Word: risking
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Paradoxically, the findings suggest that the use of opioids could even help prevent addiction by reducing the risk of a psychological condition that is known to lead to substance misuse. "PTSD is so devastating, and it increases the likelihood of addiction," says Volkow. "I think it's definitely worth investigating...
Since the most severely injured troops were the most likely to receive morphine - and since this same group would be at a higher risk for developing PTSD - the finding is particularly striking. "It's incredibly exciting," says Dr. Glenn Saxe, associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, who has conducted similar research in pediatric burn victims. "You could potentially be able to [reduce] the likelihood of getting a bad disorder like PTSD...
Saxe's research suggests a mechanism by which opioids may affect PTSD risk. Trauma researchers have long known that social support is critical for recovery from PTSD, and that the brain's natural opioids are involved in feelings of nurture and bonding. Saxe found that the pediatric patients in the hospital who had the most anxiety about being away from their families were also the most likely to develop PTSD, but in those treated with opioids for pain, the risk was reduced. "The pathway was opioid dose reducing separation anxiety, and reduced separation anxiety reducing PTSD," says Saxe. (See pictures...
...dentists give opioids like Percoset too freely to teenagers after surgical procedures; in contrast, "you have individuals with very severe pain who are not given opioids or who are given doses that are [too low to treat the pain], and that in and of itself can put them at risk...
...change this harmful mindset? The answer goes back to childhood. The expectation for girls in early youth is to behave in a way that minimizes risk; girls are not often praised for successfully navigating a bike down a mountain or jumping off a swing and landing on her feet. We must change the tacit expectations girls encounter in childhood, or our daughters will irrevocably internalize the risk-averse mentality that so many of us subconsciously face even today...