http://www.rawstory.com/2...onic-pain/

if not posted yet, a must-read to separate fact from fiction, and get a glimpse even at how race can factor into how they treat chronic pain.

[Edited 5/6/16 14:13pm]

The defensiveness by some surrounding this discussion is illuminating. This fear of "stigma" is partially responsible for his death, if the reports are true, and I fear this only contributes the problem.

Not sure why many fans still clingning to this notion that Prince would be tainted if it turns out he was "addicted" to painkillers. That Prince is more "innocent" and not somehow flawed like Elvis, Michael or other who may have met the same fate.

Sure perhaps the reasons why he got hooked could be different (and yes are important) but once you are hooked, addition is addiction and we should not look down on the others who are just as helpless in fighiting this demon as Prince may have been.

While Prince may have become dependent, addicted whatever to pain meds because of pain (rather than say recreational use of heroin) the end result often is this same.

BlackandRising said:

Great read! And hopefully will help others recognize that perception of a Prince's chronic pain is skewed and biased because of his race -not just by fans either but most likely by the doctors who treated him as well.

emesem said:

The defensiveness by some surrounding this discussion is illuminating. This fear of "stigma" is partially responsible for his death, if the reports are true, and I fear this only contributes the problem.

Not sure why many fans still clingning to this notion that Prince would be tainted if it turns out he was "addicted" to painkillers. That Prince is more "innocent" and not somehow flawed like Elvis, Michael or other who may have met the same fate.

Sure perhaps the reasons why he got hooked could be different (and yes are important) but once you are hooked, addition is addiction and we should not look down on the others who are just as helpless in fighiting this demon as Prince may have been.

While Prince may have become dependent, addicted whatever to pain meds because of pain (rather than say recreational use of heroin) the end result often is this same.

Agreed. I kept reading all of these posts regarding how he led a pristine life, ate well, etc. Well, that doesn't mean that someone living like this, but also experiencing chronic pain, will look at soemthing that takes that pain away a little differently. And I know all too well how easily these are prescribed, and how easy it is to take too much, or take with another drug with deadly results. Tap-dancing around the issue is the very reason we are here, and if anywhere, this is the one place it should be something discussed as we know all too well how many years he pushed his body to the limits perfecting his craft. Again, I wouldn't call it addiction, I would call it his being dependent.

[Edited 5/6/16 15:08pm]

glad someone posted this

i came across it a little while ago and i meant to post it later.

*profanities ahead*

all i can say is f*cking AAAA right! for someone to have the stones to call this what it is

if he did accidentally OD, it was the PAIN that killed him, imo with an assist by big pharma

"do i have a friend tonight?" --prince at his last concert in atlanta

emesem said:

The defensiveness by some surrounding this discussion is illuminating. This fear of "stigma" is partially responsible for his death, if the reports are true, and I fear this only contributes the problem.

Not sure why many fans still clingning to this notion that Prince would be tainted if it turns out he was "addicted" to painkillers. That Prince is more "innocent" and not somehow flawed like Elvis, Michael or other who may have met the same fate.

Sure perhaps the reasons why he got hooked could be different (and yes are important) but once you are hooked, addition is addiction and we should not look down on the others who are just as helpless in fighiting this demon as Prince may have been.

While Prince may have become dependent, addicted whatever to pain meds because of pain (rather than say recreational use of heroin) the end result often is this same.

/cosign

I had posted about chronic pain here: http://prince.org/msg/7/4...3&pg=1

.

The article the OP posted, has hit the nail on the head.

TheW00denLeg said:

Agreed, sadly.

This article does the best of any at explaining why painkiller medication might not be merely desirable but necessary. I'm not sure the line "Stopping pain medication abruptly can kill you" is medical fact, but maybe if it caused excessive inflammation from an overreactive immune response, possibly, that would explain why it reached the point where he had to take more.

fortuneandserendipity said:

"Stopping pain medication abruptly can kill you" is a fact my pain meds doc explained to me when I tried to go cold-turkey and ended up in the ER. It might not happen to everyone but for some whose body's are sensitive it's a possibility.