Reflections on Chronic Pain, Addiction, and Finding Empathy

Chronic pain is linked to numerous physical and mental conditions and contributes to high health care costs and lost productivity (Dahlhamer et al., 2018). A limited number of studies estimate that the prevalence of chronic pain ranges from 11% to 40% (Dahlhamer et al., 2018). A 2016 paper estimated 20.4% (50 million) of U.S. adults had chronic pain and 8.0% (19.6 million) of U.S. adults had high-impact chronic pain (Dahlhamer et al., 2018). Both were more prevalent among adults living in poverty, adults with less than a high school education, and adults with public health insurance (Dahlhamer et al., 2018). “Chronic pain, one of the most common reasons adults seek medical care, has been linked to restrictions in mobility and daily activities, dependence on opioids, anxiety and depression, and poor perceived health or reduced quality of life” (Dahlhamer et al., 2018). Estimates are that chronic pain contributes to an estimated $560 billion each year in direct medical costs, lost productivity, and disability programs (Dahlhamer et al., 2018). Chronic illness in America is both a medical and a social construct. Medical sociology illuminates how chronic conditions and disabilities have become part of daily life, rather than abnormalities (Brown, 1995). Chronic pain interrupts life both in managing the condition through healthcare and dealing with the fallout surrounding stigma and reduced capacity to carry out usual activities.

Lived Experience