PHARMACIST STEVE

Few seem to see the similarities between those in the chronic pain community and those in the mental health community dealing with addictive personality disorders. It really doesn’t matter if those with addictive disorders has a preference for Alcohol, Nicotine, Caffeine, Methamphetamine, Cocaine, Opiates, Gambling, Food, sex, etc..etc…

Those in the chronic pain community is “seeking” place of solitude from their unrelenting pain… just like those with addictions are “seeking” a solitude from the monkeys on their back and/or demons in their heads, what they personally consider more “normal” for them.

Addicts will generally state that they take/abuse the substance does so because they “like the way that it makes them feel”

Could it be said of chronic pain pts when they get adequate pain management that they “like the way that it makes them feel” – which they usually refer to as “normal”.

We have no idea how many of the deaths of addicts is actually a suicide.. they are “sick & tired” of trying to find their next “fix” they are sick and tired of dealing with “dope sick”.. which is what they call withdrawals.

There has been other countries that have decided that prohibition will not work and helping addicts to be mostly “functional” and reduce the number of OD’s because addicts get a “known strength” of their drug of choice. This could reduce several things… cartels would have fewer customers, we would have fewer OD’s, and fewer hostile family of those addicts who have OD’d because they got a opiate that was not what they were expecting.  Hopefully, a lot fewer families of the “former addict” who are hostile about chronic painers being  adequately treated for their chronic health issues.

Of course, to get to this point, Congress is going to have to force the DEA/judicial system into viewing addiction as the disease that it is and not the crime that they have been declaring for over 100 yrs. After all, the DEA/judicial system is the common denominator that is impacting untold number of pts and healthcare providers. Of course, with abt 40% of Congress  being attorneys… part of the judicial system … may make that a “mission impossible”. Being that the war on drugs employs some 500,000 to ONE MILLION people.

Mental health is a serious health issue, otherwise we would not have 50,000 suicides each year and ONE MILLION attempts.

Filed under: General Problems