Where I live there is a huge homelessness population (well, that could be almost any UK town or city), but the medical practice is the close to three large hostels and you occasionally see someone eating three strips of gabapentin and then rolling around in the road until the police/ambulance is called. So I think my GPs see that as a problem whereas of course white middle class people like me would never get addicted, oh no... it is so ridiculous, any medical doctor, psychologist, or pharmacist should know drugs don't care if you have a PhD, fancy job title, and good salary.
Mate I agree 100% with this. Come in looking all well groomed, come off like a middle class type, and docs will script ya basically anything within reason. Whereas a scruffy homeless looking guy is obviously not gonna be given jack shit.
I'm not sure to what extent race comes into it in the UK to be honest, especially when a lot of doctors are Asian. I think race is probably a bigger factor in the US.
But being middle class is definitely something that makes a difference. As you said it's like doctors think middle class cannot possibly be drug addicts.
I wonder how much difference this makes to the reactions people get from doctors here on BL. I read just recently a guy with chronic pain couldn't even get weak opiates like codeine from his doctor. Meanwhile despite being young (which makes it hard to get taken seriously for pain usually) I was easily able to just ask my doctor for opiates and get 'em. And basically every class of "good drug" there is. Uppers, downers, and opiates. I got it all.
Whereas a few of my mates are the obvious more chavvy types, very clearly working class guys, and I know for a fact they don't have it as easy. One had a serious accident and was only given paracetamol. Not even fucking co-codamol!
I think gender plays a role as well. In the UK it seems doctors are more likely to give opiates to women. I'd be curious if there's studies on this. I've seen some data showing it's the opposite in the US. But from what I've seen here in the UK it's much easier for women to get prescribed opiates. I've mentioned before a girl I knew literally went into the GP, complained her tramadol wasn't working, and got given oxy right there.
Lyrics is something you keep in the 2nd drawer of your night table. Ready to go when everything else runs dry and you still have be a productive adult.
I agree. Either that or something for the odd weekend fun. But not for daily use imo.
It is very useful for tapering though, a great "comfort med."
