Chronic pain from cancer, arthritis, and other conditions drives millions of people to suicide every year, a new report warns.
The mortal implications of pain have been widely discussed in recent years since the opioid epidemic showed painkillers can drive anyone to overdose, whether intentionally or not.
But a new report by the CDC warns overdoses account for a minority of deaths among people who suffer from chronic pain.
In recent years, the number of chronic pain patients intentionally taking their own lives has soared, with most cases committed using a firearm.
The researchers warn their findings highlight that suicide prevention should be a fundamental element of care for chronic pain patients, especially when their treatment involves highly-addictive, potentially lethal drugs.
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11 comments:
Doctors are not writing pain pills. Overdoses are from illegal drugs. Pain pills are over. Suffer in pain or do illegal drugs.
Darn shame most leftist Democrats do not have chronic pain
That's because they all have a mental disorder instead
What is hospice about, then?
My understanding is hospice is only if you are terminally ill and have a limited time to live. Some of these people with chronic pain probably don't have life threatening illnesses so hospice doesn't help them.
The only way chronic pain can be treated with opioids is if the patient is TERMINAL! Even then you will battle with insurance companies who use the abuse of opioids as an excuse to not cover them. The many suffer for the fewest usual!
Agree. You can't get treated for chronic pain anymore. So they are pushing people to illegal ways of taking care of the pain. Some who cannot acquire the illegal drugs take their lives. Sad society we have that makes those who really need the relief suffer. And we worrie about bullies?
People use to work a hell of a lot harder than we do today and then they would come and work more. Industrial accidents were far more common and I never saw my grandfather take anything but a shot of whiskey and rub on some Sloan's Liniment . I am not denying that people are in pain but our comfort tolerances
have dwindled.
Govenrment is the biggest bully around
Doctors aren't treating the individual patient any longer.
They are working for the DEA under the threat of going from a doctor to an admin assistant at Wal Mart.
Some bureaucrat has decided that YOUR pain is faked.
Next, the cheerleaders will swoon over government mandated bracelets that can measure any opioids in your system, notify the police, and send a SWAT team to kill whomever answers the door.
People who have broken their back or have been burned badly get Tylenol PM and a sad look from the nurse.
The pain? The DEA never felt any of it. So he MUST BE LYING.
Keep cheering.
I can't wait for your arthritis to become so painful you can't walk and since you were such a committed cheerleader against opioids, your doctor hands you an ice pack and 2 Bayer aspirin.
Good luck.
I am not denying that people are in pain but our comfort tolerances
have dwindled.
September 13, 2018 at 8:44 AM
Having sore muscles or an aching back from working is just not comparable to chronic pain, then or now. After your grandfather had his shot and ointment and some rest he probably felt better. People who are in constant pain don't have that luxury.
They are still in pain even after they take pain pills if they can still get them. I appreciate your sentiment but it just doesn't apply in this case.
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