You know as I do that there is a stigma attached to these words “I live with pain.” The first two things someone may ask you when you tell them that you have chronic pain are, “Do you take pain medication?” and if you say yes, then the next question is often, “Are you addicted to them?”
So I ask you, why is this? Is it because the only time you read or hear something in the media regarding chronic pain it is always about the the war on prescription drugs and addiction?
Do you hear from co-workers, friends and even family, “Aren’t you afraid of becoming addicted to the medications and becoming a druggie?”
Each and every time I hear those words, my blood runs cold and I actually believe that steam must come out of my ears. Why do people have to assume the worst?
I stopped having this discussion with people any more. I choose to live outside of that box that they want to put me in. No more I say! Others are more than welcome to ask me how I am doing. They can ask me how my pain issues are going but I refuse to be drawn into having a discussion around how horrible “they” think pain medications are—the very ones that allow me to have a full life out of the wheelchair.
I have found that there are some folks willing to step out of the comfort zone of their preconceived ideas from rumors, misinformation or negative experiences and become better educated. However, I am sorry to say they are few and far between. So today, I am making a declaration addressed to those who are not willing to listen and learn about pain and the difference between addiction, tolerance and physical dependence—please don’t expect me to talk with you about my pain care needs.
I don’t mean to be rude or nasty. I am sick and tired of being placed in that box. You know the one: the difficult and needy patient, the drug seeker, the second class citizen, the scourge of society who is responsible for the prescription drug abuse problem. I am no different than anyone else. I am not a bad person because I have a medical condition that causes severe pain. I am not a drug addict. I am not addicted to the pain medication that I take as prescribed by my doctor and according to how he has instructed me to take them. I am not a criminal.
All I want is to have a somewhat normal life. I deserve to live my life just like everyone else. I have equal rights as an American to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.
I was fortunate enough to participate in a trial pain management program 30 years ago. It focused on meditation and biofeedback. The program was an intense 6 month program that helped get me off the ineffective meds that were prescribed at the time.
I also have fallen under the stigma of pain meds from the other side. I’ve been told “you don’t have cronic pain and I know this because you’re not on any pain meds. The message is if you’re on pain meds you must be a junkie and if you’re not then you’re not in pain. How can you fight that?
I must say I’m so thankful that I don’t need to fight for proper medication.
Teresa, thank you for your post. If people would follow the logic of what they are saying, I guess they would agree, then, that we should ban alcohol entirely since some people are alcoholics…. and I guess we’ll also have to ration food since some people eat to excess, are addicted to food, and cause harm to themselves by overeating. The logic of withholding opioid medications from those with painful illnesses or conditions is tantamount to medical malpractice and verges on torture–not torture of “commission” but certainly torture by “omission”. It would be like withholding insulin from a diabetic. The government and the media (and therefore the public) demonizes opioids and are totally misinformed about their safety. They are MUCH safer than NSAIDS for chronic pain, as there is no ceiling dose, they do not cause liver damage, stomach bleeding, etc. A recent study published in the Journal of Opioid Management found that “the prevalence rates of abuse and addiction among patients with pain appear to be surprisingly low and not supportive of the so-called ‘epidemic’ claimed by many sources.” Other research proves without a shadow of a doubt how life-threatening untreated and unrelieved chronic pain is. There are significant links between unrelieved chronic pain and premature death and increased suicide risk.