Who May Attend 

Anyone may attend the Pain in Recovery Support Group (PIRSG) who has chronic pain and a desire to not use opioid medications. We attend PIRSG because we have been living in chronic pain, often for a long time. The challenges of living with chronic pain are what bring us here. Chronic pain is one thing we all have in common.

For many of us, traditional pain management, including the use of painkillers has not worked. Often, we found ourselves not only in ongoing pain, but addicted to our pain medication as well. Many attend PIRSG who have not yet decided to stop taking opioid medications, and you are welcome to participate while you make the decisions that are the best fit for you.

PIRSG members can be: those who are addicts and attend a primary twelve-step program for addiction-related recovery; and those who do not consider themselves addicts or addicted, and who do not attend any groups other than PIRSG. There are also those who may be unsure or confused with regard to whether they have become dependent upon or addicted to their pain meds or anything else. If this applies to you, we invite you to read, Am I Addicted? with an open mind.

Very simply, anyone who wants to be a member PIRSG can be a member. Whether you choose to identify as an addict, as dependent upon or addicted to your pain meds, or as using pain medication in a problematic way is strictly up to you. In PIRSG, it does not matter whether or not you are an addict. What matters is that you have chronic pain, and want help and support to learn how to live with chronic pain without the use of opioid medications.