Dopesick - utterly harrowing viewing

[TTCaxristi]

Is anyone else watching this? I can’t believe my eyes. How can this have happened?

Never watched it

Is it a true story?

I watched it when it was originally on Disney+. Absolutely outstanding series.

@ssd yes, it’s about the opioid crisis in America. It is heartbreaking. It’s on bbc iplayer atm in case of interest.

@Igotjelly It really is outstanding. I’ve got two episodes left and I’m almost frightened to watch them. How on earth did the regulator allow opioids onto the market?!

Money.

It's also the subject of Painkiller, on Netflix. Awful, awful story. Each Painkiller episode has a short 'vox pop' by a family who was affected by the drug - which are true stories, although obviously the episodes themselves are dramatised.

Yes, terrifying. Excellent viewing, but terrifying! I have watched 4 episodes now.

So scary to realize how utterly corrupt these businesses were and probably still are!

@TTCaxristi , it was shown on Disney + in 2021, the bbc have bought it and put it on iPlayer etc. There are lots of threads on the series, it's really fantastic, the sackler family are real. More has happened to the Sackler family since it was produced.

Very very good, there was also a series on Netflix about the same story called 'Painkiller' which was also excellent.

I've watched both, and although I knew the story, it being based of a true story, they were both compelling viewing.

It’s very, very good but it is not a true story. It’s a dramatisation with some real characters (the doctor, the political investigators etc) and some amalgams (Billy, the mining girl, the DEA lady)

I saw this a few years ago, it's very powerful

Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe is a very good book that focusses on the sackler family. Dopesick is also good but more focussed on victims and dealers.

I heard about this from Nan Goldin in 2019 she's a US photographer who was briefly addicted and then protested about the Sacklers association with UK art scene.

I went on to watch dope sick, it's so sad but been well known for years, totally different culture in America with being able to buy prescriptions.

I loved this when I saw it on Disneyplus. It’s very sad but interesting. The only thing I thought was a shame was that it demonised painkillers to some extent- I mean yes of course there’s a whole issue of misuse and in this particular case, doctors prescribing too high a dose due to pressure from drug companies… but lots of people - many, many people- like me who have long term debilitating health issues rely on painkillers to give them back a quality of life. I have Tramadol on prescription and take it for bladder and lupus pain and without it I literally couldn’t function. I think it’s important peoples stories like mine don’t get lost in the whole “aren’t opioids awful” narrative.

Thanks for all the recommendations, I’ll definitely take a look.

For me, the worst part is the complicity of the institutions. I cannot understand the American system and how the FDA sanctioned the release of opioids onto the market with that mishearing label. I also find that the cosy relationship between medical professionals and pharmaceutical companies nauseating. Thankfully the company wasn’t able to get their pills past the German framework. It makes me grateful to be living on this side of the Atlantic, an emotion I’m not that used to feeling these days.

Thanks very much for this perspective. I hope you feel better soon and I’m glad that the medication is helping.

Some echoes of the Post Office scandal ( though clearly far more fatal outcomes) - corporate self delusion that a clearly flawed system is not harmful and broken.

Thanks @TTCaxristi

I think the issue with Oxycontin in particular was the way it was marketed as a 'safe' opioid that you can't get addicted to. Purdue pharma was actively encouraging their reps to lie through their teeth about this drug to sell it and it had horrendous consequences for so many including those with chronic pain. Oxy is not a drug which should be used for that type of pain and has probably undermined people's/professionals faith in opioids in general. I know people struggle to get their chronic pain managed, however I did not take from the programme a demonising of pain killers, more of Oxycontin and the Sackler family for what they caused.

Yes watched this on Disney after I'd seen Painkiller.
It's really shocking what Perdue pharma were allowed to push to the public.

I'm watching this with DH, it's jaw dropping stuff. I also saw painkiller, he didn't. Both very well made and are good TV but it's a story that should be told.

When I watched Mare of Eastown I was really shocked at the extent of opiod addiction in the town, and it was like it was so mainstream people didn't even talk about it.