The fear of pain
11/05/16 05:17
“Peace is what I leave with you; it is my own peace that I give you. I do not give it as the world does. Do not be worried and upset; do not be afraid.” (John 14:27). It has been said that one of the major themes of the Bible is the simple advice to not be afraid. The prophet Isaiah wrote, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” I quote the verses about fear a lot. One of the places where I quote them is when I visit in the hospital. I was at the hospital last night visiting with someone who has been in the hospital a lot in the past few years. The patient has suffered multiple intestinal disorders and bleeding, issues relating to congestive heart failure, and a variety of infections, some life-threatening. I’ve visited with this particular patient in some good times and in some very difficult times. There have been allergic reactions and times when we didn’t know whether or not the night would be survived. Last night started out with a near-panic phone call and the visit began with a lot of tears. There was more than a small amount of fear and I was quick to turn to familiar scriptures: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” “The Lord is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?”
Last night we were granted the gift of peace in a relatively short amount of time. Twenty or thirty minutes after I arrived at the hospital the breathing rate, pulse and blood pressure were returning to normal levels. The nurse quietly slipped into the room and turned off the monitor for a few minutes to allow us quiet for visiting. As she did, I noticed that the patient’s blood oxygen level was at 96%. A wonderful level for this particular patient and a sign that the anxiety had eased. We continued to visit. I heard stories of the past year and of moments that were good times as well as some of the more challenging times.
This particular person has a strong faith and has been open and honest about faith and doubts with me for many years. Once again last night I clearly heard the assurance that he is not afraid of dying. It is something that makes his wife anxious, because she knows how difficult that would be.
Quite frankly, I have found that there are many people, especially those who have struggled with life-threatening conditions for a long time, who are not afraid of death. We can accept our mortality.
We are, however, afraid of pain. And it isn’t just us. The medical establishment - the doctors and nurses and pharmaceutical companies and insurers are afraid of pain as well. We have sophisticated tools for managing and avoiding intense pain. Hospitals have access to pumps that automatically infuse medicines and a wide array of different pain-killing products.
The fear of pain has its societal costs, however.
I had my own run-in with pain medications when I was burned 15 years ago. After a negative reaction to morpheme, I began to realize that the problem was probably one of dosage. I was simply receiving too much. Armed with that awareness, I began to notice how pain medicine was prescribed. After a bit of dental surgery I went home with a prescription for a bottle of pills. One of the pills put me to sleep for six hours. I didn’t take any more. The same medicine was prescribed to me for back pain and after a conversation with my doctor I learned that lower dose pills were available. It didn’t surprise me in 2007 when Purdue Pharma pleaded guilty to misleading doctors and patients about the addictive properties of OxyContin and paid $600 million in fines.
from 1999 to 2014, a quarter of a million Americans died of opioid overdose. Today there are more Americans dying of drug overdoses than dying from automobile accidents. Dr. Andrew Kolodny wrote, “This is the worst drug addiction epidemic in US history. We have 10 to 12 million Americans on opioids chronically, so many that drug companies can now make money selling medicines to treat the side effects from being on opioids chronically.” As a nation we have become so addicted that we are now becoming addicted to the medicines that mask the side effects of our addiction.
We are afraid of pain so much that we are killing ourselves. Literally.
From a statistical standpoint, the problems are most evident in middle aged women in America. Life expectancy has declined sharply. Between 1990 and 2010, life expectancy of low-educated white women declined by 1.2 years. US women are at the bottom in terms of other high-income countries when it comes to life expectancy. This sustained increase in mortality is unprecedented. It has never happened in the history of modern medicine. This increase in mortality cannot be directly linked to the increase in opioid addiction, but I am sure that it is one factor.
What we know from several major studies is that prayer and meditation are effective methods of managing pain. Not every medical problem has a chemical solution. And some non medical interventions are more effective than more medicines. That is why I was at the hospital last night when I would otherwise have been sleeping. I’m not a doctor. I am not trained in medical care. But I know that when I pray with people I can be an effective partner with those who provide medical care.
I have learned that there are occasions when the pain is not as bad as the things that are done to treat it. It is the fear of pain that is disabling. Learning to live with pain can be liberating.
It isn’t me that makes the difference, however: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)
Last night we were granted the gift of peace in a relatively short amount of time. Twenty or thirty minutes after I arrived at the hospital the breathing rate, pulse and blood pressure were returning to normal levels. The nurse quietly slipped into the room and turned off the monitor for a few minutes to allow us quiet for visiting. As she did, I noticed that the patient’s blood oxygen level was at 96%. A wonderful level for this particular patient and a sign that the anxiety had eased. We continued to visit. I heard stories of the past year and of moments that were good times as well as some of the more challenging times.
This particular person has a strong faith and has been open and honest about faith and doubts with me for many years. Once again last night I clearly heard the assurance that he is not afraid of dying. It is something that makes his wife anxious, because she knows how difficult that would be.
Quite frankly, I have found that there are many people, especially those who have struggled with life-threatening conditions for a long time, who are not afraid of death. We can accept our mortality.
We are, however, afraid of pain. And it isn’t just us. The medical establishment - the doctors and nurses and pharmaceutical companies and insurers are afraid of pain as well. We have sophisticated tools for managing and avoiding intense pain. Hospitals have access to pumps that automatically infuse medicines and a wide array of different pain-killing products.
The fear of pain has its societal costs, however.
I had my own run-in with pain medications when I was burned 15 years ago. After a negative reaction to morpheme, I began to realize that the problem was probably one of dosage. I was simply receiving too much. Armed with that awareness, I began to notice how pain medicine was prescribed. After a bit of dental surgery I went home with a prescription for a bottle of pills. One of the pills put me to sleep for six hours. I didn’t take any more. The same medicine was prescribed to me for back pain and after a conversation with my doctor I learned that lower dose pills were available. It didn’t surprise me in 2007 when Purdue Pharma pleaded guilty to misleading doctors and patients about the addictive properties of OxyContin and paid $600 million in fines.
from 1999 to 2014, a quarter of a million Americans died of opioid overdose. Today there are more Americans dying of drug overdoses than dying from automobile accidents. Dr. Andrew Kolodny wrote, “This is the worst drug addiction epidemic in US history. We have 10 to 12 million Americans on opioids chronically, so many that drug companies can now make money selling medicines to treat the side effects from being on opioids chronically.” As a nation we have become so addicted that we are now becoming addicted to the medicines that mask the side effects of our addiction.
We are afraid of pain so much that we are killing ourselves. Literally.
From a statistical standpoint, the problems are most evident in middle aged women in America. Life expectancy has declined sharply. Between 1990 and 2010, life expectancy of low-educated white women declined by 1.2 years. US women are at the bottom in terms of other high-income countries when it comes to life expectancy. This sustained increase in mortality is unprecedented. It has never happened in the history of modern medicine. This increase in mortality cannot be directly linked to the increase in opioid addiction, but I am sure that it is one factor.
What we know from several major studies is that prayer and meditation are effective methods of managing pain. Not every medical problem has a chemical solution. And some non medical interventions are more effective than more medicines. That is why I was at the hospital last night when I would otherwise have been sleeping. I’m not a doctor. I am not trained in medical care. But I know that when I pray with people I can be an effective partner with those who provide medical care.
I have learned that there are occasions when the pain is not as bad as the things that are done to treat it. It is the fear of pain that is disabling. Learning to live with pain can be liberating.
It isn’t me that makes the difference, however: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)