Trapped in a Cycle of Pain: One Man’s Journey Through Opioid Addiction
Every night, Jean-Marie Ossart went to work for the backbreaking pain to swell. A CT scan in 2012 revealed the culprit: a birth defect in his spine that was causing the degeneration of his intervertebral discs (degenerative disc disease). He already lived in agony, but soon, solelythread of morphine. “I remember some days, when I’d come home from work, I’d just sit on the couch, not move until next morning, without eating anything.” He shakes his head, “It was awful.”
Seeking Relief, Finding Dependence
Morphine became his lifeline—and his trap. Doctors first tried painkillers, muscle relaxants, various relief for Jean-Marie. They were ineffective and the pain returned. Olin doctor, without hesitation, prescribed him higher doses of morphine. No doctor ever cautioned about the risk of dependence if he took a high dose. “I didn’t read the instructions,” Jean-Marie confesses.
“For a week, the pain would fade. Then it would return.
Desperate for relief, he opened up to his doctor who “had a solution” — another form of morphine called Actiskenan. It was fast-acting. “Ten pills a day. I told myself I could work.
“I was in pain, I took one and I could go back to work,” he remembers. He had become trapped in a cycle of pain and medication.
Three months sped by,
p
“
The drugs worked, but the
pain always came back, pushing him further into dependence.
It was 2017 when his body screamed for help. The pain was excruciating. “One day,
Jean-Marie found himself vomiting, sweating, and overcome with diarrhea.
I needed to He
wasn’t sleeping. I couldn’t eat. It was
a real nightmare.”
He begged for mercy not
couldn’t bear it anymore,” he said.
Rounding twenty. He
“You’re taking so
leave. They gave me my dose and I at last.Finding a Path to Recovery… Finally
It was an emergency room that finally helped him break free.
“The doctors questioned me about what really needed help.
“I
and teary-Eyed,
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Engineer. The psychiatrist-addictologist. “It’s a long road,
“They do
I told myself I
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the long road to recovery had to forever. He
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he. His
he.
“They gave me my dose
they’re doing wrong and make sure I don’t throw last
It
I started to feel
just swallowed the pills
Another trip to巢
felt better,” Jean-Marie recalls, The
road to recovery had to be somewhere.
Just survive, but I didn’t really think about him anyway,” he
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as
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“I felt weakness.
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In pain, he felt like becoming
What alternative pain management strategies did Jean-Marie explore during his recovery?
## Breaking the Cycle: Interview with Jean-Marie Ossart
**Interviewer:** Welcome, Jean-Marie. Thank you for sharing your story with us today. Your journey through opioid addiction is incredibly powerful.
**Jean-Marie:** Thank you for having me. It’s important to me to share what happened so others might learn from my experience.
**Interviewer:** You’ve been battling back pain for a long time, and it sounds like it truly started impacting your life severely in 2012. Can you walk us through that period?
**Jean-Marie:** Sure. It was like a thief in the night, slowly stealing my ability to function. I would come home from work completely drained, could barely eat, and the pain just wouldn’t stop.
**Interviewer:** Then came the reliance on morphine. Where did things go wrong?
**Jean-Marie:** Initially, morphine was a lifesaver. The pain subsided, and I could function again. But the relief was temporary. The pain always came back, stronger each time. The dosage kept increasing, and before I knew it, I was dependent. No one warned me about the risks of dependence when I started taking those higher doses. [[1](https://www.cdc.gov/overdose-prevention/hcp/clinical-care/oud-pain-management.html)]
**Interviewer:** You mentioned your addiction spiraled after an overdose. Can you elaborate on that?
**Jean-Marie:** It’s a dark period I wouldn’t wish on anyone. My body was screaming in pain. I was vomiting, sweating, couldn’t eat or sleep. I overdosed, was hospitalized, but it actually made my addiction worse. No one focused on addressing the root cause: the pain. It felt like I was trapped in a vicious cycle.
**Interviewer:** So, where are you today? Have you found a path to recovery?
**Jean-Marie:** It’s been a long, hard journey, but I’m finally finding my way. I’ve learned to manage my pain with a combination of therapies, medication, and most importantly, a strong support system. I hope that sharing my story encourages others to seek help, ask questions, and advocate for their own health.
**Interviewer:** Thank you so much for your honesty and courage, Jean-Marie. Your story is a valuable lesson for all of us.
