@mom29907

A word I love and use is "balance". It applies to the ongoing conundrum of addiction to pain medications and medical necessity. Dealing not only with chronic pain but with a long list of illnesses, treatment and management of pain sometimes translates to long term need for medications. Especially when all of the alternatives are tried to no avail, decisions have to be made as to how to live a life with any kind of quality.

By now I know that (for me) neuropathy will continue to progress with more and more pain and all kinds of other related problems for the rest of my life, unless a miracle cure is discovered. I know that I face a future with continual searching for ways to manage my pain and complications of neuropathy with things other than suicide. If that means taking a medication however long it's effective, please don't criminalize a medication that is addictive to some people, but is used responsibly as it's prescribed, and not abused.

So, the balance of legitimate use vs. illegal abuse will be something that each of us is making or will have to be made at a future time. Where is the line? I believe the line isn't in exactly the same place for everyone.

Anyway, that's what the addiction issue looks like to me.

Jim