Opioid Epidemic: What Brought Us Here?

[GtHawk]

When I had my surgery I got opioids in the hospital. When I went to rehab, I only got Tylenol.

I threw my back out a few months ago. My doctor told me Tylenol or Motrin. In the past she prescribed something stronger, like Percoset.

Strange because years ago she prescribed Fentanyl patches. Now it's take Tylenol and a heat pack.

People want to escape, or cope, to feel comfortably numb. (Cue Pink Floyd)  Unfortunately they do in bad ways, by drinking, drugs, over eating, self mutilating, etc.

For many people, like me, Tylenol is absolutely useless, and Motrin marginal. I took Vicodin for close to thirty years for migraines, I fortunately don't have an addictive personality so that wasn't my problem, but long term use created a different problem the prescribed dose wasn't enough any more but taking more caused issues worse than the migraine. After my knee replacement I took Percocet because all the Oxycodone made me ill, even the Percocet to a degree, but with the knee surgery recovery was fast and I didn't need long term help for it. However I do take Tramadol the imitation Opioid for chronic pain, and as weak as it is I would be really hard up if they stopped prescribing it.
 
we can blame big pharma, and the doctors that are really just dealers, but mostly I think it comes down to people that have addictive personalities and those that are just so unhappy with their lives that they turn to drugs, any drugs, including alcohol as an escape and of course there are the ones who just enjoy being stoned out of their minds.

[anubias]

If a person is in need of pain medication, give it to them.  If they choose to abuse it, it is on them.  People must learn to become responsible for their own actions.  Placing blame on everyone other than the abuser is ridiculous.

I have no sympathy for those that choose to abuse any drug, but I do have sympathy for those in pain.  Give them their damned pain pills!