This month I am turning my attention to unaddressed adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and the difficulties of stardom at a young age, both of which far too frequently lead to a variety of substance abuse disorders. But, it isn’t just those in the limelight who suffer.

Not Just The Death Of Another Rock Star

28 years ago, on April 5, 1994, rock legend Kurt Cobain committed suicide. He was 27. Even though he died of gunshot wounds to the head, most people chalk his suicide up to his addiction to heroin. But it’s not that simple. The question that is never asked is, “Why was he addicted to heroin?” We don’t inquire as to why do so many people become addicts of any kind. The stigma of drug addiction was alive and well then as much as it still is today.

Adverse Childhood Experiences can be found in the background of most people who suffer with addictive behaviors. According to an article published by the national group promoting ACEs science, “The Adverse Childhood Experience Study was released in 1998. It quantified the connection between many childhood experiences and their consequences later in life, but it wasn’t the first study to link child abuse to mental illness, suicide, and drug use. According to Charles Cross’ masterful biography of Kurt Cobain, Heavier than Heaven, Kurt had an ACE score of at least four (divorce, witness to domestic violence, psychological abuse and at least one measure of neglect).” https://www.pacesconnection.com/blog/adverse-childhood-experiences-why-kurt-cobain-is-not-the-only-one

Let me clarify what those scores mean by continuing with the previous article. “With an ACE score of 4, someone’s odds of using IV drugs are 3900% higher than someone with an ACE score of 0, and their odds of attempting suicide are 1122% higher than someone with an ACE score of 0. Let those numbers sink in; those are actually four-digit numbers, not typos. And as someone’s ACE score increases, the odds of each of those outcomes increases as well. Kurt’s story wasn’t one of personal failure despite societal gifts, but rather one of succumbing to the laws of statistics.” https://www.pacesconnection.com/blog/adverse-childhood-experiences-why-kurt-cobain-is-not-the-only-one

Fame And Abuse A Lethal Combination

In another article, it is revealed that when he was on the precipice of global fame, Cobain wrote: “I decided to use heroine on a daily basis because of an ongoing stomach ailment that I had been suffering from for the past five years, [and that] had literally taken me to the point of wanting to kill myself. … The only thing I found that worked were heavy opiates.” https://www.inquirer.com/news/kurt-cobain-nirvana-heroin-courtney-love-death-suicide-anniversary-20220405.html

This is relevant because when someone suffers with emotional stressors over a long period of time those stressors eventually turn into physical changes in health like the stomach pain that Kurt suffered with. Hurtful memories are permanently stored in our nervous system and when those memories are from severe trauma or repetitive micro traumas it changes our neuro chemistry and eventually our metabolic processes. I was not surprised to find out that Cobain’s biographer, Charles Cross, presents indications that Kurt very likely experienced sexual abuse as a child. 

Childhood Fame Comes With Intense And Constant Stressors

Living with chronic stress takes its toll. This is seen with child actors as well as with others who achieve fame at a young age as models and musicians. According to a Psychology Today article, “Because of the nature of show business, child actors are often exposed to drugs, alcohol, and sex at an early age. At the same time, young actors must constantly cope with rejection, jealousy, self-scrutiny, obsessive thoughts, and the nonstop need to be perfect.” https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/in-the-trenches/201106/the-child-performer

Mental Health Issues At The Core Of Substance Abuse Issues

Whether in the limelight or not, children under chronic stressful conditions are at high risk of becoming emotionally unstable and of becoming drug, alcohol, or sex abusers. As a country and a culture, we are challenged to take these issues far more seriously than ever before. The stigma associated with drug use and mental health issues is not helpful. I have launched the non-profit, Overdose Free America, which uses the power of celebrity and entertainment to bring the opioid crisis the visibility and support it deserves. In addition, I sit on the Board of Same Here Global whose mission it is to normalize society’s perception of mental health and make it part of our everyday conversation. Fortunately, these two groups have collided bringing much greater awareness to these interrelated issues. If you have a loved one who has suffered with substance abuse and mental health issues, please check out both organizations. They are here to help.
https://overdosefreeamerica.org/
https://samehereglobal.org/

Even though we may feel that it’s safe to venture out into the world again, as COVID-19 and its variants seem to be frittering out, the results of this global pandemic will be felt for a long time to come. Mental health issues are widespread, with the CDC revealing that “about 4 in 10 adults in the U.S. have reported symptoms of anxiety or depression compared to one in 10 adults who reported between January and June of 2019.” Experts around the world are concerned for the young people growing up in the pandemic and post-pandemic environment.

