The Truth About Chronic Pain: Patients And Professionals Speak Out About Our Most Misunderstood Health Problem

"It's all in your head." "Learn to bear it." "That drug will make you a junkie." For the more than seventy-five million Americans affected by chronic pain, these are fighting words. Despite extraordinary medical progress in recent years, millions of people, debilitated by the pain of incurable cancer, crippling arthritis, unremitting headaches, and a host of degenerative disorders, continue to suffer needlessly. Here, in their own words, are the stories of more than forty people whose lives are dictated by pain--patients, healthcare professionals, ethicists, social commentators, and scientists--shining a powerful searchlight on America's most misunderstood health problem. __The Truth About Chronic Pain__ reveals that pain is often ignored or under-treated due to widespread beliefs that it is a sign of weakness or unfounded fears that properly administered painkillers will cause addiction. As bureaucrats, doctors, and pharmacists become combatants in the War on Drugs, people in pain too often become unforeseen casualties. __The Truth About Chronic Pain__ provides what pain-sufferers need just as keenly as physical relief: the knowledge that they are not alone. The voices on these pages are an eloquent testament to individual courage and a powerful plea to medical institutions, political leaders, and insurance companies to implement effective solutions to the problem of pain. Contents......Page 9 Acknowledgments......Page 12 Foreword......Page 14 Introduction......Page 16 PART ONE: PATIENTS IN PAIN......Page 22 Mary Vargas, J.D.......Page 25 Hertz Nazaire......Page 34 Allyson Gabrey......Page 43 Hal E. Garner Jr.......Page 49 Esther Reiter......Page 55 Penney Cowan......Page 63 Stephanie Staker......Page 71 Susan Shinagawa......Page 78 Matthew Rudes......Page 87 Kenneth Anbender, Ph.D.......Page 93 Deborah Hunter......Page 100 James Hanlon......Page 108 PART TWO: CAREGIVERS ON PAIN......Page 114 Howard Fields, M.D., Ph.D.......Page 118 Othon Molina, Ph.D.......Page 126 Kathleen M. Foley, M.D.......Page 134 Wendy Lazar, L.M.T, C.Ht.......Page 142 David Seidenwurm, M.D.......Page 150 Gerald Young, M.D.......Page 156 James S. Hicks, M.D.......Page 167 Steven Graff-Radford, D.D.S.......Page 172 Grace Forde, M.D.......Page 178 N. Gregory Hamilton, M.D.......Page 187 Marcia Gill, R.N., M.H.M, C.H.T.P.......Page 193 Ronald Melzack, Ph.D.......Page 199 PART THREE: THINKERS ABOUT PAIN......Page 208 June Dahl, Ph.D.......Page 212 Marilyn Vos Savant......Page 220 Father Robert Kennedy, D.D., Ph.D.......Page 227 John Sarno, M.D.......Page 235 Joseph J. Fins, M.D.......Page 243 Robert Jarvik, M.D.......Page 251 Madeline Ko-i Bastis, R.N.......Page 258 Antonio M. Gotto Jr., M.D.......Page 264 Patricia M. Good......Page 271 Peter Muryo Matthiessen, Roshi......Page 280 Pamela Bennett, R.N.......Page 287 Rabbi Rami Shapiro......Page 296 Epilogue: Toward Compassionate Pain Management......Page 306 Resource Guide......Page 312 I......Page 318 T......Page 319 Z......Page 320 Patients in Pain Mary Vargas, J.D. Hertz Nazaire Allyson Gabrey Hal E. Garner Jr. Esther Reiter Penney Cowan Stephanie Staker Susan Shinagawa Matthew Rudes Kenneth Anbender, Ph. D. Deborah Hunter James Hanlon Caregivers on Pain Howard Fields, M.D., Ph. D. Othon Molina, Ph. D. Kathleen M. Foley, M.D. Wendy Lazar, L.M.T.C. Ht. David Seidenwurm, M.D. Gerald Young, M.D. James S. Hicks, M.D. Steven Graff-Radford, D.D.S. Grace Forde, M.D. N. Gregory Hamilton, M.D. Marcia Gill, R.N., M.H.M, C.H.T.P. Ronald Melzack, Ph. D. Thinkers About Pain June Dahl, Ph. D. Marilyn Vos Savant Father Robert Kennedy, D.D., Ph. D. John Sarno, M.D. Joseph J. Fins, M.D. Robert Jarvik, M.D. Madeline Ko-i Bastis, R.N. Antonio M. Gotto Jr., M.D. Patricia M. Good Peter Muryo Matthiessen, Roshi Pamela Bennett, R.N. Rabbi Rami Shapiro Epilogue: Toward Compassionate Pain Management. This title offers a revealing look at the war on chronic pain, told in the words of pain sufferers and those who treat them. It reveals that pain is often ignored or under-treated due to unfounded fears concerning addiction and the widespread belief that sufferers are merely "weak". Forty contributors argue that pain is currently undertreated and is the subject of social stigma, appealing to policy makers, doctors, and drug manufacturers to implement effective solutions. A much needed and timely guide through the war on chronic pain, told in the words of pain sufferers and those who treat them. WHILE I WAS WRITING THIS BOOK, PEOPLE OFTEN asked me whether the topic was physical pain or emotional pain.