Singer Demi Lovato has been very open about her struggles with addiction and recovery, penning autobiographical songs about both topics and featuring her journey in her biopic. Recently the songstress was hospitalized, reportedly for an overdose. On social media at least, she’s received much love and support from fans, friends, and family. We can only hope that she has even more support in real life from her family.
Opiate Crisis in the US and Worldwide
With even Hollywood and the music industry being open about it, it’s easy to see that the opioid crisis in the United States peaks higher each year. Though plenty of media time is given to heroin, prescription drugs like codeine, morphine, hydrocodone, and oxycodone, are often the gateway to heroin addiction. In their own way, these prescriptions keep the tide of opiate abuse rising. People who have surgery get a bottle of pills to take home. Even if they aren’t seeking the drug themselves, there is a great likelihood that a caregiver, friend, or acquaintance is looking for a quick and easy fix.
Don’t Put It Off
The idea of having an opiate prescription for pain after surgery is enough to put people off of having any kind of surgery, especially cosmetic, which is largely voluntary. Dr. Agullo shares the concerns of his patients over the possibility of opiate addiction. With that in mind, he operates using many techniques that cause the least amount of recovery pain as possible. The use of intraoperative pain management, for instance will minimize post-operative pain and allow patients to recover with less assistance from pain relievers. Follow Dr. Agullo on social media to find out more about how plastic surgery can be done with less pain: @RealDrWorldWide on Snapchat and Instagram, @Agullo on Twitter, or @AgulloPlasticSurgery on Facebook. #SayNoToPain