erfan
02-06-2007, 07:02 AM
I think that the major problem with the show is that it gives non cp'ers a faulty look at opiate therapy.
In an episode called "detox" from the first season, House gave up his Vicodin for a week as part of a bet. The other Dovs in his group said that he would have withdrawal and House said that he would not have withdrawal, only increased pain.
Once again, this shows the incorrect belief that if you stop the opiate and get w/d, you are an addict. Not true at all. Even some CP'ers on another board were caling themselves addcits because they had w/d.
The problem is that even real life Doctors don;t understand the difference between dependency and addiction.
CP'ers on opiates become dependent. That simply means that if we stop our meds abruptly, we suffer w/d.
Addiction is a psychological thing. Addicts docor shop, take meds for the high not for the pain, don't follow docs orders, buy more on the street.
Bottom line-if your quality of life improves from the meds, you are dependent.
If the quality of your life drops because of the meds and you lose your job, spouse, home, etc., you are addicted.
House's denial that he would get w/d just feeds the incorrect assumption that w/d equals addiction.
On 60 minutes once, a OA patient said that he read a negative article on oxycodone and stopped taking it. Within hours, he felt like a bad flu hit him and said that he found out it was withdrawal and now his Doctor had made him addicted.
The guy wasn't an addict. He had w/d which he equated with addiction.
I am a big fan of the House M.D. show, but I wish they would hire me to set them straight on chronic pain and meds because all of those people who wag their fingers at us for using narcotics are getting fuel for their fire. And it is all incorrect!
In an episode called "detox" from the first season, House gave up his Vicodin for a week as part of a bet. The other Dovs in his group said that he would have withdrawal and House said that he would not have withdrawal, only increased pain.
Once again, this shows the incorrect belief that if you stop the opiate and get w/d, you are an addict. Not true at all. Even some CP'ers on another board were caling themselves addcits because they had w/d.
The problem is that even real life Doctors don;t understand the difference between dependency and addiction.
CP'ers on opiates become dependent. That simply means that if we stop our meds abruptly, we suffer w/d.
Addiction is a psychological thing. Addicts docor shop, take meds for the high not for the pain, don't follow docs orders, buy more on the street.
Bottom line-if your quality of life improves from the meds, you are dependent.
If the quality of your life drops because of the meds and you lose your job, spouse, home, etc., you are addicted.
House's denial that he would get w/d just feeds the incorrect assumption that w/d equals addiction.
On 60 minutes once, a OA patient said that he read a negative article on oxycodone and stopped taking it. Within hours, he felt like a bad flu hit him and said that he found out it was withdrawal and now his Doctor had made him addicted.
The guy wasn't an addict. He had w/d which he equated with addiction.
I am a big fan of the House M.D. show, but I wish they would hire me to set them straight on chronic pain and meds because all of those people who wag their fingers at us for using narcotics are getting fuel for their fire. And it is all incorrect!