I don't have the answers to stopping overdoses, or the use of heroine. Obviously it being illegal hasn't stopped the use. Obviously it being illegal hasn't stopped the dealers. At the current rate of overdoses and deaths, the dealers are going to be out of clients. I don't even know that I believe we should be handing out the antidote. I'm just about this (__) close to saying they are choosing their own fate, and let stupidity take it's toll. I know that's not the way I want to feel, because of the devastation to the families left behind. Yet we have people committing suicide daily, and what's being done to help prevent that? Have there been more mental hospitals opened? Nope, more closed down! Has there been easier access to mental health? Nope. Has there been better understand of mental health in the ER? Nope, not that I've witnessed on a personal basis with several different people. You do NOT try to shame or embarrass to make a panic attack stop! You're compounded the issue, yet that's EXACTLY what I've seen happen IN TWO local ER's in the past year! UNACCEPTABLE!!!
My point being, mental illness is not a choice. Being an addict is.
Being an addict, and the illegal use of even prescription meds is also making it extremely difficult for chronic pain patients to seek, and acquire proper and legal medical care. While pain is subjective, there are ways a legitimate doctor can and does diagnosis, and treat a chronic pain patient. Their level of pain is subjective to that person, but the diagnosis of a physical ailment is not.
There's some possible advancements being made within pain management. One is a company called PROVE. Using a person's DNA, PROVE is attempting to be able to test a person's DNA and give a list of possible meds that would work for that patient, meds that wouldn't work, and give a risk factor for whether the patient has the potential to become an addict from legal prescription use. At this point, I am not positive that PROVE has definitely got their testing and rests 100% accurate. I do know that I have submitted my DNA and have gotten the results. My pain management doctor was shocked, and isn't sure he completely is on board with the results, and the accuracy of the testing, but believes it's a good starting point. He did state that if the results are accurate, he understands why I have continously stated that I get very little to no pain relief from narcotics, why I can take a narcotic and have a urine test, and it not show up in my urine as my body is not metabolizing the meds correctly, and why interestingly enough, my father has the same problems with chronic pain with no relief. I do NOT get a 'high' feeling from any narcotic that I've taken, and I have been prescribed just about them all, though fentanyl is one I do not want to even attempt. ONE patch was placed on my father, and he was dead within 24hrs. though he was in heart failure at the time, and it was placed as a hospice case with my father's last wishes to his physician to have one day without pain, even if that meant death.
At any rate, perhaps it's only my frame of mind today, but I don't have much sympathy for an addict to chooses to take illegal drugs knowing they have children. I realize many addicts probably have a mental health issue and start out self medicating. I can understand wanting to feel a numbness. I can understand depression. I can understand anxiety. I just don't understand taking a drug that you know has the potential of killing you, just for a high. I don't get it!
