Patients' Perspective
Transforming Pain Treatment and Emotional Distress

There is hope that patients won’t have to deal with emotional, psychological, or physical effects from unrelieved pain and will become educated about the advantages of opioid pain treatment. As healthcare providers become aware of opioids’ safe, effective pain relief, patients will need to understand that their pain will persist unless they report their pain, become educated about the medication they are taking, and take the required levels of medication to relieve their pain.

One patient who continually sought pain relief and finally found a physician who helped her said, "Within two weeks, I felt reborn! I began writing again. My doctorate was completed, and once more I began to teach part-time. My hope was restored, and my life was no longer crippled by constant, severe pain." ⁵