Indeed, it is folly to attribute this epidemic to one drug, one company, one family—like the bad guys in some soap opera. So much more went into it. We Americans, so many of us, demanded convenience, to be fixed, wanting miracles and unwilling to do the work of wellness, unwilling to change what we bought, ate, and drank. We insisted doctors cure all our pain. Pills seemed to fit the bill. Insurance companies stopped reimbursing for therapies that did not involve pills, leaving doctors with fewer tools to address pain.
