"It's only like having the flu, right?" Oh, if only it were that simple. I was asked this question so many times when I was caught in the grip of addiction. "Why didn't you just stop using?" It was always thrown out there like some brilliant, never-before-heard idea. In the beginning, I'd try to explain but after a while, you just give up. You shrug. It's truly not worth wasting your breath trying to describe the sheer, unimaginable torture—the profound physical and mental agony—that crashes down on someone who tries to quit opiates cold turkey without any help. And you know what's really frustrating? I even heard this question from people in the medical field. It always baffled me how folks with so much education could be so completely off-base, and sometimes, it felt like they were deliberately causing harm or just didn't care about an addict's comfort or well-being. Just a heads-up: We're still learning the exact, intricate dance ...