I am concerned about how we, collectively are going to address and help those who are suffering now and those who are sure to suffer later in ways we cannot yet anticipate or imagine.

How Will A Generation Weaned On Uncertainty Find Its Strengths

In a recent article, “a consultant clinical psychologist in the U.K. working with adults and children, told CNBC that he believes it will take “at least a generation” to resolve the damage to many young people caused by missed milestones and experiences crucial for development.” According to the consultant, Alex Desatnick, “Kids who grew up in this state, in this condition, and those things that they were deprived of, they will take this with them through life.” He adds, “I hope that as a society we will do as much as we can to compensate for what happened to them and is still happening.” https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/10/covid-pandemic-mental-health-damage-could-last-a-generation.html

The same article talks about numerous studies that have been conducted throughout the world on the impact COVID has had on mental health. One study looked at the global prevalence of depression and anxiety disorders in 204 countries and territories in 2020 due to the Covid pandemic. It found that “mental health dramatically declined in that year, with an estimated 53 million additional cases of major depressive disorders and 76 million additional cases of anxiety disorders seen globally. Women and younger people were found to be affected more than men and older adults.”

Many psychologists and psychiatrists have reported an inability to help the influx of people seeking mental health support during the pandemic. One psychologist working in New York said, “There’s definitely a huge mental health impact from a long period of uncertainty and change that’s left people very isolated and not sure how to connect. That created a big pressure cooker, especially for people who already have a vulnerability.”

One Grassroots Organizations Is Doing Its Best To Reach And Help The Vulnerable

I am actively involved in the grassroots organization Same Here Global, dedicated to normalizing the conversation around mental health issues. The organization is founded on the knowing that “Everyone in the world is affected by life’s inevitable traumas and stresses. We can’t escape them, as they are part of the human experience, and they impact us on many levels. Mental health exists on a continuum, with some simply experiencing more severe declines than others over varying periods of time in their lives (and/or being more genetically predisposed to such declines.)” https://samehereglobal.org/
We are all in this together and together we will be facing the results of this devastating period which has been the cause of so much unprecedented change and uncertainty. I know that we human beings are capable of growing stronger through facing our fears and our uncertainties. I am betting on that strength and calling on everyone to dig deep and find theirs and help the most vulnerable ones in your lives.

Let’s face it, as parents we are never going to outsmart teenagers when it comes to social media. They’ve come into the world pre-programmed to navigate the digital world. However, when it comes to teens and drug use, it’s important for parents to know that social media often plays a huge role in introducing kids to drugs.

I came across an article recently that I think every parent should read in order to understand how social media promotes drug use and how to protect the children from getting ensnared. I am reposting most of the article, but there is a section I suggest you go to the site to see. It includes popular emojis used when communicating about specific drugs and those who deal them.

We have to do everything we can to help our kids avoid drug use and addiction. We can only do that if we know how they are communicating on social media.

Social Media: Understanding A Teen’s World

Through different hashtags (#s) they can be exposed to offers from dealers to buy drugs through various social sites. 

It is never too late for parents to get acquainted with the various social apps (applications), and the slang terms many of them use to communicate while texting and using social media. 

Some popular ones include:

• Instagram (app where users share photos and videos)
• Snapchat (app where users can create and share photos, videos. The content is meant to disappear after the person views them)
• TikTok (a social network where users can create and share videos)
• Tumblr (users can post photos, videos, gifs and more in a microblogging format)
• Twitch (app where users can livestream themselves playing video games and interact with viewers)
• YouTube (users can create and watch videos)

Did you know?

• These apps are free to download from app stores.
• Kids are often one step ahead of their parents in the latest privacy settings, allowing them to block you from viewing their activity, be on private, and hide their friends lists
• On average, teens spend more than 7 hours a day in front of a screen (outside of schoolwork)

How do you help a child develop skills to make good choices? Ensure they use their online privileges wisely? Avoid inappropriate behavior or inaccurate information?

