What is and is not “drug-seeking behaviour”?

Question by Do your own thinking!: What is and is not “drug-seeking behaviour”?
Saw a movie recently that had a bit of dialogue between a shrink and her legitimately stressed-out patient that went roughly — _very_ roughly —

Doctor: What can I do to help you?
Patient: At this point, I need some Valium or something like that.
Doctor: I won’t prescribe it. That’s drug-seeking behaviour.

Absurd as it is, even the most rational sort of ‘I think I am at the point where I am in need of medication’ seems to be labelled “drug-seeking behaviour” by a lot of doctors. Are there formal definitions for it?

Best answer:

Answer by ♥ BTriX♥♫
That is a touchy subject in patient – doctor relations.

While some doctors will perscribe anything their patient’s ask them for – others will not perscribe anything at all. It is all dependant on the doctor, if he is willing to make a commitment to monitor a patient taking valium, pain killers and such – or if they are not willing to.

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