This is a nasty hit piece. It is the 9th paragraph before they even mention that her problem is migraine headaches, but “heavy pill use alleged” is in the disgusting title.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/migraine-headache/DS00120/DSECTION=treatments-and-drugs
While there is quite a list of both preventative and pain relieving drugs for migraine, only as a last resort are people given opiates.
The intent is obviously to portray her as a pill popping junkie, who can’t deal with the stress of criticism, and is borderline to a nervous breakdown.
Not like the 29.5 million other Americans who get frequent migraines, and who treat them both for prevention and pain relief.
Opioids are given routinely for severe migraine and once the migraine is a bad one, opioids are the only thing that works. More than your average toothache dose too.
That said, we do not know how serious this problem is. If it is as serious as described (plausible), her health is not up to the task.
My sister would get these migraine/cluster headaches about 3-4 times a year. She would be down and in the dark...taking 10-15mg of oxycodone every three hours...for at least one full day, sometimes up to 2 days.
She is a nurse.
She told me she was lucky as she had met people who get it that bad 2-3 times per month.
It's a legitimate health concern for the CinC. She would not be fit to command a warship at sea if as chronic as described. Nor would she qualify as a Brigadier in the Army...probably not Battalion CO.
It has nothing to do with her capabilities when well.