Coping with Chronic Pain

OxyContin is described as saving the individual's life, allowing her to perform daily tasks while dealing with immense pain and emotional distress. The individual acknowledges the possibility of being addicted to OxyContin but emphasizes its crucial role in keeping her alive and preventing thoughts of ending her life.

Opium has been cultivated since the 6th millennium B.C.E, with a significant increase in British opium consumption in the 19th century. Morphine was introduced in the mid-1800s, and heroin was invented in 1898 as a modified form of morphine. The US banned opioids in 1924.

The primary source of opioids is the poppy plant (papaver somniferum), which yields opium. From opium, substances such as morphine (10%), codeine (.5%), and thebaine are derived.

The individual pleads not to have her medicine taken away, emphasizing that it keeps her around and prevents her from considering ending her life. She acknowledges that she might be addicted to OxyContin but describes it as essential for her survival despite feeling 90 percent disabled and miserable.

The individual describes her life after spinal stenosis surgery as a nightmare and expresses that OxyContin has saved her life, even though she refers to it as a 'fake' life. She mentions that she is able to do simple tasks, but internally she is miserable and crying inside.

The individual expresses concern that if her OxyContin medication is taken away, she may try to obtain it through any means possible, even resorting to illegal methods. She also questions whether she is addicted to the medication, indicating uncertainty about her reliance on it.

The individual's experience with OxyContin reflects the complexity of opioid medication usage, as it both provides relief and raises questions of addiction and dependence. She reveals an internal struggle between the benefits of the medication in keeping her alive and the potential negative consequences of dependence and addiction.

The individual's story highlights broader societal issues related to opioid usage, access to pain management, and the ethical dilemmas surrounding the potential removal of necessary medications for those in chronic pain. Her narrative presents the ethical dilemma of balancing pain relief and quality of life with the risks of addiction and misuse associated with opioid medications.