Prince Archives - The Painful Truth

The Painful Truth About Suicide

Suicide Rates Have Reached a 30-year High

Suicide rates have reached a 30-year high, according to the New York Times. “This is part of the larger emerging pattern of evidence of the links between poverty, hopelessness and health,” according to Robert D. Putnam, a professor of public policy at Harvard University.

It’s true that poverty, hopelessness, and health issues do factor into the suicide problem. In fact, an article just published in Rheumatology shows a link between people, especially women, who have been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and suicides. Co-morbid depressive disorders preceded the suicides 90% of the time. The conclusion we can draw is that the pain of RA for some patients causes depression which, in turn, can lead to suicide.

Let’s Agree to Prioritize the Needs of Patients When Treating Pain

Treating Pain — The Stats

In a recent Consumer Reports article on pain, “Prince’s Death and the Addiction Risk of Opioids,” Teresa Carr writes, “In fact, as many as one out of four taking a prescribed opioid for several months or longer becomes addicted, according to the CDC.”

Carr doesn’t provide a reference, so I’m not sure where she found this statistic. In fact, the statistic is untrue.

Nora Volkow, Director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse, cites in the New England Journal of Medicine a different statistic: approximately 8 percent of people exposed to opioids over a long term become addicted.

Here Are the Important Questions We Need to Ask About Prince’s Fentanyl Overdose

You’ve probably heard by now that a medical examiner has determined Prince, the musical superstar, died of a fentanyl overdose.

While other opioids get more attention, fentanyl is the stealth bomb for abusers.

Fact About Fentanyl

Fentanyl is 100 times more dangerous than morphine. The dose at which fentanyl produces the pain relief that users require, and the euphoria that drug abusers seek, occurs quickly and at low doses.

However, the dose required to stop a person’s breathing is only a little bit more than the amount users need to get relief from their pain or to get high.

Open Letter to Prince’s Supporters and Devoted Fans

Fans and Supporters Saddened by Loss of Prince

When the news broke about the death of Prince, and reporters began to link his death to a possible opioid addiction, I empathized with his fan base and supporters who were deeply saddened by the loss. All the facts weren’t in — they’re still not — but I could already see the outline of a grim story beginning to unfold. And I felt empathy for the man who was the focal point of that story.

This Is How Prince’s Death Begins Conversation About Addiction

The Conversation Is About Compassion and Addiction

When I published my recent blog, Prince and Why We Need More Compassion About Addiction, I began by saying that we didn’t yet know why Prince died. The facts weren’t in, and I didn’t want to draw conclusions until I had more information.

I still don’t have all the facts about the circumstances surrounding Prince’s death. I wasn’t Prince’s physician during his lifetime, and I had no opportunity to look at his medical records either before, or after, his death.

Prince and Why We Need More Compassion About Addiction

We don’t yet know why Prince died. The facts aren’t in, and I don’t want to draw conclusions until I have more information.

That said, some entertainment media outlets (TMZ, Variety, and more) are reporting that Prince was treated with naloxone, which is the antidote for opioids including heroin, in the days before his death.

If that were true, it would mean that Prince was taking too much of a substance, whether it was prescribed or not.

But, if that turns out to be the case, it won’t change the fact that he was a musical icon, and it won’t change the fact that the world has lost an irreplaceable voice.