I really don't think it's the doctors that are the problem. I've had extremely compassionate, knowledgeable, and just overall fantastic doctors...and bad ones.

I think it's a larger issue, the governing bodies (CDC, FDA, even the pharma companies...Purdue) pushing things to doctors (like the 100 Morphine milligram equivalent fiasco), the social stigma surrounding pain, the bleed between addiction and dependence, and the rate of overdoses.

I personally saw kids (and I say kids because they were kids) posting handfuls of Gabapentin on drug subreddits, and within a few months my doctors told me to get off it as they were likely to schedule it. Multiple doctors told me that, that's not an individual doctor getting an idea. I'm not crying conspiracy about that, but when the societal stigma exists, when people post pictures of their Kratom and gabapentin, drugs which I think are objectively less recreational than say morphine, it changes the whole playing field.

"Good people don't smoke marijuana" - Jeff Sessions.

Whatever Trump said about heroin in Maine (something like "I don't get how heroin works with this scenery/landscape").

These things have an impact on the whole climate surrounding opioids.

This is an incredibly complex issue. The fentanyl analog's coming from China made it more complex. Now pressed pills are being included in prescription overdose rates, that skews how doctors are able to effectively do their jobs.

No doctor wants to write a script which will send their patient down the path of addiction or lead to an overdose. "Opiaphobia" is a real issue in this country.

On the other hand: There is no empirical measurement for pain, there is no way to tell if a patient is lying about their symptoms to get access to medication. This isn't a blanket statement kind of situation unfortunately.

I recommend Kratom and CBD for those who it is legal for. I take it, thankfully I don't need opioids, but some people don't get relief from those things. THC is great too, but I prefer the clear-headedness of the CBD, when I use isolate there is zero high.

For some reason get more relief from Kratom than I ever did from opioids, I recall a study about it being more effective for some with nerve pain.

Some people really do need opioids and other meds though, and that's a tough situation.

In terms of psychiatric, I found a great out of network psychiatrist who actually would interface with my pain center (when I was still going) by googling "pain psychiatrist". Apparently he didn't consider himself one, but he had treated many pain patients before. If you call around and ask directly if they have experience treating chronic pain patients, they may say yes.

It sucks though. You have a record of psychiatric care, doctors look at you differently. Inpatient hospitalizations for suicidal ideation? Fucking forget about it. I can still get opioids, but they all know I've had a history of mental health issues and it always always always comes up. Wind up in the ER? You can absolutely forget about getting any pain meds regardless, but you have a history of depression? Fucking never getting pain meds in the ER.

I don't know, I guess I sound smart, am a white dude, and look dorky? I was studying in college to be a pain doctor until my condition got really bad, so I am well read on my own issues, some doctors don't like that though. If you're "doing their job" they may think you know better than them and get offended.

I have generally had doctors take me seriously, but there's an issue with sexism (conversation disorder, which many argue is a modern day hysteria diagnosis), racism, classism, etc.

If you're unemployed they won't be as likely to give you a script. If you're not in college they won't be as likely to give you a script.

I am glad I was able to take most of the pain control into my own hands, I still need anticonvulsants and jump through hoops to get 2mg of Valium 3x daily, but I take Kratom and CBD (under the direction of all my doctors).

It's rough as fuck out there for pain patients, I wish I had a better answer.

Well I want to say take them seriously, but that's a hard one because some people do lie about their conditions to get access to medications. My own mother was extremely manipulative about her chronic pain when in reality she was and is an addict regardless of whether she has pain (which she probably is).

It's fairly evident when addiction is present, however, especially if you live with that person.

Just like with any medical condition, psychological or physical, people feel like shit if they aren't taken seriously. By family, friends, lovers, classmates, teachers, professors, employers, coworkers, the list goes on.

When our politicians say things like "Good people don't smoke marijuana" and whatever Trump said about heroin in Maine, it affects people suffering. If you get cut off from a pain center in an extremely rude way which lacks compassion, you'll feel like shit.

When addicts are lumped in, it makes the whole situation worse. Just because they use the same medications for their own, very real and serious medical condition, it makes the whole situation a lot more complex.

Counseling, psychiatric care, compassion, all these things can make a huge difference to someone struggling with chronic pain.

I've had so many compassionate SOs, and so many shitty people over the years.

It really is awful. I've been hospitalized so many times for suicidal ideation, it's really hard. At that point after all that time, after nearly every psychiatric medication available on the market, I finally took psychedelics, and it all got better. I really feel like they're closer to antipsychotics than most people think, and while those drugs are mood stabilizers, they literally kill a trip, it's fascinating to me personally how they are quick to give Seroquel but not psychedelics.

I have never, and I stand by this statement, ever had such an intense drug experience as when I took Seroquel for the first time. The euphoria and overwhelming effects were just out of this world. Maybe I'm weird, but psychedelics weren't nearly as potent for me. So yeah, both are arguably recreational, but they should really be looked at in a similar light. Bad trips, for me, were still beneficial in helping me cope.

It is worth noting that you cannot expect to take a substance and feel better ever. Mindfulness, meditation, counseling, human interaction, group therapy, exercise, etc, all these should be done in conjunction with whatever medication you are given. But it's almost insulting to say that to people which severe depression. It's like saying "cheer up!"

Or "just be less depressed!"

Or "have you tried (lists homeopathic remedy they read about online)?".

Or...dare I even mention...

ESSENTIAL OILS?!

Yeah, I and others been yelling at them in every freaking post for years, just search the subs. /r/drugs, /r/drugstashes, and /r/drugsarebeautiful

Apparently if you take the whole bottle basically (upwards of 2400mg...at once 😤) it's somewhat recreational.

So dumb, but when it comes down to it addicts will use anything in their reach to get high. No shame towards addicts, it's a medical condition and deserves to be destigmatized, but this whole situation is so freaking complex.

Lyrica and pregabalin are very similar, potency being the main difference, and lyrica is hugely stigmatized and less often prescribed because it has a higher (and this is not my words) potential for abuse. I've had specialist doctor's tell me there is absolutely no difference, but there's a study out there saying it's as addictive or more than opioids.

Scientific studies are a wholeeeeeeee other conversation I'll let the actual degree possessing professionals and not me speak about.