From what I've read, etc. long term use of pain killers still needs serious discipline. Break-through pain is often the downfall of long term drug use. That break-through pain moment causes a desperation and subsequent break from proper dosages.

That was my BIL's downfall. He would over do it at work and get break-through pain. Then he would take extra Oxy. The dosage creep kept pushing him to higher and higher dosages. When he would finish his allocation days before he qualified for a refill, his world would come apart. He started stealing meds from my MIL and getting her refills. He doctor shopped to get a second doctor to write an overlapping prescription. In just three months, he burned through $40,000 in working capital I loaned him for building materials for his construction business. His prescriptions were costing $800 to $1600 per refill. He charged them on his business credit card.

He left a wide wake of ripped off family and employees.

Between the pain and the Oxy effects on his mind, he was worthless at decision making.

I feel for you living with chronic pain. I do not have any chronic pain. I just can't drive or recall simple words, or plan ahead.

Here is my best example of one of my problems. When I was driving, I would come to a stop sign. The crossing traffic was uncontrolled. I would look to the left and see where the cars are. I would look to the right and see where the cars are. Problem would arise that I had already forgotten if there were any cars coming from the left.

I learned to drive around town by making a right turn, getting in the left lane and make a left turn to cross an multi-lane uncontrolled intersection.

I still do a very little driving. I can by-pass busy parts of town by taking the scenic route through the country. A highway would be a direct 10 miles but I drive 15 to 20 miles to avoid the busy intersections.

Otherwise, I can get easily overwhelmed. I have driven onto sidewalks three times. Fortunately, they were empty of pedestrians. Now, I stay on the country roads without sidewalks or pedestrians.