People with this type of drug use do not think of themselves as addicts. “I never went out on the street to get high. I need the medication because the pain is unbearable. If I could get rid of the pain, I would not use drugs.” In these cases, examination by doctors usually fails to reveal a physical cause for the persistent pain, and these patients may be told, “You don’t have real pain. It’s all in your mind.” They are often accused of pretending or malingering. What is not generally recognized is that the unconscious mind can produce pain, real pain, that hurts as much as a fractured leg.