1. Talk to your teen about the implications of their actions when using the internet and social media.
2. Monitor what they do online and on the phone by learning about the websites and mobile apps they use.
3. Block inappropriate content by using parental control features to monitor and manage your teen’s computer use. Buy parental control software that allows you to view recorded computer, smartphone and tablet activity from the internet.
4. Learn about the slang and emojis that kids use while texting on their phones, posting on social media, or DMing (direct messaging) other users.

Check out a few popular emojis people use when communicating about drugs via text at the very end of the article by clicking here:

https://www.getsmartaboutdrugs.gov/family/drug-use-internet-social-media

As the pandemic drags on, now with the omicron variant taking hold, mental health issues and substance abuse disorders (SUDs) continue to grow. The longer this continues, the more critical the need to be more alert to who may be vulnerable to developing new or deepening mental health issues that may lead to harmful behaviors including dependencies on drugs and alcohol. This topic took center stage at last year’s annual meeting of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy.

During the meeting, as reported in Pain Medicine News, two strategies were emphasized: “stepped-up screening to identify at-risk patients, and medication management.” As the article explained, “This puts pharmacists in an important position to serve as a “second tier of care” for this vulnerable patient population.” https://www.painmedicinenews.com/Online-First/Article/01-22/Pharmacists-More-Watchful-for-Signs-of-Opioid-Use-Disorder-During-Pandemic

140,000 Children Have Lost At Least One Caregiver

While the death rates due to COVID-19 are startling, what’s more staggering is the number of children whose lives have been turned upside down. The number of children who have lost parents and caregivers is so great that the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Children’s Hospital Association declared a national emergency in children’s mental health.

140,000 children lost a caregiver during the pandemic, and these were disproportionately children of color. Rates of depression, anxiety, trauma and loneliness also have increased, with, for example, emergency department visits for suspected suicide attempts rising 51% among girls 12 to 17 years of age in early 2021, compared with early 2019.

Children are not the only ones being affected. Adults too are feeling the strain. According to a CDC (Centers for Disease Control) report, “said 70% of parents or caregivers reported adverse mental health symptoms during the pandemic. Of those, 55% reported anxiety or depression, 54% reported COVID-19–related trauma and 32% experienced serious suicidal thoughts”. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7024a3.htm

How Pharmacists Can Help

In addition to stepped-up screening efforts, pharmacists can help optimize mental health and SUD treatment by providing consultations on therapeutic drug monitoring, conversions to and from long acting injectables, and by making other changes to treatment plans already in place. For instance, if someone is on lithium, pharmacists can help providers determine who is an appropriate candidate to forgo labs, and what signs and symptoms of toxicity they should be looking for in those patients and how to educate patients to look for and recognize those signs as well.

As the pandemic lingers, experts and medical professionals have been seeing individuals with undiagnosed mental health challenges or substance use issues present with more severe behaviors during the pandemic than they previously would have. So, instead of diagnosing someone as a patient with potentially problematic substance use or substance misuse, they may jump right to a diagnosis of substance use disorder or a mental health disorder.

We Need Every Professional Touch Point Covered

We are all in this together. The more we can help the at-risk population today, the less dramatic the consequences later. We know, without question, that even decades after this pandemic has been forgotten, the devastation will be evident in the lives of those most affected today.

In one of my go-to sources, I read about a very recent study published in JAMA that “looked at almost 237,000 patients in Oregon who filled a prescription for opioids for the first time in 2015 and followed those patients until the end of 2018 to determine which patients were most vulnerable to fatal or non-fatal opioid overdoses.”

https://www.paintreatmentdirectory.com/posts/the-pain-patients-most-likely-to-overdose-on-opioids

Let’s keep in mind that this information pre-dates the pandemic. And, even though attention has shifted to focus on pandemic-related deaths, the fact is that overdose deaths rose 30% in 2020. That means that 100,000 Americans died of opioid overdose just during the first year of the pandemic.

So, prior to the pandemic, who were the most vulnerable to overdoes according to the study? Surprisingly, “the patient who is most vulnerable to overdose, according to this study, is a black male aged 75 or older who lives in a rural area, has comorbid psychiatric and medical conditions, Medicaid and/or Medicare Advantage insurance, who is prescribed long-acting tramadol at a high dose for more than 7 days.”

https://www.paintreatmentdirectory.com/posts/the-pain-patients-most-likely-to-overdose-on-opioids

The sad truth is that people of all ages, all ethnicities, all economic groups, with or without a psychiatric history or medical comorbidities, who are prescribed any of the opioids are vulnerable to addiction and overdose. More than 800,000 people, loved ones, mothers, fathers, sons and daughters, sisters and brothers have experienced fatal overdoses.

