by: sandra lindner
a few days ago, there was a clip on ctv news about the opioid crisis. there was a voiceover detailing the dramatic rise in numbers of opioid deaths. during the voiceover, a gratuitous clip was displayed for about 1/2 second, showing what the public likes to perceive is the face of addiction. nothing can be further from the truth! the true faces are young people, the kid next door, the young couple across the street, even some elderly. portraying opioid users as only homeless people may create pity in those watching the news, but i believe the investigative media, should work vigorously to debunk this misconception.
my daughter and the true face of opioid users
i am the mother of a beautiful, high-functioning young woman that died of a heroin overdose on july 29. she was only 41 and, as many of us are, a middle-class woman who contributed a lot to society. she was a mother, a wife, a sister, a friend to many, an aunt, and a daughter. she mattered.
she suffered from severe, debilitating migraines in her teens and these continued for the rest of her life. opioid medication was the only thing that helped her cope with these migraines. the medical profession cut her off from using these high-quality and monitored opioids in their misguided crusade to stop people from using them. her pain did not magically disappear. subsequently, like many others i personally know, she had to turn to the black market to find alleviation of her pain.
the shame in addiction