"Pain is inevitably both subjective and poorly understood and managed, as Travis Rieder, a faculty member at the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, explores in In Pain. ....Having lived through the “many costs” of opioids, Rieder endorses a more complex view of pain that considers not only the subjective feeling of pain intensity, but also how pain affects one’s functioning and overall quality of life."
Bioethicist Travis Rieder uses his own experience with opioid dependence to powerfully highlight how the American healthcare system needs to reform its approach to pain management.
An unflinching account of agony and addiction….Travis Rieder’s unique point of view and professional knowledge deliver a harrowing account with compassion at its core.”
"Rieder’s thoughtful approach to scrutinizing the opioid epidemic is strengthened by his honest, detailed, and often cringe-inducing recounting of his own experience with the powerful painkillers. In Pain is a fascinating and engrossing read for anybody who aspires to be an educated consumer of healthcare. But it also should be required reading for every medical student vowing to “do no harm” in a system that offers all-too-easy access to these powerful drugs."
New York Journal of Books
This book is a wake-up call for anyone who thinks the opioid crisis can’t touch them...It’s part memoir, part indictment of the doctors and pharmaceutical companies that push painkillers without addressing the addiction issues that come with them.”
As an academic bioethicist, Rieder provides a philosophical lens to his lived experiences. It is this contribution where In Pain departs from other published narratives on pain and substance use…. Rieder discusses moral philosophy concepts such as first- and second-order desires, as well as duties and obligations, in digestible prose that is as profound as it is engaging. In Pain is an invitation for compassion for the millions of people around the world suffering with pain and substance use disorders, but it is also a call to action, not just for more responsible opioid prescribing but for a fundamental change to how pain management is delivered.
Travis Rieder’s gripping In Pain illuminates just how unprepared doctors are to treat pain while offering a multi-faceted examination of the raw sadness, fatalism and misery experienced by opioid users who unwittingly find themselves “dopesick,” or in painful withdrawal. This book will engender empathy not just for patients like Rieder, who find themselves trapped in a byzantine system that too often abandons them, but also for the 2.6 million Americans suffering from opioid use disorder. In Pain is a call for nuance and understanding, full of clear-eyed suggestions for doctors struggling to weigh the risks of addiction with treating pain, as well as a guidebook for any one of us who might yet end up in their care.
Travis Rieder’s gripping In Pain illuminates just how unprepared doctors are to treat pain while offering a multi-faceted examination of the raw sadness, fatalism and misery experienced by opioid users who unwittingly find themselves “dopesick,” or in painful withdrawal. This book will engender empathy not just for patients like Rieder, who find themselves trapped in a byzantine system that too often abandons them, but also for the 2.6 million Americans suffering from opioid use disorder. In Pain is a call for nuance and understanding, full of clear-eyed suggestions for doctors struggling to weigh the risks of addiction with treating pain, as well as a guidebook for any one of us who might yet end up in their care.” — Beth Macy, author of Dopesick
“With this smart, riveting, real-life account, the author proves himself a convincing and effective advocate for opioid use reform. A harrowing cautionary narrative that speaks to patients and physicians alike on the ugly reality of the enduring opioid epidemic.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Bioethicist Travis Rieder uses his own experience with opioid dependence to powerfully highlight how the American healthcare system needs to reform its approach to pain management.” — Paste Magazine, The Best Books of June 2019
“A deep historical dive into the history of opioid use in America, the science behind pain and pain treatment, and the medical practice surrounding pain and how it’s changed over the last few decades.” — Inquiring Minds podcast
“As an academic bioethicist, Rieder provides a philosophical lens to his lived experiences. It is this contribution where In Pain departs from other published narratives on pain and substance use…. Rieder discusses moral philosophy concepts such as first- and second-order desires, as well as duties and obligations, in digestible prose that is as profound as it is engaging. In Pain is an invitation for compassion for the millions of people around the world suffering with pain and substance use disorders, but it is also a call to action, not just for more responsible opioid prescribing but for a fundamental change to how pain management is delivered.” — Science
“An unflinching account of agony and addiction….Travis Rieder’s unique point of view and professional knowledge deliver a harrowing account with compassion at its core.” — Providence Journal
