DrugBuyers.Com: Dependance is NOT addiction

crc, I agree with what you've had to say. I especially agree that people need to not be so easily offended by those words (dependence and addiction) but unfortunately, they are. I read something somebody posted on the NWW forum the other day about what they were "dependent" on... getting out of bed in the morning, being able to walk, having sex without being in intolerable pain, etc. I thought it was absolutely beautiful. And I think for me, that's where it lies. I think I'm fortunate in that I don't *need* medication every day for my pain. Don't get me wrong, I have a great deal of excruciating pain, but I lived with it for so long I sorta got used to it. I remember a time or two that I tried to stand up and my back was in so much pain that my legs wouldn't hold... and my PC was prescribing minimal amounts of pain medication because "I'm too young to be in this much pain and if he gives me more than 30 5/500 vicodin a month, what will I do when I'm 80 and am wheelchair bound??" That was a disgusting thing for me to hear- I would retort that when I'm 80, if I'm wheelchair bound, I don't want to look back regretting all of the things I could have done and didn't because the pain was too limiting. Still, when you get used to the pain and only have enough to give you approximately 10 episodes (I say episodes because on a horrible day, I could use 3 pills 3 times a day- each dose I consider an "episode" lol) you learn to "pick and choose" the days you want to be pain free the most, ya know? In any event, it's made me very aware of when I *need* to take meds and when I don't so much need to because I can tolerate the pain. How sad is that? I've opted to tolerate the pain on certain days? Personally, one shouldn't have to learn to tolerate it on certain days because they're grossly underprescribed. But it's a hard reality for many people; I'm sure many people here all who would agree. In any event, that's my thought on it- I do totally agree with your statement about not being able to say Merry Christmas without the fear of offending somebody. Funny- recently at work, we had a change in VP's in HR. With the old VP- there was to be NO sign of halloween celeberation on account of whom it may or may not offend, so let's be PC across the board. With the switch in VP's- we gained one who, in his first year said, "DRESS UP! HAVE A BALL! DECORATE! GO WILD!! IT'S A HOLIDAY FOR PITIES SAKE!!" I knew right then and there he was super. Sorry- getting off topic

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"I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - Voltaire