This is an absolute travesty. People in chronic pain are more than capable of deciding if painkillers help them. CBT and exercise is not a response to agony. theguardian.com/society/2021/a…
It would be fantastic if people with chronic pain could take up acupuncture, suitable exercise, and CBT as well as the option of painkillers - except there’s barely any access to these services on the NHS. It’s just cruel to dangle that option, whilst pulling the painkillers.
I became bedbound with post-viral fatigue and it still took me three years to get a referral to a physiotherapist. A specialist nurse fobbed me off when I kept asking. I still don’t get any sessions - and I’m far from alone. And they wonder why we crash and need more pain relief.
I find it remarkable they pull painkillers for being harmful and addictive but recommend antidepressants, as if they’re smarties. I tried SSRIs for pain relief and had terrible side effects, so came off them. Antidepressants can be beneficial but the contrast is telling.
(To clarify for anyone not familiar: some antidepressants are proven to provide pain relief for some chronic pain. This *is not* because the person is depressed. It’s because some of the pathways for pain and depression are similar. The human body is a complex beast.)
I had so many messages in response to this today. I’m sorry I can’t reply to them individually (pain! fatigue! irony!) but reading them all. Love to you all.
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