I had a gentleman come through my line (when I was cashiering) who somehow ended up telling me about his life. Mainly about his daughter overdosing on over the counter painkillers. Because she was not doing anything illegal no one would help him and his wife as they tried to get help for his daughter. She eventually died, leaving behind a son who the grandparents now take care of.
We hear all about the opioid crisis. And as the chart above shows it is a real and sad thing.
The fact that we don’t talk much about how bad over the counter pain medications are for people is not a good thing.
We live in a society who doesn’t want to feel pain–of any kind–and who, in my opinion, doesn’t want to feel anything at all.
There are many adverse side effects to simple pain relievers such as Tylenol, Advil, Aleve, and Aspirin. Doctors for years have said that a low dose of Aspirin daily help heart patients. Turns out the benefits do not out weigh the risks.
Personally, when I worked the first time as a server, I would be in so much pain I would take 4 or 5 Aleve at a time just to sleep. I would wait 8 to 12 hours in between but still not good for you. Eventually I did this long enough that my body built a tolerance and now Aleve does nothing for me.
This post is not to say I don’t ever take pain meds. But I try other ways to alleviate minor pain first.
Somethings that help: Yoga or stretches–especially for the sciatic nerve. Drinking enough water. Deep breathing. Hot showers.
For headaches specifically I go through a checklist. Have I eaten? I have drank enough water? Have a slept–enough or well? Am I too cold? (In my case when I get too cold I tend to get a headache.) I also factor in allergies.
There are many ways to deal with pain without medication. Numbess is not the answer.