HEALTHY CHOICES

Opioids, and their over use, have reached epidemic numbers in the US and most countries around the world.  The National Institute on Drug Abuse, presented a report on May 14, 2014, through Nora D. Volkow, MD, to the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control.  She explained that the “abuse and addiction to opioids such as heroin, morphine and prescription pain relievers is a serious global problem that affects the health, social, and economic welfare of all societies.  It is estimated that between 26.4 million and 36 million people abuse opioids worldwide, with an estimated 2.1 million people in the United States suffering from substance use disorders related to prescription opioid pain relievers”.  To illustrate this point, the total number of opioid pain relievers prescribed in the United States has sky rocketed in the past 25 years.

The United States consumes almost 100% of the worlds total production of hydrocodone (e.g. Vicodin).

The number of prescriptions for opioids, like hydrocodone and oxycontin products, have escalated from around 76 million in 1991 to nearly 207 million in 2013, with the United States their biggest consumer globally, accounting for almost 100% of the world total for hydrocodone (e.g. Vicodin) and 81% of Oxycontin (e.g. Percocet).

Addictive drugs like Oxycontin, Hydrocodone, Xanax, and numerous other, doctor prescribed, pain killers; anxiety reducers; nausea relievers; and a mega list of others line the medicine cabinets of millions of people globally.  We, as God’s people have come to accept, as an acceptable risk, in order to reduce pain in our bodies, the possibility of becoming addicted.

ARE THERE ALTERNATE CHOICES FOR BETTER HEALTH?

Authoring a blog on Overcoming Grief is bringing myriads of questions about the use of prescription drugs to help relieve the depression; anxiety; loneliness; despair and other emotional distresses caused by grief.  These types of real emotional pain often are accompanied by real physical pain.  Headaches, neck and shoulder tension, joint pain and back pain can overload our nervous system causing various symptoms of distress throughout the body.  PHYSICAL PAIN FROM EMOTIONAL STRESS IS REAL.

Don’t get me wrong.  Physical pain from severe emotional stress is real.  If you’ve never experienced it I can understand why you could question the legitimacy of it.  However, if you’ve experienced this kind of pain from emotional stress you know it’s real.  It can be debilitating and greatly decrease your quality of life.  Let’s be honest.  Severe stress, caused by going through a tragic experience, can be harmful to the body.  If the doctor really cares for their patients, and the clear majority really do, they would prescribe something else to them.  The truth is, they often don’t have time to look for other solutions.  They do what they know.  And what they know is the standard treatment . . . to pass out prescription drugs.

Their insurance protects them if someone has a negative reaction to one of the drugs because this has become the standardized treatment.   In most medical offices, it’s often the most reliable solution for the doctors.

WHAT ABOUT US?

We don’t always know where to turn for answers.  We just accept at face value what we’re told and, almost always, do that.  Most of us can’t even pronounce most of the medical words, let alone understand their meaning.  This leads us to not trust our own judgement.  In addition, many of these decisions must be made while you’re in pain and emotional distress.  At that point, you don’t want to learn about anything, you just want your pain and distress to go away so you can be normal again.  I think this is just the normal reaction we, as humans, experience.  A lack of knowledge about these things place us in a vulnerable position.

HOW CAN WE HELP OURSELVES?

Proverbs 11:14 reads – “Where no council is, the people fall: but in the multitudes of counselors there is safety.”

Overcoming Grief is determined to explore these challenges.  We are going to examine several issues.  The use of vitamins and supplements.  Do they really work?  Exercise and diet; prayer; peace of mind; and anything new that needs to be explored.

Let’s start a conversation.  All of us should look at these challenges and the options we have.  We should have this conversation while we’re thinking clearly and want to discover ways to make our health better.  Let’s not worry about hurting someone else’s feelings or about thinking outside of the box.  We should not worry about what the healthy will say, who have never been through this kind of emotional grief and pain and just can’t identify with us.

I AM LOOKING FOR REAL ANSWERS TO REAL PROBLEMS.

I’m looking for real answers to real problems.  I trust your experience.  I trust your wisdom and I trust your compassion for others.

Let’s pursue alternatives together and come to the best consensus possible.  With all of us working together, I believe, we can come to some great understandings and successes.

The pursuit of this knowledge, in the company of thousands of truth seekers, will provide a safety net for all of us to feel secure in our findings.  We, you and I, are the experts over our own bodies to discover truths that change lives.

Leave a comment.  Join the conversation.  Learn from others.  Share what you want.  Then, together, we will discover new ways to not only live longer, but live longer with the maximum quality of life we can.

Author Profile

Lee Gilliam
Lee Gilliam
Lee is the co-founding designer of Overcoming Grief and author of 2 books and numerous articles. He has been in the ministry for over 40 years. He has traveled to over 80 countries and every state in the USA. His ministerial work involves both teaching and business. He is a mentor to pastors and business leaders alike. He is currently working on his upcoming international conference schedule and we will post it when it's ready. We hope you can attend one that will be close to you!! Please contact me at: leeg@overcominggrief.org