Re: “Opioid prescribing challenges doctors.” 1 Increased narcotic prescribing may not be the primary reason for the rise in the street use of these drugs. There may be a common underlying factor — an increase in social pain. The use of functional magnetic resonance imaging reveals that social rejection hurts just as much as physical pain. 2 As a GP who specializes in treating emotional pain, I can verify that this is definitely on the rise. As more people lose their jobs or fear losing them, as more young people despair of any meaningful future, as life becomes harder and social supports disappear, human pain increases and so does the need for relief. I have found that distressed individuals and families request less pharmacological analgesia when they get more social support. Unfortunately, social policy is going in the opposite direction. As more people are burdened with overwhelming stress, we will see a greater demand for legal and illegal opioids.
Footnotes
-
For the full letter, go to: www.cmaj.ca/cgi/eletters/181/8/E143#223919