The faux Opiate War – it’s been a battle cry for so many politicians, and the government has enacted legislation to battle physician’s ability to prescribe these medications. Now, the war has moved to conquer other medication classes… benzodiazapines, muscle relaxers, barbiturates, and more.

Why do I call this a faux war? Because 1) medications are tools to use, they are not the enemy. And 2) not every patient is an addict waiting to happen. 3) Dependence is not the same thing as addiction. And 4) one of the most common reasons Pain becomes Chronic Pain – is because the short-term pain is not treated/managed appropriately. By restricting these medications, the legislatures are potentially creating a multitude of chronic pain patients. This is something war on opioid people do not seem to comprehend. For them it’s simply: opiates = bad.

It’s your Healthcare! It’s too important, individual, and intimate – your Healthcare should be between YOU and YOUR DOCTOR – the government should never be involved! However, our society just does not understand. There is SO much education and advocacy needed about Chronic Pain. There are so many social misconceptions and so much widespread ignorance.

As a person who lives with chronic health conditions which frequently result in chronic pain, the opiate misconceptions are exhausting, scary, and shaming. It is not our fault we are in pain. We are seeking relief, not pills. We are trying to LIVE some kind a life, we aren’t feeding a drug addiction.

#chronicpain #patientsnotaddicts #ChronicMigraine #migraineawareness #Chronicillness #InvisibleIllness #Healthcare #waronopioids