How to Quit Opioids: A Conversation with Podcast Host Eric Zimmer

Today’s show is a little bit of a hybrid between the usual monologue and a guest interview—think of it as a BOGO. First, we’ll dive into the history of the opioid epidemic and look at the disconnect between research-recommended opioid treatment versus the most commonly administered treatment. Then, we’ll talk about how to quit opioids with podcast host and TEDx speaker Eric Zimmer who, at the age of 24, was homeless, addicted to heroin, and facing long jail sentences. Today, he’s a seasoned behavior coach and host of the excellent podcast, The One You Feed. His podcast title is based on an old parable about two metaphorical wolves who battle within us.

So first, let’s talk history. To paraphrase the Talking Heads, how did we get here? How did the opioid epidemic become the opioid epidemic?

Every day, 130 Americans die from an opioid overdose. In 2017, that added up to more than 47,000 people.

Let’s start where we are now: every day, 130 Americans die from an opioid overdose. In 2017, that added up to more than 47,000 people. It’s to the point where, for the first time in decades, life expectancy in the U.S. is decreasing, driven in part by opioid overdoses.

The First Wave

The opioid epidemic didn’t just develop from one seed; it grew from many. One sprouted in 1980, when a five-sentence letter to the editor was published in one of the most prestigious medical journals, The New England Journal of Medicine, which stated that opioids were not addictive. Like a game of telephone gone wrong, what followed was hundreds of citations of the letter justifying increased prescription of opioids. But few of the citations noted that the letter referred to inpatients prescribed opioids during brief and closely monitored hospital stays. The letter was never meant to apply to opioids in an outpatient setting, nor for long-term use.

Meanwhile, another seed was planted. Many doctors and pain organizations, including the World Health Organization, began a well-intentioned campaign to treat pain. From breakthrough cancer pain to chronic...

Keep reading on Quick and Dirty Tips