For Julie Boyle, the signs were confusing at first. Her daughter Jordan was in pain — intense, persistent pain that sent the family searching for answers.

“In hindsight, of course, you’d think, ‘How did I miss all the signals?’ But at the time, I just thought she was in pain, and we couldn’t figure out the source,” Julie said.

An attempt to treat Jordan’s pain led to a frightening journey that eventually helped Julie recognize that her daughter was living with opioid addiction.

Nobody Would Tell Us It Was Addiction

Julie Boyle shares her daughter Jordan’s opioid addiction journey, from pain treatment to recovery.

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Transcript

00:00:00:00 - 00:00:13:03
Julie Boyle
In hindsight, of course, you think, how did I miss all the signals? But at the time, I just thought she was in pain and we couldn't figure out the source. She's so lucky to be alive.

00:00:13:05 - 00:00:35:02
Julie Boyle
On the 4th of July, one year, Jordan was probably 18. She said her jaw popped, and it caused her to get this horrible migraine, and that was the first time they put her on opioids. She went from Vicodin to Percocet to OxyContin pretty quickly. That was when the light bulb went off, and she was, “Oh my gosh, I never want to not feel this way.

00:00:35:03 - 00:00:58:02
Julie Boyle
I'm so happy. I've never felt so good.” That was really the beginning of the end. I don't even think she knows at this point what was the addiction and what was real pain. Opioids. They are addictive, so they stop being effective, and your body needs a higher and higher dose. She would be crying hysterically. You have to figure out what's wrong with me.

00:00:58:03 - 00:01:31:05
Julie Boyle
I'm in horrible pain. We probably took her to the emergency room at least a dozen times. They had a million things they thought it was, everything from endometriosis to Crohn's, and always came away with a good supply of opioids. Doctors never questioned whether there was any addiction going on. Not until the very end, when I called the emergency room in Centennial, Colorado, and the nurse said, “If it was my daughter, I would get her evaluated.”

00:01:31:07 - 00:01:55:20
Julie Boyle
She mentioned something about rehab, which was a light bulb. However, the nurse’s comment led the family to explore treatment for addiction. I realized for the first time that A, Jordan could be addicted, Julie said, and B, there was a way out.

Thank God we got her in there, and she was able to get clean. Just seeing her smiling and laughing at things and engaging with the world around her, to see that all come through again,

00:01:55:23 - 00:02:02:20
Julie Boyle
yeah, it was the best feeling in the world. Learn more and connect at MyOpioidRecoveryTeam.com.

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A Prescription That Changed Everything

Julie described the moment that marked the beginning of Jordan’s struggle. “On the Fourth of July one year, Jordan was 18 and had a terrible migraine,” Julie said. “She said her jaw popped, and it caused her to get this horrible migraine, and that was the first time they put her on opioids.”

At first, the medications seemed like a solution, but the prescriptions escalated fast: “She went from Vicodin to Percocet to OxyContin pretty quickly.” Julie soon noticed how the medications affected Jordan’s mood.

“That was when the light bulb went off, and she was going, ‘Oh my gosh, this is a wonderful feeling. I never want to not feel this way. I’m so happy. I’ve never felt so good.’ So that was really the beginning of the end,” Julie said.

“She went from Vicodin to Percocet to OxyContin pretty quickly.”

— Julie Boyle about her daughter, Jordan

Looking back, Julie believes it was hard to separate pain from opioid use disorder. “I don’t even think she knows, at this point, what was the addiction and what was real pain,” Julie said.

The Search for Answers

As Jordan’s symptoms continued, Julie spent years trying to understand what was happening. “We probably took her to the emergency room at least a dozen times,” Julie said.

Each visit seemed to bring a new possible explanation. “They had a million things they thought it was, and every one of them made sense. It was everything from endometriosis to something like Crohn’s,” Julie said.

But the cycle kept repeating. “We did that over and over and over again,” Julie said, adding that the visits all tended to end the same way — with “a good supply of opioids.”

For Julie, the experience felt surreal. “It was like being in ‘The Twilight Zone,’” she said. Healthcare providers rarely raised concerns about addiction, Julie said: “Doctors never questioned whether there was any addiction going on.”

“We probably took her to the emergency room at least a dozen times.”

— Julie Boyle about her daughter, Jordan

A Turning Point

Eventually, a conversation with an emergency room nurse shifted Julie’s perspective.

“The nurse said, ‘If it were my daughter, I would get her evaluated psychologically,’” Julie said.

At first, Julie said, she was confused: “I thought, ‘What does that have to do with anything?’”

However, the nurse’s comment led the family to explore treatment for addiction. “I realized for the first time that A, Jordan could be addicted,” Julie said, “and B, there was a way out.”

Jordan eventually entered treatment. “Thank God we got her in there, and she was able to get clean, thank God,” Julie said.

Today, the changes Julie sees in her daughter mean everything: “Just seeing her smiling and laughing at things and engaging with the world around her — to see that all come through again, yeah, it was the best feeling in the world,” she said.

Julie remains deeply aware of how serious Jordan’s journey was: “I mean, she’s so lucky to be alive.”

Find Your Team

On MyOpioidRecoveryTeam, people share their experiences with opioid use disorder, get advice, and find support from others who understand.

Have you supported a loved one through opioid use or recovery? What helped you recognize that something more than pain might be going on? Let others know in the comments below.