"Pain is inevitably both subjective and poorly understood and managed, as Travis Rieder, a faculty member at the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, explores in In Pain. ....Having lived through the “many costs” of opioids, Rieder endorses a more complex view of pain that considers not only the subjective feeling of pain intensity, but also how pain affects one’s functioning and overall quality of life." — Health Affairs
"Rieder’s thoughtful approach to scrutinizing the opioid epidemic is strengthened by his honest, detailed, and often cringe-inducing recounting of his own experience with the powerful painkillers. In Pain is a fascinating and engrossing read for anybody who aspires to be an educated consumer of healthcare. But it also should be required reading for every medical student vowing to “do no harm” in a system that offers all-too-easy access to these powerful drugs." — New York Journal of Books
"Rieder’s use of his own experience as a basis for his writing enables a broader approach, expanding the circle of empathy beyond the clinic, and inviting us all to reconsider our relationship with pain — our own as well as that of others. It’s a book that anyone who cares for people in pain should consider reading." — Los Angeles Review of Books
"Rieder is uniquely equipped to narrate not only his own story but also a broader look at America’s opioid problem. His prose is clear and compelling....The result is an important book that goes hand in hand with Beth Macy’s Dopesick . Readers of both will not only be enlightened but likely find their attitudes about this devastating crisis transformed." — BookPage
“This book is a wake-up call for anyone who thinks the opioid crisis can’t touch them...It’s part memoir, part indictment of the doctors and pharmaceutical companies that push painkillers without addressing the addiction issues that come with them.” — NPR.org
As an academic bioethicist, Rieder provides a philosophical lens to his lived experiences. It is this contribution where In Pain departs from other published narratives on pain and substance use…. Rieder discusses moral philosophy concepts such as first- and second-order desires, as well as duties and obligations, in digestible prose that is as profound as it is engaging. In Pain is an invitation for compassion for the millions of people around the world suffering with pain and substance use disorders, but it is also a call to action, not just for more responsible opioid prescribing but for a fundamental change to how pain management is delivered.
A deep historical dive into the history of opioid use in America, the science behind pain and pain treatment, and the medical practice surrounding pain and how it’s changed over the last few decades.
"Rieder is uniquely equipped to narrate not only his own story but also a broader look at America’s opioid problem. His prose is clear and compelling....The result is an important book that goes hand in hand with Beth Macy’s Dopesick . Readers of both will not only be enlightened but likely find their attitudes about this devastating crisis transformed."
As an academic bioethicist, Rieder provides a philosophical lens to his lived experiences. It is this contribution where In Pain departs from other published narratives on pain and substance use…. Rieder discusses moral philosophy concepts such as first- and second-order desires, as well as duties and obligations, in digestible prose that is as profound as it is engaging. In Pain is an invitation for compassion for the millions of people around the world suffering with pain and substance use disorders, but it is also a call to action, not just for more responsible opioid prescribing but for a fundamental change to how pain management is delivered.
You may have to hit the pause button to lower your heart rate during Travis Rieder’s moment-by-moment retelling of the motorcycle crash that upended his body and his life. But Rieder brutally reveals that this pain is only the pre-show. The worst of his suffering would come from getting off the opioids he was prescribed during his lengthy medical treatment. Transformed by his experience as a patient, Rieder tackles the opioid crisis in his work as a Johns Hopkins bioethicist. He mines the medical data with a pulsing intellect and a desire to push listeners into a new conversation about pain treatment that can truly save lives. Rieder’s compassionate and honest performance will resonate with any listener who has experienced medical trauma or severe pain. J.T. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
You may have to hit the pause button to lower your heart rate during Travis Rieder’s moment-by-moment retelling of the motorcycle crash that upended his body and his life. But Rieder brutally reveals that this pain is only the pre-show. The worst of his suffering would come from getting off the opioids he was prescribed during his lengthy medical treatment. Transformed by his experience as a patient, Rieder tackles the opioid crisis in his work as a Johns Hopkins bioethicist. He mines the medical data with a pulsing intellect and a desire to push listeners into a new conversation about pain treatment that can truly save lives. Rieder’s compassionate and honest performance will resonate with any listener who has experienced medical trauma or severe pain. J.T. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
