I think the media have some responsibility here too. I well remember a daytime television show where two doctors were debating the use of narcotics in chronic and recurring conditions like migraines and fibromyalgia. The audience had obviously been cherry-picked in advance and members ended up screaming at the physician who was cautioning against the use of narcotics. He was quite humiliated by the audience and the host, and essentially told to "educate" himself. The usual advice was also given by the host at the end of the show - if your doctor doesn't agree with this, get a new doctor who does. 

I had trouble with this issue as a FP too. I remember being told in the 1980s by a well-respected palliative care physician that narcotics were not addictive if the pain was genuine. I couldn't  believe it, but the myth grew over the following 10 years because people were being told what they wanted to believe.