I wish I’d seen this earlier in the week, when I was dealing with some severe pain but was afraid of taking the painkillers I’d been prescribed. “I don’t want to get addicted,” I said. There are definite drawbacks — in my case, a difficulty in concentrating that can slow down my writing speed — but in order to rest and heal, you need some relief from the constant pain. I’ve been very conscious about following the directions and not taking too many, or too often, or with alcohol. I hope it doesn’t take me as long to recover as this poor guy, but I couldn’t do it at all without some help.
So: Don’t let the scare tactics get to you like I did. Just have some common sense and do what you’re supposed to do. Be responsible for yourself.