FEATURE
n i a P n e k o The Unsp
By Yvonne Stroman, MA, CRS
“Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional.” —Buddhist proverb
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veryone would agree, pain is part of life. As people we experience it on multiple levels – physically, emotional, and spiritually. We lose jobs, homes, and loved ones. We get sick. We break bones. This is life and it hurts. But it does not have to rule our lives. Suffering is not part of life. We do it to ourselves. Unfortunately, our attempts to manage pain often turn it into suffering instead of relief. We are not necessarily given tools to manage pain. If you have physical pain, the remedy is to take medication – a substance that is taken into or placed on the body to cure a disease or condition. For example, antibiotics are given to cure an infection. Others view medication as a substance used for medical treatment. Whether prescribed by a doctor or purchased over the counter, medications can be used as a single dose or used for a period of time. In many instances, when used as prescribed, the medication works; pain is relieved, and suffering is no more.
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THE RESPONSE // SUMMER 2022
Published in 2018, Dopesick is a definitive account of the opioid epidemic that charts this devastating crisis in America. Last year, HULU released an eight episode series based on this nonfiction book Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors and the Drug Company that Addicted America by Beth Macy. The series focuses on America’s struggle with the opioid addiction and its impact on individuals, families, and communities. And while the series focuses on a small town in the State of Virginia, it is a small representation of what has happened and continues to happen in every corner of America. Physical pain as a motivator for use of prescriptions, which when taken properly can resolve ailments. But beyond its “use as directed,” pain medications can be mis-used, leading to abuse, addiction, and in some instances death. The stories depicted on the miniseries
