I know some pretty tough guys. One of which took a gunshot wound and barely needed any recovery time.
This same guy got in a car accident that ruined his back. After some surgery, he tried to not use opioid pain killers, but he described it as maddening. It's not the pain that brings you issues, it's the constant dull, aching pains that give your life grief.
He started taking prescribed opioids for it. When it came time to ween off of them, he said it was like looking into a void where he had two exceptionally clear choices: continue using opioids, or struggle to get off of them. He picked the latter and is opioid free for a few years now. He said it was the hardest thing he's ever done.
He's just happy to say that he doesn't need them anymore.