It is estimated that 80 percent of people who seek medical help do so to alleviate pain. Research shows that between 30 and 40 percent of adults experience some degree of chronic pain. And that's only physical discomfort. When you consider emotional or psychological pain, chances are everyone is living with some kind of pain. And if that isn't surprising, here's something that's even more amazing - up to 75 percent of reported pain isn't linked to an identifiable physical cause. That means pain is not just a physical issue, so ultimately it can't be treated by physical means alone. Most people cope with pain by searching for a quick, physical fix. In fact a New York Times article reported that more people are now addicted to painkillers than to street drugs and that hospitalisations related to prescription drugs have increased fivefold and overdose deaths fourfold in the last decade. That's not surprising given the ubiquitous ads on TV and in print media for all kinds of painkillers-from the affordable, over-the-counter variety to ones that require expensive prescriptions. But the secret that nobody tells you is: Painkillers only mask pain. They don't-and can't-cure it. It takes someone like Dr. Rajiv Parti, a brilliant, highly successful anaesthetist who specialised in treating pain, to tell the truth about it. After suffering from a series of debilitating, nearly fatal illnesses that started in August 2008, Dr. Parti realised he was addicted to painkillers in March 2011. That's when he made the profoundly difficult, but ethical, choice to give up his practice, to conquer his addiction and to search for a real solution. Soon he realised that his pain was not just physical but deeply emotional, psychological and spiritual. That led him to Ayurveda, the traditional medicine of India where he had been born. By becoming a student of that ancient holistic, natural practice which he combined with meditation and yoga, Dr. Parti was able to regain control of his life with a new focus: to share his personal journey through pain to forgiveness, love and healing.