Another sad truth that the medical establishment is choosing to ignore is that alternatives to these risky drugs exist. I’m talking about chiropractic, acupuncture, biofeedback, massage, mind/body approaches, and physical therapy.  The fact is they are rarely considered and even more rarely used. This despite the fact that many governmental and nongovernmental organizations have developed guidelines that recommend use of nonpharmaceutical therapies first, and use of opioids as a last resort. 

I imagine the next study that looks at drug overdose during the pandemic years will paint a very different picture. I think we’ve already seen that the pain of isolation and uncertainty literally drives people to drug use and abuse.

Changing the perception of addicts in the minds of those who are not addicts is probably the only way we will make any progress in the so-called “war on drugs.” Putting people in jail for drug use is no different than putting someone in jail for overeating. Yes, we as a nation vilify overweight people almost as much as we do addicts. But we don’t arrest them for being overweight. The point I’m making is that addiction is a rational disorder based on the same comfort-seeking and pain-avoidance that drives all human behavior. Addiction feels like love, which I wrote about in my most recent article. (You can read it here: Addicted To Opioids Addicted To Love)

I came across a feed in one of my social media accounts that stated, “The core of addiction is not wanting to be present in your life, because your life is too painful a place to be. This is why imposing more pain or punishment on a person with an addiction problem actually makes their addiction worse.” As often happens, I followed this link to yet another and another and went down the proverbial rabbit hole and found this posted by the Utah Harm Reduction Coalition: “There is a stronger link between childhood trauma and addiction than there is between obesity and diabetes. Two thirds of addicts report being abused as children. That means that the war on drugs is a war on traumatized people that just need help.”

No matter how a person becomes addicted to any substance, the fact is that they are in pain and they need help not punishment. I’ve been treating pain without drugs or surgeries for my entire career. I am an advocate of compassionate treatment of anyone suffering from substance abuse of any kind. I understand that addiction is a brain disorder, and we don’t know enough yet about the role the brain plays in addiction to spark widespread compassion. But I continue to hold out hope that this will happen and hopefully in my lifetime.

Since I have been involved in efforts to help people manage pain without the use of drugs or surgeries, I have watched addiction to opioids grow at exponential rates. I always felt there was something stronger, more primal if you will, at the root of addiction other than merely a desire to “numb out” to the difficulties and challenges life presents. And then I came across a recent New York Times guest essay that cleared everything up for me. It gave me a totally new perspective on the susceptibility to addiction and the Sisyphean difficulty of getting off the drugs. The piece was written by Maija Szalavitz and is entitled Opioids Feel Like Love. That’s Why They’re Deadly in Tough Times. (The link to the piece is at the end of this article.)

Greater Compassion For Addiction

The main point of the piece which Ms. Szalavitz makes is important and very clear. She writes, “If policymakers want to effectively treat and prevent addiction, they need to recognize why opioids have become attractive in such circumstances. By doing so, addiction can be viewed with greater compassion.” I agree 100% with this opinion.

At the very start of the pandemic, I knew we were going to see increased addiction as well as overdose deaths. According to Ms. Szalavitz’s essay there is a connection between motherly love and opioids in the brain. She explains, “The connections between brain opioids and motherly love were first explored by the neuroscientist Jaak Panksepp decades ago. Dr. Panksepp, who died in 2017, told me that when he first tried to publish data connecting brain opioids to attachment, he was rebuffed by a top medical journal. His research showed that morphine, in doses so low that it didn’t cause sleepiness, eased separation cries made by baby animals in multiple species.

