As I have written before pain shame is one of the last great remaining accepted prejudices. From doctors to friends and family, being made to feel less of a person, actively ridiculed, accused of weakness, faking, etc. is still the normal reaction when interacting with someone suffering from chronic pain. The anti-opoid or (insert whatever drug is safe and effective but happens to have addictive and/or other properties that negatively impact rich white kids) hysteria has made this problem so, so, so much worse. There are effective treatments for chronic pain and they are safe, but for most these days they are unattainable, at least through legal, medically regulated channels. The reasons are simple, it is because they happen to have the worst side effects of all, they make suburban white kids feel good, and more importantly, they make their parents feel very bad.