I’m in recovery and my doctor offered to prescribe me opioids
Health care providers do not often discuss the addictive qualities of opioids or inform patients of alternative treatment options.
Nothing my doctor did was out of malice. He was simply doing what most dentists and physicians do. They want to make sure their patients are satisfied, and opioids are an easy fix to a patient feeling discomfort.
Many don’t know the recent research showing that even short-term opioid prescriptions increase the risk for dependence later on, nor the cascade of emotions that come from being offered a prescription when you are in recovery.
There was no pre-interview about my history or risk factors for addiction, no discussion of the addiction potential of opioids, and no “stepped” approach to prescribing non-opioid alternatives as a first line of treatment. Unfortunately, physicians have not been trained to say, “You will feel some pain, and that is okay. Come back if you need something stronger.”
