Firstly, Know Your Rights and Concepts like Opiate Baseline Requirements etc.

[Chip (OP)]

although we can't do much about the hate, the world is slowly adjusting to people like us.

consider never before had nursing homes have to worry about so many client's opiate baseline requirements, until now as so many are addicted to the spectrum of opiates for all manner of reasons - and found detoxing to not be viable, as older users find themselves still alive (and much to everybody else's surprise) contemplating that and are even moving into geriatric care of one sort or another.

you are not a criminal.
you are not a bad person.
you are not a second class citizen.
you are entitled to be dealt with all discretion possible.
you are entitled to the same rights and non-users - that list is growing.

there are not enough skilled and caring physicians to write for us and this is a problem growing so consider yourself a minority group and demand equality ... one day you will be able to operate without fear and fear of being labelled as a criminal, etc.

i'm happy to discuss this further.

protect your rights, be fierce !

[makita]

Fuck yes.  Ask questions of new doctors, arm yourself with information and dont be afraid to show them you are an educated consumer who deserves respect and to be treated as an individual.  Report opiophobic judgemental shaming doctors who do things like cut you off with no taper or refuse to continue a prescription that's stable and working for malpractice; their #1 job is to TREAT you, ie control your pain, before any other concerns about addiction or diversion.   

Here are some links to help boost your confidence in dealing with these people and bringing them around to our side:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC315480/
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/836489
http://opioids.com/oxycodone/oxycontin.htm
http://nationalpainreport.com/chronic-pain-talking-to-your-doctor-and-vice-versa-8825948.html
http://nationalpainreport.com/living-with-pain-the-deas-war-on-pain-patients-reaches-california-8816508.html
http://nationalpainreport.com/o-tempora-o-mores-a-draconian-practice-in-american-pain-management-8826647.html

http://www.painpolicy.wisc.edu/sites/www.painpolicy.wisc.edu/files/prc2013.pdf

And for your soul:

http://www.rebellesociety.com/2015/03/25/when-addiction-is-an-act-of-bravery-and-self-love/

[michaeltrio]

Hello, great post thanks to posting here.

[Queenofdenial]

  Dear Makita~

Thank you for posting these very helpful and informative links!
  Each of these has something to offer.

   love,
   Q.o.D.

[recoverycnt]

Medication for Withdrawal and Detoxification : Relief from withdrawal, Opiate detoxification, Pain pill detoxification, Buprenorphine treatment. you may have read the article from our website visit  Opiate withdrawal

 
 

[Anti-hero]

  This is just MHO. What makita said.
1) This is really all I got. You are a consumer. If you don't like what they are selling tell them to go FUCK OFF. Go spend your money elsewhere. They all went to school for one thing to MAKE MONEY. That's it. I wish it was for altruistic reasons, but they didnt. You would not buy a car that you didn't like. People kept buying american cars until they realized that the Japanese were giving better deals. Now we have some american cars that are just as good if not better. It sucks that the beautiful state of Michigan had to be distroyed for everyone to find this out.
/ end rant

[DiacetylKineval]

Thanks man. Kind of felt like you were talking to cpps or maintenance people by the end. But it felt good to read