Has anyone here admitted previous recreational drug use without any problems? I can say that this is one of the few times where honest is not the best policy.
From my experience and the experiences of my friends/family members, it seems that many doctors will instantly label one a drug seeker and abuser if they admit to dabbling in cocaine, cannabis, ecstasy etc..
I had a friend who had a bad car accident (but wasn't the driver) and was prescribed oxycodone in the hospital. During her stay, she admitted to using cannabis regularly. After her surgery, she was only given ibuprofen and told to take codeine at home even though she felt codeine was too weak to touch the pain. Now, I know it's standard for GP's in Europe to be conservative with prescribing but she was still in a bad shape and needed crutches to walk. Despite that, they refused to give here even tramadol. She find from FOI requests years later that the A&E doctor considered her cannabis use problematic and advised her GP to be cautious of prescribing addictive substances.
The same thing happened with a family member only this time it was for ADHD. She struggled all the way through school and nearly dropped out in college. Her psychiatrist said she had a pretty bad case of textbook adhd but when she revealed that she took cocaine and drank a lot, he refuse to prescribe her any Ritalin or Vyvanse and instead Straterra. Only got effective meds when she went to the States.
Now, admitting drug use is important when it comes to a surgery given the complications or if your doctor prescribes you another med that can interact but if it's been in your past, I feel like too many doctors still stigmatize people and that results them in not being able to get effective painkillers or anti-anxiety meds.