There are many legitimate and appropriate uses for opioid medications. Opioids are excellent at managing acute or chronic pain for back injuries, post-surgical recovery, dental work, and other medical conditions that generate unbearable pain.

For those who may become physically dependent upon opioids, their difficult journey often does not begin with a chase for euphoria or a "drug high", but with a short-term prescription from their physician for a pain killer ... in order to minimize the pain and discomfort from a recent surgery or injury.

How the brain & body respond to opiates varies from one person to the next. Some individuals have a very high tolerance for pain and may need relatively less pain relief medication than someone who possesses a high sensitivity to pain.

If an individual takes pain medication for a long enough period of time, they may run the risk of developing a tolerance to the medication ...

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How doctors view methadone is becoming a hot topic. A friend recently informed me that the TV celebrity doctor, commonly known as Dr. Drew, was against methadone and had publicly made negative comments about the medication. I was disappointed to learn of this because Dr. Drew has a fairly large national audience who follow his opinion on medical matters. I then noticed that Dr. Jana Burson (a well-educated and experienced opioid addiction professional) had written on this topic, and herself questioned why Dr. Drew had made derogatory comments in regard to methadone. Dr. Burson knows firsthand how incredibly beneficial methadone is to those suffering with chronic opioid dependency. If a physician deserves a national audience & voice on this topic, it is Dr. Jana Burson, not Dr. Drew Pinsky.

Physicians typically seem to fall into one of two camps: either those who are educated on addiction and modern addiction treatment approaches ...

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