We&#x27;re talking about different things.  I was talking about how opiates are over-prescribed for temporary pain, like dental procedures or bone fractures, whereas you are talking about long-term management of chronic pain.  I specifically didn&#x27;t say anything about the latter case.<p>If you&#x27;re in your twenties, and you fracture a bone, the really bad pain will last for a day or two max.  It&#x27;s better to take over-the-counter pain meds and suffer through what pain remains than to jump immediately to the dangerous opiates and potentially risk your life going a lot more off-course than just dealing with some pain.<p>And to reiterate, I am a wuss as far as pain goes.  I&#x27;m not the kind of person who pushes himself to suffer through pain.  But in these kinds of situations, I look at the various paths, and potential opiate addiction is way more frightening than temporary pain.