How do you veterans manage to consistently get pills for long periods of time?

[ChestRockwell]

What swim means by veterans is people who have been on opiates for 5+ years, whether due to addiction or chronic pain or a combination of both.

Swim is in his early 20's and has been on opiates(vicodin then codeine) for about 2 years. Swim has had an ongoing back injury and has a legitimate reason for pain medication. Problem is swim seems to find a lot of resistance from doctors on being on them for much longer. Even though swim is now on codeine, which is less potent than vicodin, he still gets a hard time. Swim has seen people on here talking about being on these kinds of medications for years and years, even more than a decade, so he wonders how people get this steady flow of medication for this long?

It should be noted swim gets his med from a pain management doctor, but he gets treated for free. Swim's insurance ran out so he had to goto the free clinic and they gave him a referral to see pain management at the hospital(clinic is connected to hospital, but its not an ER). However, swim got resistance on vicodin even when he was going to regular doctors on insurance so he doesn't think this should make a difference.

Swim understands why a doctor would not want someone on pain meds long term, but if that is the only way they can feel relief he doesn't see a problem, if it is either that or be at home all day.

So as swim said, he is wondering how people are able to stay on meds long term. Also swim wants to know if you guys have trouble with a pharmacy if you've been getting narcotics for years and years, even if you follow the guidelines and dont abuse the meds, are they hesitant to prescribe it after several years?