At the very start of the pandemic, I knew we were going to see increased addiction as well as overdose deaths. According to Ms. Szalavitz’s essay there is a connection between motherly love and opioids in the brain. She explains, “The connections between brain opioids and motherly love were first explored by the neuroscientist Jaak Panksepp decades ago. Dr. Panksepp, who died in 2017, told me that when he first tried to publish data connecting brain opioids to attachment, he was rebuffed by a top medical journal. His research showed that morphine, in doses so low that it didn’t cause sleepiness, eased separation cries made by baby animals in multiple species.Nearly 100,000 Overdose Deaths Since Pandemic Began
Since April 2020 and April 2021, there have been more than 75,000 overdose deaths in the U.S. As Szalavitz notes, “There are many factors that contribute to addiction, and isolation is often one of them. During the past several decades, as overdose death rates have quadrupled in the United States, social isolation has increased. One study reported that from 1985 to 2004, the size of an average American’s social network fell by a third and the number of people who said they had no one to confide in tripled. A 2018 survey found that only about half of participants felt that they had someone to turn to all or most of the time. …A 2021 study found that over 60 percent of young American adults reported that they are either frequently lonely or lonely nearly all the time.”

Can We Love Our Way Out Of Opioid Addiction

There is no doubt that our sense of separateness feeds into our sense of isolation and aloneness. Add to that the fact that opioids mimic the love hormone and it’s easy to understand the epidemic proportions that opioid abuse has reached. The question is: Do we have what it takes as a collective to love our way out of this deadly dilemma?

Resource:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/06/opinion/us-opioid-crisis.

It’s being considered a new wave in the opioid epidemic: the use of fentanyl mixed with other drugs. No doubt the coronavirus pandemic has driven drug use up, but the overdose death toll is unprecedented. Over 100,000 dead this year alone, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to nbcnews.com “The co-use of fentanyl and other drugs distinguishes this wave from the ones that came before it, which were characterized by the rowing use of prescription pain medications and the rise of heroin and fentanyl individually.” https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/-scary-overdose-deaths-driven-fentanyl-mixed-drugs-rcna6605

While the loneliness and the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic certainly have contributed to driving drug use up, many experts say the latest overdose wave is driven in part by the use of fentanyl with other drugs. Right now it’s difficult to know if the co-use of fentanyl with other drugs is intentional or the result of contamination or alteration at the dealer level. Some research from around the country indicates that in certain areas, “the combination use of methamphetamine or a powerful stimulant with a powerful opioid is a popular combination now.” https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/-scary-overdose-deaths-driven-fentanyl-mixed-drugs-rcna6605

Unfortunately too many more deaths will likely occur before we know whether co-use is intentional or not. In the meantime, I am in total agreement with the statement made in the nbcnews.com article regarding state and local governments needing to immediately turn their attention to building back addiction treatment and outreach systems that were left unattended during the pandemic.

How often do you actually think about the brain inside your skull on a day-to-day basis? I would wager not often if at all, unless or until something goes wrong. It’s truly amazing how we humans tend to totally forget about how astonishing the brain inside our skulls is. The brain is the most extraordinary organ in creation. We still know so little about it, but we are making progress, thanks in large part to the study of metacognition.

Thinking And Wondering About The Brain With The Brain

As we move into a new phase of actually thinking about thinking, and thinking and wondering about the brain and the mind, wondering if they are the same and, if not, how are they related, we are beginning to discover more and more about this fascinating part of our human anatomy and consciousness.

As I mentioned in last month’s blog, How Metacognition Leads To Improved Mental Health And Reduced Addictive Behavior metacognition is a field of study that has been in progress for decades. (You’ll find a link to my blog at the end of this article.) Metacognition involves the scientific study of how the mind can be aware of, and control, its own activity. Understanding how the mind works gives us insight into how we can use it better.

As the last frontier in our exploration of our being human, the brain is already revealing more about the interconnectedness of all the bodily systems and organs. The brain coordinates all the functions down to the cellular level. So far, we’ve spent decades tending to the needs of the body in terms of feeding it well and exercising it. As an article in Neuroscience News puts it, “We exercise, control what we eat and buy ergonomic desk chairs to take care of our bodies — it’s long past time we take the same care of our minds.” https://neurosciencenews.com/metacognition-mental-health-19649/

Our Brains Are Being Hijacked

My work with drug-free and surgery-free pain relief and addictive behavior points directly to the role the brain plays in both pain and addiction. The increasing popularity of alternative pain-relief methods including chiropractic, meditation, yoga and more, are helping us understand the nature of compulsive behaviors, attention issues as well as emotional problems. Scientists have shown that one of the side effects of our modern technology is that “apps, games, social media and online content can hijack the learning pathways of the human brain.” The article goes on to state that, “The pandemic has poured gasoline on this crisis. It has forced many people into social isolation and contributed to an even greater reliance on devices for social interaction and entertainment.” https://neurosciencenews.com/metacognition-mental-health-19649/

