HIJACKING The Word Pain

Lately my social media has been flooded with posts talking about Chronic Pain, from Dr's putting their resumes on line seeking patients, Chronic Pain Clinics all over seeking patients and talking about their "NO" medication treatment style, hot water facilities selling hour long sessions for floating, down to online seminars on how to treat Chronic Pain and going medication free for a fee of course.

At first I just laughed thinking a lot of people will see this for what it is but it doesn't appear so. Now I am just angry! Taking advantage of people when they are desperate to find help is a tragedy. Those of us truly living with chronic pain understand there isn't a one umbrella fix. We are drug seekers, we actually want everything at our disposal to help us live an active life not be a bystander looking on. There isn't anything I haven't tried; massages, mediation, low level stretches/exercise, heating pads, cold packs, everything possible over the counter, even natural remedies.

The CDC & NIH have decided that chronic pain is a source of mental issue. Billions of dollars in research has been provided to place chronic pain in a category of depression which is why most clinics and insurance want people on some type of anti-depressants if taking a narcotic. While depression can take on a symptom of pain most people in chronic pain experience depression because of the toll it takes on our lives. With the Opioid Crisis we are always reminded that we do not matter.

The chronic pain seminars range from providing a headset for visuals to distract or retrain your brain, most of these are trying to sell you that you can retrain your brain on how to react to pain. I would wager a massive bet that these "leading" experts on this topic haven't experienced a bad bout of acute pain which in my belief acute and chronic pain can only be defined by length of time experienced. Why are there no seminars for acute pain? Is that real? Can you imagine trying to tell a person whose fingers or toes which are so disfigured from arthritis that when they straighten out their hand their fingers are pointing back at them that this is all in their head? Or the person whose spine looks like a road leading up the side of a mountain? Or people whose organs are so inflamed from disease? Seriously??

I am SICK of ppl hijacking the word pain to replace irritation! If you can be distracted or relieved from pain using simple measures these idiots are trying to sell it is NOT CHRONIC PAIN! Why go pain clinic prices for application of heat followed by a massage then put a patch on an area? We can do this at home. Medications should never be the only option but it shouldn't be taken away altogether. This is exactly the direction the medical field is headed. I understand addiction but I also realize that this meds were invented for a reason. The Government has spent billions trying to retrain Drs, NP, & Pharmacists on the need to stop prescribing and filling hoping this will end the crisis. Foolish thinking on their part, because people who are truly in pain will seek alternative solutions which let's be honest is illegal and dangerous. I guess the sad part, people who live with addiction have many avenues to seek help/treatment which keeps growing, but those of us suffering 24/7/365 our options are getting smaller day to day. IF THIS WAS TRULY ABOUT HEALTH, we wouldn't be excluded. If I had one wish for a supper power it would be for every health professional, every government official, every paper pushing idiot who is trying to remove our medications from the market I would love to transfer my pain to them to live with nothing short of 30 days. I bet we would see a major turn around on direction. Until then all we have is our voice which I'll continue to use.