I have really, really, really, bad back pain from several herniated discs and a degenerative condition. The pain is blinding at times. No matter what, I only take the prescribed amount at bed so I can sleep. Ironically, the reason is because I also know the "guy" Christie refers to in his speech. He was a real life man. His name happened to be Guy. Great lawyer, good family man, and a true professional. The stories Christie says are real. Guy was a very successful lawyer who broke his leg badly and he got hooked on pain meds. He went from being a lawyer in a prestigious firm making big money with a wonderful family to dying in a homeless shelter. Christie did everything he could for him but he was hooked.
Do not touch that stuff unless you have strong will power and if you find yourself taking it despite not being in pain, check into rehab right away. That stuff is no joke.
The pain is blinding at timesThat's really terrible. I was given opioids for kidney stone pain and post operative pain. I never felt the slightest desire to take that sh!t once the pain was gone. I have osteoarthritis and use a lot of advil, which doesn't completely get rid of the pain, but I live with what's left. Problem with NSAIDS is that they have a limit for pain over which they are no longer effective. Opioids don't have that limit, but the residual pain (for me at least) is the lesser of two evils.