Turn Your Mind To Your Brain

We simply have to begin paying more attention to what’s going on inside our heads. We have to start really honing-in on our thoughts. While metacognition is still a fuzzy concept, it may help to think of it this way: think of the brain as having both software and hardware. The software is our thoughts, feelings and conversations with others; the hardware is the neurons and connections between them. When you start to really focus on your thoughts, you may be amazed to realize that we use the brain to think about the brain. Science is just beginning to understand how the hardware and software interact.

Our brains hold the secret to our pleasures and our pains. According to Neuroscience News, “metacognitive training has demonstrated significant benefits in therapy, education and even business.” I see the benefits extending into the areas of addictive behavior as well.

Just as one aspect of human health depends on mastering our physical systems, it is my belief that achieving even greater health depends on understanding and controlling our own psychological states. There are so many evidence-based actions we can take to design a personalized toolkit of mental habits and strategies. Doing so will allow us to be more deliberate with our thoughts.

The good news is that metacognition is helping us become smarter about our own minds. And with a mental health crisis due to the pandemic, there’s never been a more vital time to do that.

If you missed it, last month’s blog can be read by clicking here:
How Metacognition Leads To Improved Mental Health And Reduced Addictive Behavior

Last month I wrote about how the general public blindly trusts medical “research” that is conducted to prove or disprove the safety of drugs. (If you missed it, I’ve provided the link at the end of this article.) Once again, this month, I continue to shed light on the misinformation the general public is subjected to by companies that are far more interested in profiting from their pills than in any real or genuine concern about the well-being of their fellow human beings.

Here is one of the most glaring examples of what I mean. “In 2009, the world of pain medicine was rocked by the revelation that well-known anesthesiologist and researcher Scott Reuben had fabricated data in at least 21 published studies. Having received five research grants from Pfizer to study its drug Celebrex (celecoxib), Reuben went so far in some of the “studies” as to not bother enrolling patients and to make up all of the data. His findings naturally favored Pfizer.” https://www.paintreatmentdirectory.com/posts/can-we-trust-the-science

I mean, this guy didn’t have to bother with a “cover-up.” He merely made everything up! Can you imagine the damage done? As the reporter states, “These falsified findings influenced surgeons and the way they treated postoperative pain all over the world, affecting the care of millions of patients. Reuben pled guilty to engaging in health care fraud. He was sentenced to six months in prison followed by three years of probation, a $5,000 fine, restitution of $361,932, and forfeiture of $50,000. It’s unclear how much harm was done to patients by Reuben’s fabrications, but experts believe that implementation of his recommendations may have slowed surgical recovery.” https://www.paintreatmentdirectory.com/posts/can-we-trust-the-science

Awareness of this misconduct must be brought to light. Everyone is being fooled. The doctors often don’t have time to research the research. And, even if they did, if the research has been discredited, it is never retracted or labeled as fraudulent. In fact, “The research studies remain available for the unwary to draw false conclusions regarding treatment safety and effectiveness.”

I’m not suggesting that all research is misleading, but much of it is. Like I pointed out, profit is a more compelling motive for pharmaceutical companies than anything else. And research can be conducted in such a way that always favors the maker. Something to keep in mind if you are taking pills.

Another point to keep in mind is that research does not take into account that patients are individuals with different characteristics and combinations of symptoms, which might have different causes. Research tends to average everyone out. The problem is that treatment decisions that don’t take individual differences into account are less likely to be effective and can cause harm. A safer bet would be to explore methods of treatment that do not depend on drugs or surgeries. Integrative medical doctors, chiropractors and others present alternative methods to health care that actually help you heal.

I want to point out once again that all research is not bad and there has been some incredible progress in all fields of medicine as a result. I have a close friend, Dr. Giordano, who is an incredible cancer researcher, and the world is fortunate to have people of his caliber. My concern is mostly in the pain management sector and unfortunately money will sometime be the blinders to safety.

If you missed last month’s article, you can read the piece here We Tend To Trust Medical Research Without Question And Often At Great Peril.