Chronic Pain and Addiction Treatment in Mississippi

How is chronic pain treated when someone also has a substance use disorder?

When chronic pain and a substance use disorder occur together, pain and addiction clinicians usually work from one shared plan rather than two separate ones, and Mississippi programs offering this care coordinate prescribing between both teams. With your permission, they share relevant records and agree on medicines so nothing is doubled up or dropped.

Physical dependence on a long-term prescription is not the same as a use disorder, and many people take opioids as prescribed for years without developing one. Nobody should halt or sharply reduce a long-standing opioid or benzodiazepine prescription without the prescriber, since an abrupt change can trigger withdrawal and a flare of pain.

Buprenorphine or methadone for opioid use disorder may come up, and buprenorphine also relieves pain, which is one reason it features in these conversations. Non-opioid medicines, physical therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy and other psychological approaches are often part of the plan. Which of these fit is a decision for you and your clinicians to make together, based on your history.

Mississippi listings that offer buprenorphine are gathered on the Suboxone clinics in Mississippi page, and methadone comes through opioid treatment programs overseen by the state Department of Mental Health. Mississippi Medicaid covers medically necessary telehealth from home, which helps people far from a clinic. For a wider look, see pain and addiction treatment.

Is it safe to stop or reduce pain medication on my own?

Long-term opioid or benzodiazepine prescriptions should not be stopped or cut sharply on your own, and any taper should be planned with the prescriber. Sudden changes can bring withdrawal and a surge in pain. With benzodiazepines, abrupt stopping can also cause serious medical problems such as seizures. A planned taper usually moves in small steps, with room to slow down if symptoms flare.

Taking opioids and benzodiazepines together raises the risk of slowed breathing, so tell every clinician about both. Mississippi programs that list benzodiazepine services appear on the benzodiazepine treatment in Mississippi page. Programs focused on opioids are listed under opioid treatment in Mississippi.

Can I keep getting pain treatment while in addiction treatment in Mississippi?

Many people in Mississippi keep receiving pain care during addiction treatment, as long as the pain prescriber and the treatment team coordinate. Methadone for opioid use disorder is given through opioid treatment programs, which the Mississippi Department of Mental Health oversees as the state authority. Mississippi listings are on the methadone clinics in Mississippi page. Ask your prescriber how state prescription monitoring and any dose rules apply to your own plan.

Mississippi Medicaid covers medically necessary telehealth as a substitute for an in-person visit, and a member’s home can count as the starting site. That option can help people who live far from a clinic. Options are listed under telehealth treatment in Mississippi.

Naloxone and the Good Samaritan law

Naloxone is available from Mississippi pharmacies under a statewide standing order from the State Health Officer. The order runs through March 2027 and lets pharmacists dispense naloxone to anyone, regardless of age. Mississippi’s Good Samaritan law has been in place since 2015. Under it, a person who seeks medical help in good faith for someone who is overdosing will not be arrested or prosecuted for a drug violation.

How do I pay for pain and addiction treatment in Mississippi?

Payment routes in Mississippi include Mississippi Medicaid, private insurance and state-funded care arranged through the Department of Mental Health. Mississippi Medicaid is run by the Division of Medicaid. Its managed care program, MississippiCAN, offers plans from Magnolia Health, Molina Healthcare and TrueCare, and these plans list behavioral health services as covered. Mississippi has not adopted the ACA adult expansion, so adult eligibility is narrower than in expansion states. See programs that accept Medicaid.

Federal parity rules generally mean private plans cannot limit substance use care more strictly than other medical care. For people without coverage, the Department of Mental Health’s Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Services funds care at certified programs. Pregnant women are given preference at those programs. Options are listed under state-funded treatment in Mississippi.

What should I ask a Mississippi program before starting?

Before starting, ask three questions. Does the program treat pain and substance use together? Can it continue or start medication for opioid use disorder? Will it coordinate with your pain prescriber? Each listing shows what the provider reports, including chronic pain services, medication for opioid use disorder, levels of care from outpatient to residential, payment types, insurers, accreditation, languages, populations served and location.

Listed pain and addiction programs in Mississippi split evenly between towns and rural areas, at 49 percent each. Of these programs, 78 percent sit within 25 miles of a river, most often Browns Old River; see rivers near treatment. The median distance to the nearest airport is 19 miles, and Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International is closest for about a third. Three in ten are within 25 miles of named high ground, most often the Ragland Hills.

Free starting points include the DMH Helpline at 1-877-210-8513, staffed around the clock, as well as 2-1-1 and the national treatment referral line. In a crisis, call or text 988. To widen the search, browse all treatment listings in Mississippi.