Hi FFrancis2,
Welcome to the forum. It is great to see you reaching out for support here. Your story is really common as many people who suffer from an injury end up with an unwanted dependence to the pain medication that was required to recover. Going cold turkey off pain medication is not generally recommended and I would definitely find a GP that is sympathetic to your drug dependence as well as one who offers you a tapering or dose reduction schedule. This should be done under medical supervision as there could be some specific side effects they want to monitor (depending on the drug). I wonder if you know any GPs that specialise in pain in your area? You could also try to have a discussion with a Pharmacist and if you tell them your story, they may be able to offer you some support.
Getting some additional support in managing pain may be a good balance while getting off the pain medication. There is a free online course for people who experience pain which may be able to offer you some strategies. The course is through Mindspot and is available either online or you can also receive some phone support. You can read about this course by going to this site. https://mindspot.org.au/pain-course
If you feel as though writing helps, please continue to share your story on the forum. We are listening.
Wishing you the best possible outcome,
Nurse Jenn
