#131: Opioids are legitimate medicine (ft. Bev - The Doctor Patient Forum)

Our guest discusses the horror show that current drug policy is having on American lives, how access to vital medication has been removed from people who need it in order to work, or function, or have any semblance of quality of life. As such, huge numbers of people are turning to street supply or ultimately taking their own lives to escape their chronic pain.

This episode highlights a variety of serious issues with current drug policy and explores the ramifications of letting 'black box' algorithms dictate who is considered worthy of treatment and how easy it is to be labelled a 'drug seeker' based off your mental health history. This discussion is deeply informative and terrifying, because anyone of us could find ourselves in this situation.

"The Doctor Patient Forum is a non-partisan, community-based organization that works to support pain patients and their physicians with access to lifesaving pain relief and to mitigate the harmful effects of efforts to curb liberal prescribing and overdose. With a focus on disabled people, those in chronic pain, and physicians who work with them, DPF provides information, practical tools, and policy analysis to strengthen patient-centered safe and appropriate medical support and advocates for approaches that reduce increasingly common suffering and death resulting from non-consensual medication reduction or termination of care."

Bev Schechtman is a chronic pain patient advocate and educator who has lived with Crohn’s Disease and Psoriatic Arthritis for more than two decades. She grew up in northern New Jersey and has lived in the Raleigh area in North Carolina since 2009. Bev is married to Randy and a mother of two girls, Emma and Olivia. She first contacted Claudia with Don’t Punish Pain (now Doctor Patient) Forum after being denied opioid medication while hospitalized for kidney stones in 2017. She was denied due to being a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. Bev is a passionate advocate for people with chronic pain and illness as well as those who have survived sexual assault/abuse. Bev also believes strongly in Harm Reduction efforts. Her insights and work to empower and reduce mistreatment of pain patients has been featured in media outlets including the Guardian, Wired, National Public Radio, Truthout, as well as in podcasts and blogs such as Pallimed, a leading forum on hospice and palliative care. In her free time, Bev can be found reading, watching soccer, and playing with her Aussiedoodle, Griffin.

References:

The Doctor Patient Forum: https://www.thedoctorpatientforum.com/

The Doctor Patient Forum (facebook): https://www.facebook.com/groups/DontPunishPainRally/posts/2315429951943900/

The Doctor Patient Forum (podcast): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-doctor-patient-forum/id1639872299

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Harriet’s other shows:

WBAI Interpersonal Update (Wednesdays): https://wbai.org/program.php?program=431

Capitalism Hits Home: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPJpiw1WYdTNYvke-gNRdml1Z2lwz0iEH

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ATTENTION! This is a Boring Dystopia/Obligatory 'don't sue us' message: This podcast provides numerous different perspectives and criticisms of the mental health space, however, it should not be considered medical advice. Please consult your medical professional with regards to any health decisions or management.