[MarkL]

A friend's brother in law had retired from the army, where after more than 26 years and 2 combat jumps (Panama & Iraq) he was in daily agony. Eventually, the VA got him addicted to multiple opioids, and when he wanted to get off of them, the VA refused, as they told him it was too dangerous. The doctors at the VA told him that he would need careful monitoring at an inpatient facility that they couldn't provide. Going "cold turkey" could kill him, and the VA felt it was safer to keep him on the drugs.

He had to find an inpatient medical rehab center in order to wean him off of the drugs over more than two weeks, costing him several thousand dollars out of pocket.

Something people who make these sorts of statements have never experienced is chronic, debilitating pain, and the fact that opioids are physically addicting, and just "quitting" can be very dangerous.

Mark

[MarkL]

I also know 3 other veterans who became addicted to opioids due to the military or VA, due to service related injuries.

Mark

[houeto]

Why didn’t he just wean himself off the drugs and keep those several thousand dollars? I don’t understand.

[arthurus]

This is NOT what is referred to as the opioid epidemic. He was in a controlled environment and his choice was made for him by "qualified" people who committed abuse and should have been liable for their choice.