General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: This Couple Died by Suicide After the DEA Shut Down Their Pain Doctor [View all]Hortensis
(58,785 posts)not nearly enough. If only sufferers would organize politically and economically, instead of suffering alone.
In the nature of things, many pain sufferers will die before too many years pass; they need to leave a strong organization carrying on. And many, many others will experience dreadful, intractable pain as part of a final, debilitating illness. When it's too late to become active.
Political organization is needed to create enlightened laws that serve people with pain, better education of medical personnel, and to fund accelerated research. A national medical "moon shot" for pain.
It's not that not enough voters are affected, and this problem affects people of all ages and ideologies. According to the NIH, well over 100M Americans are in pain. At least a quarter of them, likely far more, have chronic pain. The suffering is enormous.