How Misused Opioids Dull Minds, Shorten Lives, and Rob Patients of Dignity
I’ve seen the delicate balance of pain management firsthand throughout my career. It’s no easy task. But when I read the findings from the Gosport War Memorial scandal, my heart sank and I started to share my thoughts and feelings concisely.
This wasn’t about relieving pain — it was about the consequences of misuse, where medications meant to offer comfort instead robbed patients of their dignity and lives.
In this post, I want to reflect on the far-reaching damages opioids and other sedative painkillers can do — not just physically, but to our minds, our cognitive systems, our hearts, our spirits, and who we are as human beings.
Pain is complex. I get it. I had a lot of painful situations in my life and needed relief from medication. I am grateful to my physicians who helped me in those difficult situation. My loved ones also experienced pain and they befitted from this necessary relief temporarily.
Whether it’s from an injury, surgery, or chronic illness, managing pain requires a thoughtful approach. But when opioids, powerful drugs designed for acute, short-term relief, are used indiscriminately or in dangerous doses, the story changes.
Why?
Because these drugs go beyond just numbing physical pain — they dull the mind, slow cognition, and can erase a person’s sense of self.
And when used repeatedly or at high doses, they rewire the brain in ways that can leave people in a fog, detached, and struggling to remember basic things. The brain is plastic and change with what we feed it with.
The Gosport hospital tragedy highlights the worst-case scenario — hundreds of patients, many of them elderly, given opioids in doses far beyond what was needed. It’s haunting to think that medication meant to ease suffering led to premature deaths.
As someone who’s worked with patients in pain for half a century, I know there’s a fine line between relief and harm. When that line is crossed, it’s not just physical wellbeing at stake — mental clarity and cognitive function take a hit too.
Opioids act on receptors deep within the brain, particularly in areas responsible for reward, emotion, and cognition. In small doses, they offer relief. But in large or repeated doses, they slow down thinking, disrupt memory, and impair decision-making.
I’ve seen patients lose their spark, their ability to connect with loved ones, or even perform simple tasks. Imagine being unable to recall your children’s names or feeling lost in conversations. That’s what cognitive impairment from opioids can look like — and it’s heartbreaking.
What troubles me most as a retired healthcare veteran is that many healthcare providers aren’t trained enough to recognize when opioids are doing more harm than good. We’ve all heard the phrase, “First, do no harm.”
But when institutions crate a culture where drugs are handed out like candy, the harm becomes institutionalized. This goes beyond simple malpractice. I see this as a fundamental failure to care for vulnerable people.
I’ve worked with patients in the twilight of life. For many, the goal is comfort — not sedation. Yet in the Gosport scandal, patients were robbed of their final moments of clarity, of time to connect with their families. It is so sad!
My understanding from the medical reports is that sedative painkillers given without clinical justification became a one-way ticket to confusion, unconsciousness, and premature death.
These patients deserved the chance to be heard, to say goodbye, and to share final moments with their loved ones — moments opioids cruelly stole from them
The tragic misuse of painkillers at Gosport is a sobering reminder that relief at any cost is not relief at all. Pain management must always consider the patient’s mind as well as their body.
For chronic pain, there are alternatives — non-opioid medications, physiotherapy, meditation, mindfulness practices, CBT, and more. These holistic solutions if practiced by qualified healthcare professionals can provide relief without numbing the mind.
I’ve been retired from the healthcare workforce for a while now, but the lessons stay with me. It’s not just about making the pain stop; it’s more about preserving the whole person — mind, body, heart, and spirit.
Opioids have their place for those who desperately need them, but only with caution, care, proper oversight, and an understanding that they affect far more than just pain.
Gosport hospital case has shown us the devastating consequences when that oversight fails. We need to do better — for our patients, for their families, and for future generations who deserve care that heals, not harms.
As healthcare professionals, caregivers, and citizens, we must strive to prevent such tragedies. Because when care loses its compassion, the cost is not just in lives lost but in humanity itself.
Thank you for reading my thoughts. If you want to understand the Gosport situation you may checkout the following references:
BMJ — Gosport Hospital: Police identify 24 suspects over opioid deaths
Guardian — Gosport hospital opioid deaths: police identify 24 suspects
Independent — Police identify 24 suspects in Gosport Hospital deaths probe
ITV News — Police identify 24 suspects in investigation into deaths at Gosport War Memorial Hospital
My stories, of course, never include health or professional advice.
I am a retired healthcare scientist in his mid-70s, and I have several grandkids who keep me going and inspire me to write on this platform. I am also the chief editor of the Health and Science publication on Medium.com. As a giveback activity, I volunteered as an editor for Illumination publications, supporting many new writers. I will be happy to read, publish, and promote your stories. You may connect with me on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Quora, where I share stories I read. You may subscribe to my account to get my stories in your inbox when I post. You can also find my distilled content on Subtack: Health Science Research By Dr Mike Broadly.
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