This goes both ways. There is a lot of dis- & mis- information floating around about opioid pain medications, and that is a very emotional (and political) subject. In efforts to dispel bad information, confusion, and downright lies, I am often concerned about being accused of or labeled pro-narcotic. I am not pro-drug or pro-narcotic; I am anti-pain. I have spoken & written often about ways of coping with pain aside from using medication, but people in intractable chronic pain should not be afraid - or be made afraid - to take medications their physicians prescribe, or stigmatized for taking them.

Here is a list of some links I have found informative:

The Intractable Pain Patients Handbook For Survival
http://pain-topics.org/pdf/IntractablePainSurvival.pdf
Page 10 - Necessity for Opioid Drugs

Definitions Related to the Use of Opioids for the Treatment of Pain
Addiction, Physical Dependence, Tolerance, & Pseudoaddiction
http://www.ampainsoc.org/advocacy/opioids2.htm
There is a lot of confusion about, and misuse of, these terms - even among medical professionals and in the media. Physical Dependence is NOT Addiction.

Pseudoaddiction and Misinterpretation of Symptoms
http://www.beatingaddictions.co.uk/Pseudoaddiction.html

Narcotic Pain Medications
http://www.webmd.com/pain-management...in-medications

The Truth About Painkillers
http://tinyurl.com/2vmnqf

Painkiller Addiction: A Smaller Risk Than You May Think
http://www.health.com/health/conditi...9482_1,00.html

Clinical Guidelines for the Use of Chronic Opioid Therapy in Chronic Noncancer Pain
http://www.jpain.org/article/PIIS152...08316/fulltext

Doc