Morphine is not reserved for the dying. It is a very effective medicine for many types of cancer pain. Pain can only be controlled if the person in pain is able to talk about it to you and the doctor. You can help by giving the him or her permission to talk about the pain, asking often about pain and encouraging them that there are solutions to it. You can also share your feelings of fear and of helplessness so the person in pain understands better why it is sometimes hard to talk about.
Good communication is essential, but can often be difficult when emotions are involved.
If you and the person in pain are having trouble communicating about issues, ask for help from a social worker or other professional. You may be afraid the person with cancer will become addicted to the pain medications. People who take narcotics for pain very rarely become addicted. People who take narcotics for cancer pain take them to get relief from physical pain. People who are not addicts before they take narcotics for cancer pain do not become addicts later.