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A tough read. Literally, the dark side

Last Post 04/17/2014 10:11 AM by Cosmic Kid. 9 Replies.

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79pmooney

Posts:3189

04/15/2014 10:41 PM
http://velonews.competitor.com/2014/04/news/former-jamis-rider-pinkham-dies-apparent-accidental-overdose_324472 The guy got one of life's raw deals at 18. Has struggled with pan, depression and opiate addiction since. Looked like he had the addiction under control until this winter when he broke his leg racing and the doctor prescribed more. The word is that it is an accidental overdose. I doubt it. Perhaps not a concious choice, but not accidental. Doesn't make it any less tragic. Saying it was an accident takes whoever was responsible for an opiate addict getting opiates as painkillers off the hook. Opiates are the true double edged sword. God's gift to those of us who do not have a problem with them for certain extremely painful injuries. There are some who cannot under any circumstances touch them without severe consequences. And there are others who at one time could benefit but that have had that gift withdrawn. Ben

huckleberry

Posts:824

04/16/2014 10:04 AM
Yesterday there was a story on NPR about how common it is today for those addicted to opiates to add benzo's to the mix the regain the original sensation and how that has led to many unintended deaths. Sad.

Dale

Posts:1767

04/16/2014 10:34 AM
Visited a friend in the hospital yesterday-- he was addicted to pain pills for the past couple years and trying the last few months to get off. A bad accident landed him in the hospital where he's been the past three weeks. He went through withdrawal mostly in an unconscious state for which he and his wife were very thankful. I'm worried that his injuries will require some pain management after his release. He said all it took for him was one oxysomethingoranother and he was hooked.

Cosmic Kid

Posts:4209

04/16/2014 10:35 AM
A guy over on ST knew Chase fairly well apparently....very sad news. I don't know what else to to but classify it as "accidental." All reports are that he did not intentionally take his life, and had been working hard to beat his dependence on the pain killers. Sounds like the last accident was what derailed him, unfortunately.

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

zootracer

Posts:835

04/16/2014 11:11 AM
That is very sad. I was on pain meds after I fractured my hip in 2005. My wife would not let the doctor renew my prescription, she could see I was getting hooked on the things. She knows me better than me..

ChinookPass

Posts:809

04/16/2014 11:41 AM
terrible.

Oldfart

Posts:511

04/16/2014 11:57 AM
Tragic. Truly sad. I suppose I am lucky that strong pain killers make me sick. Had them for a kidney stone and two knee surgeries. Never felt like the drug was taking hold of me. Tried smoking for some stupid reason in my 20's. Felt the pull after a couple weeks and that was that.

SideBySide

Posts:444

04/16/2014 01:00 PM
Tragic. I couldn't stand drugs. After my accident they had me on Morphine, which gave me the most vivid dreams. I remember trying to ride my bike with three legs, and not suceeding. I asked them not to give me anymore.

79pmooney

Posts:3189

04/16/2014 01:24 PM
CK, I intervened in a drug overdose that would have been called an "accidental" death had I not. That person made no conscious choice to mix her prescriptions she knew full well meant death if she did. (She had told me just that years before.) This woman lived because part of her wanted to live and called the one person who would take action and did. She had no memory of calling me. Reading the article on Pinkham, I see a just as troubled soul who did not make that last phone call (or maybe was unable to. 10 minutes later and the call I got could not have happened.) I'll repeat what I said before: Saying it was an accident takes whoever was responsible for an opiate addict getting opiates as painkillers off the hook. There are two parties here. Pinkham had a choice before his accident that would have cost him nothing more than 10 minutes of his time. He could have written on his medical insurance card "I am an opiate addict. Do not give me opiates under any circumstances." If the doctor knew he was an addict, then he bears some real responsibility here. He is a doctor. He has swore to minimal harm. He has no excuse to not understand addictions, especially to drugs he is empowered to proscribe. Ben

Cosmic Kid

Posts:4209

04/17/2014 10:11 AM
Yeah, I hear you ben....and don't disagree. I guess my point was that it was not "intentional". By all accounts he was not suicidal and did not set out to kill himself that day.

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!