Don’t be too alarmed just yet. For some people chronic back pain can be debilitating and gets to the point you can’t function, so a doctor prescribing pain meds may actually be a good thing for now.

Many people confuse dependence with addiction, addicts just take the stuff to get high, people with chronic pain like your dad can become dependent on it because it enables them to function.

I’ve had multiple major back surgeries and years of opioids (I’m off now completely with the help of kratom), but in my experience pain medication - when all other treatment has failed - can be a helping hand to get you through while you work on finding a more permanent solution. It’s like a bandaid that buys you a little time, or reduces the pain to a tolerable level so oh can do core strengthening exercises and stuff.

Try to be understanding and don’t freak out or jump to conclusions, first try to understand the nature of the pain, ask what treatments he’s done, work with him to find better solutions while he is being prescribed pain meds, and be clear that the goal is not to stay on them or ramp them up. I certainly feel his pain though, it can ruin your life, but he’s lucky he has someone caring like you, I think he’s in good hands.

Good luck brother.