I wrote yesterday about the fact that our society would rather have people be profoundly depressed/suicidal than “risk addiction” to opioids. I have gotten not one single response to that post. I’m kind of stunned, and — should I say I wonder what that means? or should I say the obvious implication of the lack of responses is that nobody agrees with me that “risking addiction” is a better alternative than suicide.
I know there are people who believe the same thing about using opioids for physical pain–it’s evil and it must stop. These same people drink alcohol, which is perfectly legal, makes them feel good, and may or may not cause them to become addicted. I ask you, what is the difference? Honestly. I don’t understand it and I want to.
Apparently the vast majority of people in this nation believe that the risk of becoming addicted to alcohol is an acceptable one, but the risk of becoming addicted to any other substance is not. They believe that since alcohol is an over-the-counter substance, it is somehow less evil than prescriptions. If you are in excruciating and/or chronic physical pain, you have three choices: a) learn to live it, b)kill yourself, or 3) use alcohol to try to control it. If you become addicted to alcohol in the process, it’s your own fault and you deserve what you get.
The same is true for emotional pain, only there’s an additional choice (or 400 if you include every pedestrian platitude). If you’re so “weak” that you’re chronically or acutely depressed, you can a) get over it, b) “try being more positive”, c) kill yourself, or d) drink. If you become addicted to alcohol, it’s your own fault and you deserve what you get.
And those are all the choices. Because we simply cannot have people feeling good in this country. It’s evil, and must be stamped out wherever we find it. And if you become addicted by using alcohol to try to feel better, you’re a derelict and deserve to be miserable.
I know many people become addicted to opioids. There are a lot of reasons for this–some are prone to addiction already, some are given too high a dose or simply take more than they’re supposed to, some take them for longer than necessary, and, sometimes, a patient will find a health care professional who is able to understand that a risk of addiction is a better risk than death. And, I know that a large number of irresponsible people will sell their meds trying to get rich quick. That, however is not a healthcare issue. It’s a law enforcement issue.
Who do we sue when someone becomes addicted to alcohol? Nobody. The individual who becomes addicted is at fault. However, the individual is NOT considered to be at fault if addicted to opioids. That, we believe, is the fault of whoever prescribed the meds. Doctors should not be prescribing anything that might prompt addiction, we believe, because helping people feel better is EVIL, and must be punished. And so the doctor is sued. Individual responsibility is abdicated, for some unknown reason. I guess because people are required by law to do whatever their doctors tell them to do (!), and of course, if they take more meds than prescribed or for longer than prescribed, it’s still the doctor’s fault. Because helping people feel better is evil and must be punished. Feeling good is a scourge, a tragedy, a menace. And we must do everything we can to keep people from it.
Therapeutic Whining 
OK, Randee – I’ll respond. I read the blog yesterday and the word “opiates” bothered me. So, I had a drink (much later) and enjoyed my evening without giving your blog post another thought. Then, just now, I read your post for today. And, yes! You make a lot of sense with your argument and your analogy. I do know that, recently, my son, Mark, who works in health care as a clinic director of several health care facilities has, more than once, had to deal with or “counsel” a patient who has come into the clinic in great distress because he/she needed their opiate meds. So, that scared me – both in terms of the agony of the patient as well as the safety of son Mark who has no security people at his main clinic to assist him in calming down the patient. And, that’s why the word “opiate” sort of put me off on the idea of them being prescribed. But, I do “get” your situation and your argument and I don’t think you will become a “drug addict” if you are in need of such relief. That’s because I know you and love you and want you to be happy.
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Thank you sweet lady.
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