Sir: Initially I liked it and I was glad to have it, because it took my pain away. I am talking about the use of a prescribed opioid in my pain management.
I wish the desired outcomes came without the side effects.
After using it for a short while, I realized that my body was getting used to it. This led me to wanting it more and more, thus this became a problem with the use of opioids in managing my pain.
Even though, as time went-on, the more I ingested, the better my pain got managed, little did I know about a mishap waiting to happen with me.
Once, I forgot to carry the bag of prescriptions in my trip to Toronto, and to my surprise, it’s at that time I realized that I had become dependent on it.
That weekend I tasted the crisis associated with opioid-withdrawal. I suffered, and with me, my family suffered while caring for me. It was a terrible weekend in Toronto.
As though this terrible experience wasn’t enough, gradually increasing dosages while controlling my back pain “possessed me” – I lost my short-term memory, my sense of orientation and I felt drowsy, sleepy, all day.
My productivity dropped to zero and I became a burden on my caregiver.
Under the influence of the opioids, I began making irrational decisions, eventually withdrawing myself from my social engagements and volunteering commitments in the community and the church. I felt useless.
According to the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, “Recent estimates indicate 13.1 per cent of Canadian adults used opioids in 2015, and among these individuals, 2.2 per cent (82,000 Canadians representing 0.3 per cent of the total population) reported using them for non-medical purposes. There were 3987 apparent opioid-related deaths in 2017.”
Opioids may reduce the degree of pain, may enhance one’s functioning level and introduce a general feeling of well-being, but they can also destroy one’s life, affecting relationships at home, school, employment and social settings.
The data also suggests Ontario to be the second highest (1,263 per 100,000 population) province to British Columbia (1,470 per 100,000 population) in regard to the use of opioids.
I found that prescription opioids had been falsely promoted/marketed as a low-risk, non-addictive, effective treatment of moderate pain.
Recent data confirms current opioid crisis is leading to broader issues – public health and safety concerns.
I observed that even prolonged therapeutic use of opioids can result in unhealthy dependency. I further observed that my treatment being supervised by my doctor had not familiarized me of the risks of overdose and accidental death.
Where do we go from here?
To recover from my opioid dependency, my objectives were to manage my chronic back pain; to stop my deteriorating level of day-to-day functioning; and to enhance my quality of life.
In my previous opinion pieces on health and social issues, I have often advocated for adequate funded public policy, development of client-centered wrap-around seamless services, evidence-based programs, strengthening the community’s capacity to deal with the issue, and better co-ordination in the field, as well as among the departments of the various ministries of Ontario, etc.
But this time, I will reserve my comments to individual and family roles and responsibilities in the prevention, treatment, after care and rehabilitation of those afflicted with the opioid use.
Having had a lived-experience with the opioids as well as being a professional in the field for nearly 40 years, I can attest that no amount of government investments will help if we Canadians do not take our own individual responsibilities in maintaining our health and well being.
As adults, it’s our individual responsibilities to maintain our health, consult our primary-care physicians and follow their recommendations, as well as to make healthy lifestyle choices, and to make a commitment to the promotion of health/wellness and freedom from substances.
I believe that it is our responsibility as parents/grandparents, uncles/aunts to practice and teach children regarding smoking, drugs, alcohol, their dangers/risks, and alternative healthy lifestyles, its responsible use for recreation and self-medication, and healthy ways to cope with the peer pressures.
Healthy habits and healthy-life style start from home.
Naresh James
Chatham
