone spurs pressing on a nerve in my neck—the source of pain and weakness in my left arm. The surgery went well. I was sent home with Tramadol, a pain medication I was told was the “safest” option and not addictive at the dose or duration I’d be taking it.

🗓️ Week 1: It dulled the pain.
🗓️ Week 2: I timed doses to keep it away.
🗓️ Week 3: I felt buzzed.

I tried to taper. My body crashed.

Tremors. Nausea. Anxiety. My blood pressure spiked to 160/100. My surgeon said I’d reduced too fast and told me to take “catch-up” doses. His PA gave me a plan that would’ve kept me on the drug another 16 weeks.

With my history of heart attacks and kidney disease, I knew I couldn’t do it.

At 2 a.m., my wife Pris rushed me to the ER. I was shaking, drenched, surging with panic. The doctor said I’d “fallen behind” and sent me home with instructions to take more Tramadol. My BP hit 188/113.

We drove to a different ER. That doctor did what the first should have: admitted me.

Within hours, I was in a hospital bed, hydrated, monitored. They stopped the drug.

A nurse heard my story and said: “You’re an accidental addict.”

That sentence punched me in the chest.

My father was a violent alcoholic. His addiction and eventual suicide left scars I spent a lifetime trying to overcome. I thought I was nothing like him.

Now, here I was—being told I was one of them.

The hospital team managed each withdrawal symptom in real time: tremors, panic, nausea, BP spikes. I slept 15 hours a day. My body began to reset.

Today, I came home—drug-free but not yet free of symptoms. Rebound is real. I still wake up with restlessness, emotional spikes, and BP swings.

This happened because I trusted what I was told. Because no one warned me how fast this could spiral.

I’m angry.

This isn’t just about me.

It could happen to you or someone you love.

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Ed Cohen is a global leadership coach, keynote speaker, and author of Vulnerable: One Man’s Journey from Abuse to Abundance. His writing blends personal experience with purpose. He lives in Southern California with his wife and two dogs. Learn more HERE.