If you have ever gone to the doctor with pain, sometimes it can be difficult to get effective pain management because of the opioid crisis. Doctors often believe that everyone gets addicted to their meds and are very hesitant to prescribe anything stronger than Tylenol. I live with chronic pain and am all about treating pain without medication, but sometimes your pain is too severe and over-the-counter remedies do not work. It is frustrating for people with chronic pain to get pain medication from their doctor because if you need anything stronger than Tylenol, you are often treated like some kind of addict. People sometimes get addicted, and I feel sorry for people who have a problem, but the opioid crisis isn’t just affecting people who get addicted to their meds. It is mainly negatively affecting people in pain who take their medication responsibly and need to function. I would argue that it’s hurting people in pain more than the addicts because the addicts will always find a way to get them. Some people need painkillers to function, but aren’t able to get what they need to have less pain because the opioid crisis is not allowing doctors to prescribe enough medication. What are my thoughts on the opioid crisis? In this post, I am sharing my opinion on the opioid crisis.
It is harming patients in pain- Everyone is always talking about how narcotics are addictive, which is true, and is concerned that everyone who takes them long-term will get addicted. No one is talking about how some people need strong painkillers to function and will not be able to have a life if you take that away. The opioid crisis is making it more difficult for addicts to get medication they don’t need, but it is also making it harder for people in pain who take their medication responsibly to get pain management. I have had many painful surgeries where I was forced to manage my severe pain with Advil because I was only given a couple of days’ worth of painkillers. Before I lived with chronic pain, I never understood why someone would need strong painkillers for regular use, and you might have been able to convince me to shut the whole industry down, but now I realize some people can’t have a life without pain medication. Getting rid of these medications so no one can have them is not a solution and is actively harming patients.
It can cause mental health issues- You always hear statistics of people who get addicted to their meds, but you don’t hear the statistics of people who got depressed because they were denied their medication and had more pain as a result. Severe pain can negatively affect your mental health and cause some people to not want to live anymore. I have heard of so many people in the disabled and chronically ill community who have committed suicide because their pain was not being treated effectively, and they didn’t want to live anymore. These types of deaths could have been prevented if their doctors were allowed to give them the pain medication they needed to function. Chronic pain negatively affects your quality of life, and the opioid crisis is killing patients because you can’t have a fulfilling life that feels like it’s worth living if you can’t get out of bed. Doctors are concerned that everyone is going to get addicted to their meds, but no one is concerned about what people will do if their pain is not treated.
It makes it more difficult for doctors to help patients improve pain– When my doctor underprescribes a pain medication after I have had a surgery, I don’t always get mad at them unless I am getting the feeling they don’t believe me. Many patients in pain are suffering with no pain management and often get mad at their doctors. If you aren’t getting pain medication that you think you need, it’s not always your doctor’s fault, and sometimes the rules tie the hands of doctors and prevent them from giving patients pain management that would actually help them. Get mad at the government for creating so many restrictions that are harming patients, not your doctor.
Addiction is not the real problem– When it comes to the opioid crisis, most people think that addiction is the biggest issue. Some people get addicted to their meds and we shouldn’t ignore that, but the bigger issue is people in pain being denied pain medication and are left suffering. People in pain shouldn’t be punished because some people get addicted to their meds, but often it feels like we are.
Most people with chronic pain want to manage their pain without a prescription, but sometimes it is your only choice. Over-the-counter remedies such as Tylenol do not always touch chronic pain, and sometimes you need something stronger. People in pain shouldn’t be left suffering, but often are because the opioid crisis is preventing doctors from giving their patients pain management that would actually help them. People who get addicted to their meds need help, and we shouldn’t make it easier for addicts to get pain medication they don’t need, but making it so no one can get them is not the answer. Some people get addicted to their meds, but many of us in the disability community need them to function, and if you take that away, we won’t have a life. People get addicted to their meds, but I don’t think that is the real issue, and it’s people who are in pain being denied access to pain medication that would help them. Doctors should not be prescribing pain medication like candy because not everyone who claims to be in pain actually is. If over-the-counter remedies worked for everyone in pain, we wouldn’t need to go to the doctor for pain relief, but it doesn’t always work. What are your thoughts on the opioid crisis? If you liked this post, please leave a comment below and share it with your friends.
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