Has anyone experienced this

[Guest guest]

I have had two friends (now ex friends) that at first understood my

back condition, and understood why I take opiates to function.

Hard as I tried I couldn't keep up with either one of them, doing

different things, I just couldn't do.

After a few years of knowing these people, both turned on me and told

me I was addicted to pain pills and needed rehab. That I was just

wanting to get high, and using back pain as an excuse. That was the

end of our friendship.

It's so hard to try and make people understand what chronic pain is,

and how we are affected by it. I keep thinking if they could take one

day and walk in my shoes somehow that would convince them what it's

like. But that, of course, will never happen.

I've lived with this back pain for so long now it's become second

nature to me. My ex friends tell me it's in my head, my response is,

would you like to see my x-rays?

I certainly don't need friends like that anyway. I am a positive and

upbeat person, they brought me down, and to tears sometimes.

I have learned since, not to tell anyone what meds I take, that is now

very private (except for this group) because this is something that

someone could turn around on you, as they did with me.

Just wondering if any of you has experienced this with so called

friends before, and how did you handle it.

Leigh Anne