Posts Tagged ‘opioids’
Crime of the Century: Addiction Is Not That Simple
Crime of the Century had the opportunity to debunk myths about addiction. Instead, it confuses the terms addiction and physical dependence and propagates misinformation.
Read MoreTrading One Crisis for Another Is No Answer to the Opioid Epidemic
This article, in a slightly edited form, first appeared in the Salt Lake Tribune on May 20, 2021. Many years ago, I took on an unforgettable patient (“Jack”) who was on a high dose of physician-prescribed opioids. He wanted me to continue his high dosage. But I was unsure whether the benefit of doing…
Read MoreWhat HBO’s “Crime of the Century” Doesn’t Tell You
The use of opioids was not a crime then, nor is it today. However, the failure to appropriately treat chronic pain when it is possible to do so should be a criminal offense.
Read MoreWhen Anger Is Destructive
People can be forgiven for getting angry in the moment. If they have experienced a personal loss from prescription opioids, it’s reasonable for them, in their grief, to blame opioids or the doctor who prescribed them. But it’s harder to accept their vengeances when they draw a false equivalency between prescription opioids and illicit drugs.
Read MoreA Veteran’s Story in His Own Words
Policymakers have changed the way patients who have chronic pain are treated. The 2016 CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain has had a domino effect on policies throughout the country. Unfortunately, veterans have been particularly affected. I have heard of many vets being told they no longer would be prescribed opioids or benzodiazepines.…
Read MoreThe Reason People Become Addicted Is Multifactorial
Debunking the Myths About Why Opioid Addictions Develop
Read MoreFlushing Out the Truth About Disposing of Pain Medications
The FDA believes that the risk of harm from overdose is greater than the danger the drugs present to the environment. That is why the FDA recommends flushing them down the toilet—which puts the drugs in contact with our water supply.
Read MoreCanadian Survey Repudiates Government Policies Harming People in Pain
It is understandable that politicians want to reduce the harm from inappropriate use of opioids, but it should not be at the expense of people in pain. This is a human rights issue that must not be ignored.
Read MoreThe Opioid Risk Tool Has Been Inappropriately Weaponized
A history of experiencing preadolescent sexual abuse does not mean a person will necessarily develop an OUD. It is only a risk factor. It does not determine the outcome of using opioids, although it may partially indicate the level of monitoring, support, and education that would be appropriate.
Read MoreChronic Pain Accelerates Dementia
It can be argued that the most common type of dementia is associated with chronic pain. The amount, or severity, of dementia appears to be associated with the severity and duration of chronic pain. Undertreated or untreated chronic pain may accelerate dementia.
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