Pain vs. The World – Introduction to Opioids and Controlled Substances

In this episode I take a crack at a tough subject. Opioids and controlled substances are a fact of life. They are cost effective and a reasonable option to consider for many of the diagnoses we treat in the pain management arena. I start out by speaking of opioids and controlled substances in a general sense, and then work our way through terminology. Terminology is not an exciting topic, but necessary. Understanding key concepts of how we speak the language of pain helps us diminish misunderstanding, and barriers to care. Finally, I touch on a subject that's close to each of the members of the pain information network. People that take pain medicine are not necessarily addicts, and addicts are not bad people. Addiction is a disease, it needs to be treated. It is not a moral failure, but a brain that is gripped by a drug. Society should not judge these people as failures, but should reach out to them, and help them conquer their challenges. Addiction is an equal opportunity problem, and your reality states it best "there but for the grace of God go I."