Over the course of the last hour I came across three separate yet related articles that address the issues regarding the treatment and management of chronic pain. Below you'll find links to each article so please feel free to offer your perspective about what patients chronic pain patients might need to function, what doctors are up against and the addiction & overdose risks attached to these particular drugs (Oxycontin, methadone, Vicodin, etc).
Pain Management Fails Due to Rx Drug Abuse Fears
(Pain-Topics.org, January 8, 2010)
"Millions of Americans with significant acute or chronic pain are being undertreated as physicians fail to provide comprehensive pain treatment, according to recent reviews. The failure is due to inadequate training of physicians, personal biases and, increasingly, fears of prescription analgesic drug abuse."
Read On...
Managing the Emotional Aspects of Pain
(Crossroads for Women blog, January 15, 2010)
"A recent article found on CNN.com talked about how living with chronic pain can hurt personal relationships. Michael E. Geisser, a professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Michigan, states in the article, “It has been shown that relationships in which one partner has chronic pain tend to be more strained, have more marital distress, more conflict, and a greater likelihood for divorce.”
Read On...
Even Legitimate Opioid Use May Cause Overdose
(Reuters Health, January 19, 2010)
"Perhaps it's not surprising, but people who take high doses of opioid painkillers even for legitimate medical reasons are at risk of overdosing, new research shows." Read On...
For local and national treatment options, please visit SAMHSA's Treatment Locator at: www.findtreatment.samhsa.gov . In Maine you can also dial 211 or visit www.211maine.org
On Monday November 29, 2010 from 6:30-8:00 at King Middle School, we will gather with members of the Portland community to discuss the risks of prescription drug abuse among teens. This event is sponsored by Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) and King Pharmaceuticals as well as the City of Portland's Public Health Division (HHSD) and the Portland Public Schools (PPS).
This blog post stems from an article that was posted this morning by @LaDonna Coy from a ScienceDaily article entitled "Low Socioeconomic Status Affects Cortisol Levels in Children Over Time" (January 21, 2010). When we think of the challenges children face, it's important to keep in mind the influence of environmental factors but to still explore how we can build assets and have meaningful relationships with children despite - or maybe because - of their situations. 
"As a young girl, two of the more traumatic things I went through were growing up with an alcoholic parent and my parents’ divorce. I tried to stuff the void I experienced with drugs and alcohol. I never even considered the idea that I might become an alcoholic or drug addict, and I swore to myself that I would never end up like my father. However, as I would later find out, the cards were stacked against me. My family’s long history of drug and alcohol addictions played a huge role in where I ultimately ended up. The lifestyle itself was so familiar to me that it didn’t even register that I wouldn’t be able to stand up to the pressure to succumb to it."
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