When Suicide becomes the “Only” option for Chronic Pain.
I want to preface this by saying i am neither recommending nor encouraging anyone to take their life. While it may feel like the only option, you have other ways to address whatever you are going through. This is just to give some a better perspective on what many dealing with severe, many times lifelong, pain are dealing with.
I want to start this by asking you to read Dr. Thomas Kline’s article from May of this year directly addressing what is happening and make sure many understand these are people that felt they had no other option.
When one deals with severe and chronic pain for a range of medical conditions the common idea, at least so I thought, was to see a doctor and get treatment. As we know there just is no cookie cutter way to treat every single person so until recent years the government stayed out of the picture and let doctors and patients address the conditions with a range of options. For chronic pain patients those options included opioids. In the last few years the CDC released some guidance on ways, many assumed for the medical community, could continue to treat patients and at the same time start to address what they labeled a crisis.
This at first seemed fairly logical but quickly went off the rails with both the Federal Government and now some states looking at options to remove prescription opioids entirely. In the last year or two doctors have openly called for the DEA, FDA and other regulatory agencies to stop targeting the medical community and its patients for just trying to do what they are supposed to.
The VA is largely following the CDC guidance as law, my General Practitioner told me directly that he couldnt prescribe pain meds for me if he wanted to. Luckily for me I found alternatives for my wellbeing several years ago with my doctors blessing.
Now states such as Oregon are looking at removing the option entirely from the communites most in need that will be further marginalized by these approaches.
The veteran community is already plagued with a massive suicide issue, quite possibly due to the lack of access to treatment for both physical and mental pain. Instead of looking at ways to better treat people and make sure they have access the current administration is pointing themselves on a direct course going the opposite direction. Continuing to waste money on oversight appointments instead of focusing on the care. Its no wonder they cant even make a dent in the suicide issue for veterans.
On a near daily basis I see many in the Chronic Pain community across social media looking for a place to turn to. Many having no option but to seek alternative care, not because they want to but because they just want to have some quality of life. I for one was lucky in that my former doctors at the VA realized the path I was on was one that would eventually lead to suicide and in 2015 suggested we look at more natural, holistic approach to my well being. I for one was lucky and that approach actually worked and worked incredibly well because the medications I was being prescribed did little for me but cause severe problems. That is not remotely suggesting though that every single other person should not have the option to work with their doctors with every approach imaginable. Harm Reduction should be the two words coming from every single lawmaker, federal offical and medical providers mouth. That can only happen if all options are on the table.
The best approach is to make sure both long studied prescription medications as well as alternative therapies can be accessed by one and all. Creating more hurdles to marginalized communities unfairly targets those most in need. In the past two years the govenment has not only gone after doctors just trying to treat patients, forcing many of them to just give up and leaving their patients stranded but also targeting alternatives like Kratom and Cannibis.
In September 2016, when the DEA filed a Notice of Intent to make Kratom a schedule 1 substance I actually started contemplating suicide again. I cant begin to explain what that is like, again im lucky in that my doctors were there for me at the time so I focused my energies on lobbying/activism in a push to keep Kratom legal with tens of thousands of other voices. We need to keep raising our voices for all those being marginalized, help them protect access to Quality of Life options, no matter what they are, for care.
Ive walked many miles in the shoes of those that have ended their lives due to pain and limited health care access. I ask that you put on our shoes for a day and #FeelOurPain for a bit. Reach out to Spoonies/CPP and ask them how you can help protect their right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness, they need your help now more than ever.
While Suicide is never a good option, its becoming more and more clear daily that its the “only” option so many are facing.
If you are contemplating suicide, contact your medical providers, go to the Emergency Room or Care facility, reach out to the Suicide Prevention Lifeline https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org or call them at 1–800–273–8255. Your life can have meaning and people care about you.
As Always….This Isnt Over.