We are running multiple campaigns to raise awareness of high impact chronic pain, pain that is disabling, pain that is severe and constant. People who live with this kind of pain most often require long term opioid therapy to manage that pain.
Since 2018 Australian policy makers have demonized opioids based on outdated thinking and low quality evidence. The current situation is that many doctors are force tapering their patients off their long term opiod therapy in the mistaken belief that opioids ‘do not work for chronic pain’.
This is a travesty, as people who were previously able to work, take care of their families and engage with their communities are now becoming needlessly disabled, and living a life of constant, severe pain. Worse, some people are choosing to “opt out” of life, rather than live with constant, severe pain.
We are aiming to change this. To educate, advocate and inspire people living with pain to band together and take ACTION.
Current Campaigns
Forced tapering / involuntary deprescribing of opioids
We are currently running a petition to protest against hte force tapering of pain patients off their opioid pain relieving medications. People who have been on stable doses for many years, or even decades, are being forced off their opioid pain medictions, against their will. Also known as ‘involuntary deprescribing’ this practice has been shown to lead to terrible outcomes for chronic pain patients, including overdose and death. Please sign the petition.
Previous Campaigns
The Guardian article on addiction treatment
The Guardian published an article on the 6th of March, 2023 that is perjorative against chronic pain patients and rife with misinformation. Masquerading as an entry in a regular column titled “The Modern Mind” purportedly about mental health, this article is nothing more than an advertorial for South Pacific Private, a treatment centre for ‘trauma, addiction and mental health’.
We are running a ‘Letter to the Editor’ campaign to demand a retraction or correction. My personal preference is that the article be removed. Join the campaign, or read more about it.