Blog
Family of Pain
Failing to Understand the Experience of Pain Most people in pain do not like talking about their pain problem with others. When they do mention it to friends and family, they generally are disappointed at the responses. People are well intended, at least initially, but they can be insensitive. Fundamentally, they fail to understand what…
Read MoreThe ACPA Presents Programs for Migraine Sufferers
Migraine Awareness According to Penney Cowan, Founder and CEO of the Founder and CEO of the American Chronic Pain Association (ACPA), “More than 29.5 million Americans suffer from migraines, with women being affected three times more often than men.” Contrary to the popular misconception, a migraine isn’t just a severe headache. According to the ACPA,…
Read MoreBlack Box Warnings
How Drugs Receive FDA Approval The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) is the watchdog agency that’s responsible for testing new medications before they are approved. Drug manufacturers seek approval from the FDA after they have conducted numerous clinical trials and submitted all of their data to the…
Read MoreLessons Learned from Someone Who Has Struggled With Addiction
In the February 19, 2018 Refinery29 documentary, producer Jacki Huntington shares the stories of Dr. Lipi Roy, Kassandra Frederique of the Drug Policy Alliance, and Cortney Lovell. These women are working to solve the opioid crisis through their work in addiction medicine, drug policy, and recovery services. Courage in Escaping the Grip of Addiction In…
Read MoreOpen Letter to Journalists and Editors About “Addicted Babies”
Babies Cannot Be Born Addicted to Drugs “Babies Born Addicted,” “Addicted Babies,” “Babies with Addiction,” and similar headlines appear nearly daily in the media. This is because babies exhibit horrible withdrawal symptoms if they are born physically dependent on opioids, and it pulls at our heartstrings to see them suffer. But it misleads media consumers,…
Read MoreWhy Is Chronic Lyme Disease Controversial?
Novelist Amy Tan’s Experience With Lyme Disease On her web site, bestselling novelist Amy Tan shares her belief that she has late-stage neuroborreliosis, or Lyme disease. She suspected she might have Lyme disease because of her mysterious symptoms that included migrating aches and neuropathy, a racing heart, hallucinations, getting lost in familiar places, difficulty talking,…
Read MoreBody Pains That May Be an Early Sign of HIV
This is an article by Cara Smith. I offer it with the author’s permission for informational purposes. The author and I have no financial involvement. THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE HER OWN AND DO NOT REPRESENT MY VIEW OR MEDICAL ADVICE. Photo by Kat Love on Unsplash HIV is a disease that scratches out the…
Read MoreMarcus Welby, M.D. Is the Wrong Doctor for These Times
The Marcus Welby Fantasy Lives in the Past Many people fantasize about having a folksy doctor like Marcus Welby, M.D. An idealized physician, Dr. Welby didn’t have to worry about malpractice insurance, co-payments, political agendas, interference by government agencies, or bureaucratic matters of any kind. He could be fully present for his patients. Dr. Welby…
Read MoreSoulmate
Soulmates Unselfishly Connect What is a soulmate? Recently, a United States representative was accused of sexually harassing one of his female staffers after sending her a letter stating he believed they were “soulmates.” Apparently, she did not agree. Many of us understand that soulmates are individuals with a deep connection toward each other. Words alone…
Read MoreWill Tom Petty’s Death Move Funding for Research Forward?
Free Fall Into Opioid Use “And I’m free, free fallin’ (Free fallin’, I’m-a free fallin’) Yeah I’m free, free fallin’ (Free fallin’, I’m-a free fallin’)” When Tom Petty’s song, “Free Fallin’,” was released in 1989, he probably didn’t expect that his death would occur in October 2017 at age 66 as the result of an…
Read More