Idk, you should try them and tell us what you think.

Speaking from personal experience with loved ones, I have 2 perspectives with this. 1st is addiction as related to genetics. I have witnessed 1st hand that when a person is predisposed for alcohol addiction and narcotics it is also related to mental health issues and chemical imbalances within the brain. If you were to observe someone going thru the system of addiction, incarcerations and relapse, it becomes clear that these individuals need help within the mental health community. However, because they are adults and free to make their own decisions, they do not seek mental health evaluations that could assist in leveling out their moods and brain chemistry. Bi Polar disorder has highs and lows with brain chemistry and cycling. Imagine a person that has not been diagnosed, cycling and sometimes rapid cycling. It is no wonder we have relapse rates where they are. It seems the courts could potential order mental health evaluations on some of these addicts when they are clean to help with this.

The 2nd perspective is the addiction that goes along with pain management. People are being prescribed high level opiates for pain management. Through pills and pain patches these people are becoming addicted and they don’t even realize. When the pain patch is at the end of its time the patient becomes ill, much as you would see with withdrawal. Unfortunately, pain clinicians are not really talking to these patients to see the addiction is kicking in and they’re more or less administering opiates because the prescription says to. I have a family member that was put on pain patches post surgery for a perforated bowel/ colostomy and complication relating to kidney failure. She used the pain patches and pills per the prescription to the letter. She always felt bad, her system would start causing her stomach and loose bowel issues. She felt nauseous a lot. My brother informed her she was experiencing withdrawal. After conferring with the Dr she said she wanted to discontinue the use. They had to step her down on the dosage because it could kill her to stop the pain patches cold turkey. How many other people have had injuries and had medications prescribed like this with similar results. There has to be a better way IMO. Thank God mom had the strength to step away.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 7 months ago by  Lisa Jones. Reason: improper grammar