Great Scott! Self-medicating?! Who'dve thought that could happen? Okay, so all of us here are guilty of self-medicating TO A DEGREE(!). Still, without the control of these substances, how much worse would our worlds be? I'm disappointed by the post that referred to those of 'us' who need pain meds. to do certain things we would otherwise be limited by our pain from doing as living a 'normal' life. What's normal about needing pain medication to do those every day things? Are we not impaired when on the medication? If we can agree that our lucidity is challenged when on the medication, then how can we say that we're living normal lives by taking the medication? Is that not an oxymoron? I'm sorry- I'm now 2 weeks off the Hydro and with each passing day am beginning to feel more 'normal' (finally)- more like the person I was before I felt the dependency growing. I can't say I agree with the meds. being over the counter for these reasons. Though, I suppose in saying that prohibition is okay, it's contradictory to some extent. The biggest difference? With time and a tolerence/dependence... we begin to feel *normal* while taking the narcotics. Why? Perhaps because our judgement is *so* impaired that we're no longer able to decipher between when we're 'normal' and when we're not. Just my opinion and I have no other facts to base this on other than my own experience with the meds.