I strongly agree with _sky's recommendation to seek specialized pain counselling. There's a whole lot to be learned about pain management techniques. One skill is to learn to separate the pain from the suffering. It may seem incomprehensible to you, right now, but the suffering is optional.

I've got a severe chronic neuropathic pain syndrome called CRPS. Trust me, I understand your burden. Moreover, I had a toxic reaction to the opiates (oxycodone, specifically), and I'm doing it without painkillers right now. One of the most important skills is mindfulness. Just to get you thinking, here's a link to a simple explanation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindfulness

Because it is now impacting on your day-to-day affairs, I think it's time to seek out a pain rehab program. Many pain clinics offer training in biofeedback, meditation, and classes to help you understand more about the body, and the mind/body connection. Pain doesn't exist without your brain, despite the fact the pain is in the periphery. You can train yourself to respond differently to the pain stimulus. There are aslo a couple of medications (Neurontin and Lyrica) which are capable of reducing the spinal cord's ability to transmit the raw pain stimulus. A pain clinic would give you customized advice.

Don't forget.....coping rhymes with hoping. Keep a positive outlook, and the coping is much easier.

Lar