@cbrackle. I totally get your frustration and you bring valid points. And although opioids have caused deaths, a very small amount of them have come from those who were prescribed opioids and took them as directed.

We do need to draw together as chronic pain sufferers and help our elected officials understand that there is a role and a place for opiate medications in our world, at least until something better is created.

It is really frustrating to be labeled, denied what we need to live a full life, and have to fight for what is readily available and legal. It’s horrible to live in fear of losing the medication that gives you the ability to live a full life. It all sucks!

It reminds me of the way mental health patients used to be stigmatized. Thanks to Incredible efforts from many organizations and individuals we no longer look at people suffering with mental health disorders was so much disdain.

Most don’t realize that opiates are not addicting to those who use them properly. Cigarettes are much more addictive. Primarily, those who use opiates inappropriately are the ones who become addicted.

Really, everything you’re saying makes sense… But how can we get it to the people who need to hear it? The only way that happens is with ALL of us writing, calling, engaging our representatives; tell them how much we need our medications to function; tell them how addiction really works; tell them ways that we can reduce over prescribing, while enabling those who truly need meds to have opiates available. We need to write, we need to talk, we need to be heard. It’s great for us all to have a forum like this, but truly we all have a responsibility to inform those around us and those who we elect.

I encourage all of you to write a letter today to your elected officials about the role opiates are playing your life and why you think there is a need to have access to them. We are being stigmatized, labeled, discrimated against, denied our right to pursue happiness!! It’s time to stop the stigma and open up reasonable treatment options for those with chronic pain.

One statistic missing in your argument is the importance of quality of life. How many people have committed suicide because they did not have an option to manage their chronic pain. I was there once.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. WRITE YOUR REPRESENTATIVES ... local, state, federal, DEA, media who incorrectly represent addiction vs pain management.