Chronic Pain members - Welcome, please introduce yourself

What a cutie...I have read all of your postings and agree that anyone who depends on narcotics and analgesics of any kind will be having a great deal of problem getting them now. Since last year when the federal government handed down new rules for physicians and pharmaceutical companies on how to distribute these prescription drugs, all states now have the opportunity to regulate them. In this article by Harvard Health - you can read about what is becoming an increasingly difficult road for everyone. It's like the one child in your class that does a dumb thing and the entire class is punished for his deed. There are so many deaths from the overuse on the streets of these drugs - the wrong people with the wrong use of the drugs with the wrong outcomes that are driving the present situation. Too many deaths in other words. There doesn't promise to be an end any time soon.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/what-new-opioid-laws-mean-for-pain-relief
As Ginger identified as well as this article made mention, seek to find alternatives to the drugs. They are ONLY a short term course for you. Your body will feel the effects of withdrawal from not having them but you will recover. Instead, use other means to gain control of your mental - pain gate - capacity in your brain. Your perception of pain begins in your brain and ends up where the pain is located. Pressure points - finding them and pressing them on your body will help to relieve and release some of the endorphins that your body naturally manufactures to relieve pain. You can find them as well as having a massage therapist do it for you. [If I have a simple stuffy nose, I press on either side of my nose, under my eyes, above my nose/eyes for a few seconds and release the sinuses ] Nodules build up with lactic acid and can cause pain. Releasing them and drinking water - will help to rid the body of this acid.

The other option that should be done is to write your Legislator in your district, state and government - and let them know this is an issue that plays havoc in your life. If they don't know their constituents are having problems with this issues, then they assume everything is fine, which it is NOT.
Here is the website https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials where you can find your state's representatives - so you can be a friend to your communities/ state and governor. Back home - all of my Reps knew me personally because I was writing and talking to them about issues from A-Z that directly and indirectly related to me as well as those who benefited the greater good. It's worth a shot because one never knows whats around the corner. Eloise

Thank you Ms Peach - I usually call it as it is since it comes from what I know or what I have learned by bumping along the hard way. Simple is as simple does. We can read a lot or be preached to about many things but if we can be given something that is simple and manageable for our daily lives - then that is something you and I can apply. It's practical. Life is too complicated to do anything that makes my brain hurt. Or for that matter - yours! Smile

Distraction is a huge part. Keeping very busy is a huge help. Don't get caught in that pain circle. Truely finding things that keep your mind in other places is a huge help. Hobbies,riding motorcycles,your favorite car rides. If your doing something that absorbs your mind. Your not thinking of pain. And dioframic breathing can be super useful during very bad days too. There are free apps for your phone and computer to teach you how to do it. Don't blow it off. It truely works. I know it sounds crazy. But I have lived with terrible pain for 37 years after 2 helicopter crashes. I wouldn't share if it didn't work. Stretching a couple times a day helps in the long run too. You will feel worse at first. But stick with it.

@tazscott.... I agree. Distractions, or enjoyable activities that you get caught up in make a painful day pass much more pleasantly. Make a short list of 3 or 4 activities that incite your creativity, are productive, or include others into your day. Choose one to put effort into. Painfilled days quickly pass when we fill our time with enjoyable activities. Plus, when we produce...baking, music, sewing, helping others...we have purpose. It's easier to do nothing. But what have we to show for our time? Nothing. How satisfying is that? Believe me...if it moves...MOVE IT! If you don't, it's true, you WILL lose it.

I speak as one who has many serious pain issues. I take low dose pain meds. Minimal relief, but I am grateful. The less I focus on me, the more I value life. Even on days I'm feeling like crap....suffering greatly. When the most I can do is pull one of my many littles (grandkids) on my lap and look at picture books and listen to their chatter....on those miserable days, I smile and so do my kids! We create good memories despite the beast. Don't let the beast run you. If you do, it takes over. We all know there are people suffering more than us. Yet they keep on keeping on. So can we.

Chronic severe pain has a way of stealing all our joy, all our energy if we let it. One may say "yeah, but you don't have MY awful pain." I know pain. Awful pain. Not talking about small stuff. But because I want to do more than exist, I must make the effort to distract myself so the daily beast is secondary instead of the daily main event. I want to live, not merely exist. And I wish that for others. Blessings JMJ

@tazscott.... I agree. Distractions, or enjoyable activities that you get caught up in make a painful day pass much more pleasantly. Make a short list of 3 or 4 activities that incite your creativity, are productive, or include others into your day. Choose one to put effort into. Painfilled days quickly pass when we fill our time with enjoyable activities. Plus, when we produce...baking, music, sewing, helping others...we have purpose. It's easier to do nothing. But what have we to show for our time? Nothing. How satisfying is that? Believe me...if it moves...MOVE IT! If you don't, it's true, you WILL lose it.

I speak as one who has many serious pain issues. I take low dose pain meds. Minimal relief, but I am grateful. The less I focus on me, the more I value life. Even on days I'm feeling like crap....suffering greatly. When the most I can do is pull one of my many littles (grandkids) on my lap and look at picture books and listen to their chatter....on those miserable days, I smile and so do my kids! We create good memories despite the beast. Don't let the beast run you. If you do, it takes over. We all know there are people suffering more than us. Yet they keep on keeping on. So can we.

Chronic severe pain has a way of stealing all our joy, all our energy if we let it. One may say "yeah, but you don't have MY awful pain." I know pain. Awful pain. Not talking about small stuff. But because I want to do more than exist, I must make the effort to distract myself so the daily beast is secondary instead of the daily main event. I want to live, not merely exist. And I wish that for others. Blessings JMJ

@jmjlove Your words, along with those of @tazscott mean a lot to me, especially today. Distraction is good when pain or stress of any kind rears its head. Doing for others, "getting out of your own way" focuses your energy away from the negatives. I find journaling, and writing/talking to my pain helps to take away the force it would like to have.relying on low-dose pain meds [Tylenol and CBD only] keeps me aware of the pain but not a slave to it. Our cat senses my discomfort and presents herself often, for a cuddle or simple scratch on her tummy. She glues herself to me in bed.
Ginger

Oh my,you are so right about cats and dogs. If it was for both of them I would have proably done something bad in the past. Mine are incredible therphy for me. Along with my many hobbies