After quitting drinking I swore I'd never again suffer through the pain and shame of addiction, and I meant it too. Then I got injured on the job, and was prescribed vicodin, and what began as pain relief quickly became drug abuse as I took ever increasing quantities to get that high I loved.

I was reading a risk assessment by the Mayo clinic on the probability of being addicted to painkillers, and while I agree with much of what they report, I feel that their ultimate assessment that these pills present a low risk for abuse is false and I feel that the many millions of Americans currently battling pain pill addictions should prove as a powerful testimony about the addictive properties of these drugs, and their potential for abuse.

Too many Vicodin addicts are taking dangerous amounts of toxic acetaminophen each day

I was prescribed "non addictive" Ultram after a work injury, and although it never worked all that well for the pain...I loved this drug. It gave me energy, it improved my concentration, and it put me in a fantastic mood that lasted the whole day. Nothing that feels this good comes for free, and when I ultimately tried to stop (I had been taking more than I needed to get the feeling I liked) I was shocked by the severity of my withdrawal symptoms.

Should we let the pharmaceutical industry self regulate? Here's yet another troubling story that points towards no.

If Suboxone works as well, is easier to get off of and you can take home a month's supply at a time - why would anyone still choose methadone???