addiction Archives - The Painful Truth

Marijuana and Pain

Marijuana May Help Solve the Opioid Crisis

The opioid crisis is a complex problem with many components, one of which is untreated pain. To the extent that it could be used to help patients manage pain, marijuana might have the potential to become part of the solution.

However, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has made it difficult — although not impossible — for researchers to responsibly explore marijuana’s use in treating pain. Since 1970, the DEA has categorized marijuana as a Schedule I drug “with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.”

Breaking Bad 2018

TV’s Hit Show “Breaking Bad” Glamorized Meth Abuse

The television hit show, Breaking Bad, lionized the idea of making and selling meth. A high school teacher who was dying of lung cancer wanted to leave his family enough funds to live, and he chose drug dealing as a way to achieve his goal. The show ran during the 2008-2013 TV seasons and was regarded by some as the greatest television show of all time.

Response to People in Pain

CDC Guidelines for Opioid Prescriptions

The CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain, published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in March 2016, was meant to provide recommendations for prescribing opioids. It was not meant to mandate policy. Since then, states have developed their own restrictive guidelines for prescribing opioids largely based on the CDC prescribing guideline.

Proposed federal restrictions on prescribing might increase the difficulty of finding doctors who are willing to provide pain patients with opioid prescriptions. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is working to decrease the production of opioids while pursuing legal action against an increasing number of doctors who prescribe opioids.

David C. Holzman Shatters Addiction Myths

Addiction Is a Complex Disease

In a WBUR CommonHealth article, “How I Was Seduced By Cigarettes, And What Set Me Free,” David C. Holzman bravely recalled his struggle with the addiction of nicotine. He was honest enough to describe the stressors in his life that made him vulnerable to the addiction and the changes of fortune that helped him to recover.

Holzman’s article can help dispel some common myths about addiction.

As the American Psychiatric Association says, “Addiction is a complex condition, a brain disease that is manifested by compulsive substance use despite harmful consequence.” That is correct, but many people define addiction incorrectly.

Utah Opioid Crisis Summit

University of Utah’s Summit Addressed State’s Opioid Problem

On April 23, 2018, the University of Utah’s summit convened to discuss how to solve the state’s opioid problem.

The summit’s goal was to identify barriers faced by health care providers and others in providing effective treatment of pain and addiction. The participants’ diverse professional backgrounds provided an opportunity for a productive conversation.

Participants included physicians, pain specialists, addiction recovery therapists, child welfare advocates, pharmacists, defense attorneys, prosecutors, drug court representatives, poison control specialists, data specialists, public health officials, specialists in harm reduction, and many others who are involved in the opioid crisis.

Lessons Learned from Someone Who Has Struggled With Addiction

In the February 19, 2018 Refinery29 documentary, producer Jacki Huntington shares the stories of Dr. Lipi Roy, Kassandra Frederique of the Drug Policy Alliance, and Cortney Lovell. These women are working to solve the opioid crisis through their work in addiction medicine, drug policy, and recovery services.

Courage in Escaping the Grip of Addiction

In an accompanying essay, Cortney Lovell courageously tells her story of trying to escape the grip of addiction. Lovell has been in recovery for heroin addiction for ten years, and she understands the tremendous effort and frustration that goes into reentering society while bearing the stigma of addiction and a record of incarceration.

Open Letter to Journalists and Editors About “Addicted Babies”

Babies Cannot Be Born Addicted to Drugs

“Babies Born Addicted,” “Addicted Babies,” “Babies with Addiction,” and similar headlines appear nearly daily in the media. This is because babies exhibit horrible withdrawal symptoms if they are born physically dependent on opioids, and it pulls at our heartstrings to see them suffer. But it misleads media consumers, policymakers, and family members into believing the newborns are addicted. They confuse signs of withdrawal with opioid addiction.

Confusion is understandable. Yet the fact is that babies cannot be born addicted to drugs, and they don’t deserve the stigma that accompanies the label.

Marcus Welby, M.D. Is the Wrong Doctor for These Times

The Marcus Welby Fantasy Lives in the Past

Many people fantasize about having a folksy doctor like Marcus Welby, M.D. An idealized physician, Dr. Welby didn’t have to worry about malpractice insurance, co-payments, political agendas, interference by government agencies, or bureaucratic matters of any kind. He could be fully present for his patients.

Dr. Welby was a fictional character. Robert Young, the actor who portrayed him, may have convinced us that Dr. Welby was real, and it wasn’t all that difficult for television viewers to suspend disbelief. During the 1970s, when the show aired, many of us had a doctor similar to Dr. Welby.

Medical Illiteracy Contributes to the Opioid Crisis

Medical Illiteracy Contributes to the Opioid Crisis was first published in The Hill on December 20, 2016. It was designated by The Hill staff as one of the top 5 health stories of 2016.

I’ve had the privilege of regularly contributing to The Hill since November 20, 2016. My opinions do not necessarily represent those of the editors, nor do all of those who comment on my columns necessarily agree with my point of view, all of the time.

How Do You Know If You Are Addicted?

Babies Can’t Be Addicted