Extortionate costs forcing chronic pain suffers to turn to alcohol, non-medicinal cannabis

A damning study has found 70 per cent of Australian chronic pain patients have gone without food to afford treatment, while one in four are turning to cannabis.

A damning survey has found 70 per cent of Australian chronic pain patients have gone without food to afford treatment, sparking a warning that unaffordable care is putting lives at risk.

Almost half of the 3.6 million Australians living with chronic pain have used alcohol for relief, while some have felt forced to break the law with almost one-in-four turning to non-medicinal cannabis.

The results, from a survey of 1500 Australians with chronic pain, also found more than half of patients have been unable to see a specialist in the last year due to cost.

Chronic Pain Australia president Fiona Hodson said their survey showed that stigma continued to be an issue among family, friends and colleagues.

Chronic Pain Australia president Fiona Hodson. Picture: Supplied

“It is such an invisible condition,” she said.

“If you can’t see it, then in some people’s eyes, it doesn’t exist.

“(But) it’s more prevalent than cancer, heart disease and diabetes combined.

“45 per cent said they experienced stigma from their GP … which is disappointing.”

She said the cost of living crisis could see the number of people struggling to afford treatment climb even higher, with many specialists having significant gap payments, and that access in rural and regional areas was even more difficult.

“Access and affordability are definitely major issues,” she said.

“If people feel that they’ve got nothing else, they just go to whatever means they have available (e.g. alcohol) which isn’t obviously a great thing for their health in the long term.

“If we were able to offer more accessible and affordable services, then maybe these people might be able to manage their pain in a better way.”

Former teacher Kim Clarke has suffered from debilitating pain after a student pulled out her chair from under her in a “prank” that changed her life forever more than 10 years ago.

The Melbourne resident said she was in pain around the clock and at times unable to move.

“It’s like I’m on fire all the time,” she said.

“The pain drives me to a point where I don’t want to be here anymore.

“You have good days, but they’re far and few between.”

Pain sufferers are being pushed to cannabis. Picture: Cann Group

She said reducing the cost of medications and treatment – including medicinal cannabis which she finds helpful – would be a huge help.

While her medications are covered by insurance, their high cost means she has to go through extensive evaluations to justify her treatment every time.

“You feel like you’re a criminal,” she said.

“I’m always up against barriers.”

She said in the past she had turned to alcohol to manage her pain and asked anyone who would judge her for that to put themselves in her shoes.

“If you were experiencing a situation of high pain and you had the capacity to turn it down with anything in which you could find … of course, you would,” she said.

“If you had your hand over a burning stove, and I had the controls, and the capacity to turn it down, wouldn’t you beg me to turn it down?

“Wouldn’t you want me to turn it down?

“The judgement behind it is terrible.”