A Tough Pill to Swallow
/By Mia Maysack, PNN Columnist
Nothing will change if we don't demand it. So many of us are exhausted, fed up, disheartened and tempted to call it quits. But our lives are worth fighting for, as is the quality of them.
I have a loved one who was prescribed multiple different medications for years to aid with pain, anxiety, depression and sleep disturbance. Though these medicines were taken as directed, they altered this person's brain chemistry and cultivated a physical dependence -- which isn't something that was ever mentioned to them by a medical professional as a possibility or concern.
No longer willing to compromise with the adverse side effects, they began researching how to appropriately and safely wean themselves off these pills -- only to find out that many others who tried to were either unable to quit or lost their lives attempting to do so.
Although it was never recommended or suggested, my loved one chose to stop cold turkey overnight, a decision they almost didn't make it through. But their determination to reclaim a normal existence exceeded the potential dangers.
This left me with major concerns. Why were these capsules doled out for such a long period of time without a mention, thought, discussion or intervention of other therapies? Generally, our bodies are not built or equipped to internalize anything foreign for so long, let alone forever.
What is my loved one to do now? Where could they turn? And who was going to help them?
It shouldn't be a newsflash that there's an on-going war against patients, specifically in relation to untreated pain and/or opioid use. But there are some things not everyone may realize, such as the major differences between the abuse of prescriptions, addiction and following provider instructions. Yet all three have ignorantly been grouped together.
To add further insult to injury, it's those who cannot begin relating to any of these circumstances who usually have the opinions and power to manage them. That’s similar to how I, as a white woman, cannot begin to fully understand the experiences of other ethnicities.
The same principle applies to someone who has never encountered intractable, unbearable, relentless and agonizing discomfort. It makes no sense as to how it is justified. The lack of firsthand knowledge disqualifies anyone to judge or make decisions on behalf of others directly impacted by something they cannot begin to relate to. It also boils down to a severe lack of humility.
All it would require is a shift in circumstance -- a fall, accident, surgery or unexpected diagnosis for a sudden complete change in stance on these matters.
When deaths are reported, they are often categorized under one “cause.” And when it is discovered that an individual who passed away was taking opioids, that is the box that usually gets checked. That not only unfairly minimizes respect for those we've lost, but also skews the data, painting an improper and inaccurate statistical picture to further victimize some of our most vulnerable.
Instead of being given options and solutions, people who should be protected and served by the medical system have been and continue to be punished, while also neglected and their voices ignored.
Fighting amongst each other by comparing our individual situations is not an adequate use of our energy. That same effort and passion would be better devoted toward contacting legislators and institutions falsely producing this hysteria, to express our dissatisfaction, demand acknowledgement and to create forward momentum in making things better.
It isn’t acceptable to go from one extreme to another while not solving anything. This alters what the problem is, as opposed to offering an actual fix. How is it justified that the World Health Organization calls management of pain a “fundamental human right,” while millions are not only suffering but suicide rates are at an all-time high due to medical abandonment?
Politics do not belong in the realm of healthcare. But when our integrity as “The People” is being compromised, this becomes an issue that impacts each and every one of us. If we do not fight for our virtues, we’ll lose our liberty.
Mia Maysack lives with chronic migraine, cluster headaches and fibromyalgia. Mia is the founder of Keepin’ Our Heads Up, a Facebook advocacy and support group, and Peace & Love, a wellness and life coaching practice for the chronically ill.
