Connect
← Return to Fibromyalgia pain: Let's connect
Discussion
Fibromyalgia pain: Let's connect
Fibromyalgia | Last Active: Oct 31 9:08am | Replies (1334)Comment receiving replies
@mwcates, you are quite right that Mayo Clinic Connect is an open and free forum. @ckeys brings up an often overlooked distinction between addiction and dependence. Many people use the terms interchangeably. I found this relatively simple explanation on NIH's website
- Addiction vs dependence https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/teaching-packets/neurobiology-drug-addiction/section-iii-action-heroin-morphine/10-addiction-vs-dependence
I paraphrase:
"..it is possible to be dependent on an opioid, without being addicted to it. (Although, if one is addicted, they are most likely dependent as well.) This is especially true for people being treated chronically with a drug like morphine, for example, pain associated with terminal cancer. They may be dependent - if the drug is stopped, they suffer a withdrawal syndrome. But, they are not compulsive users of the morphine, and they are not addicted. ..."
You're so right that pain meds rarely eliminate pain. Keeping busy and finding things to occupy the mind are the topic of this discussion on Connect:
- What Distracts You From the Pain? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/what-distracts-you-from-the-pain/
I bet you have some great things to contribute to that discussion.
Replies to "@mwcates, you are quite right that Mayo Clinic Connect is an open and free forum. @ckeys..."
@colleenyoung thank you for helping distinguish addiction from dependence. And very true, distraction helps. But sometimes you just want to read a book, flip zero magazine, and watch TV… Those distractions often times aren’t enough to keep focus from the pain. Personally I need pain medications to be able to sleep comfortably; With out them I wake up frequently, sleep poorly and that makes my pain much worse… Distraction or nine. @mwcates I encourage you to be more receptive and understanding to those who can’t simply distract their pain away. Not all of us are like you. An open forum means that you can encourage and/or ask people to consider. If that’s too much for you to handle I’m so sorry as everybody’s opinion is welcome here
Connect
@colleenyoung I am not familiar with the National Institute on Drug Abuse, so I don't know how much credence to give to it. If you want to make a distinction between dependence and addiction, that's fine. True, morphine is not the same as heroine. Is that your point? You can write your congresspeople if you want. This is my first day and I'm quickly beginning to think this is a waste of my time.