I have run into our society's hyper-sensitivity to drug-seekers. There is drug seeking behavior and then there is the fact that effective and appropriate pain management contributes to faster healing because people are more able to move about and that speeds healing. Some medical professionals take the whole person into consideration and actually have a heart for people. They listen, they empathize and they treat pain appropriately, not operating solely out of their own bias, and not operating strictly by protocols when protocols need to be amended for a particular case. Other providers are just assholes. I'm sorry for your experiences. The larger issue of systemic racism and stereotyping is combatted with the type of education you're doing here, in this piece. You make a difference in people's perspectives and understanding. Thank you for this work.