Code Orange: the Drug User You Didn't Notice
Trigger Warning: This piece mentions chronic pain, long-term opioid use, overdose, drug poisoning, near-death experiences, medical stigma, and suicide. Many people think in order to get housing, people should be abstinent… It’s not about the drugs; it’s about the pain…You cannot expect anybody to reduce or stop their substance use until their pain is addressed.
Code Orange: Defecation Syncope -An Undignified Way to End Up in the ER
Defecation syncope is a fancy medical term for fainting while - or shortly after - you're on the toilet. It's a form of vasovagal syncope, which just means your vagus nerve (the one that runs from your brain to your gut) overreacted to something.