I work in health care, I'm not in emergency medicine anymore but might go back to it some day. Dealing with drug seekers is 90% of my job, or it sure fucking feels like it sometimes. The only things that really rustle my jimmies are the anti-vaxx people (who never have any problem taking their kid to the doctor for every fucking little thing), Munchausen people and hypochondriacs. On what planet is "I don't feel right" or "my kid doesn't have much of an appetite" a reason to go to the emergency department? These are the people who bitch the loudest, without fail, that they have to wait because we're busy dealing with a traumatic amputation or cardiac arrest in the trauma suite.
Most people are at least there in good faith (things like migraines, fainting or arrhythmia can be frightening if you don't know what is going on) and we encourage older people to come in for minor things like weakness or confusion because they could be stroke symptoms, and honestly, it's always nice to be able to tell people they're ok and can go home. But when I end up with some screeching harpy in my face demanding we DO SOMETHING because her kid has the sniffles and she's not leaving until the doctor gives antibiotics, it's difficult not to punch them right in the face. Watching mothers purposely rile up their kids into full tantrum mode, convincing them that they're dying when they've been happily playing with their tablet for the last hour is fucking sickening. Had to deal with an anti vaxxer whose kid ended up with double pneumonia from the measles a couple of months ago, don't know what happened to him but he was in pretty bad shape, I'd be very surprised if there was no permanent damage. Usually the anti-vaxxers give in about rabies and tetanus but if they don't doctors won't hesitate to involve the authorities. I've been very fortunate that I've never seen any other cases of child abuse but the pediatric hospital nearby sees some pretty dark shit.
Dealing with self inflicted wounds is kinda bizarre too, not all these people are on drugs either, most aren't as a matter of fact. It was shocking how often "self inflicted stab wound" came up on the tracker. Failed suicide attempts are just sad, but I understand. Guns aren't super common here but I've seen failed suicide by gunshot a few times, it's really nowhere near as much of a sure thing as you would think. On the other hand I've seen hundreds of so-called "suicidal gestures" and I still can't say I get it... What is the purpose of eating two bottles of sleeping pills then calling yourself an ambulance before anything happens? I never know what to say to these people, usually I'd just help stabilize and pawn them off on psychiatric services but oftentimes they don't even bother to do that, they just give activated charcoal and send them home. I guess it's just attention seeking but it's not like it's hard to get a doctor to refer you to a therapy program if help is what you're after. The cynical part of me wonders if it's not just people trying to get out of school/work or gain victim cred - "I was HOSPITALIZED for a SUICIDE ATTEMPT guize!!" usually means "I ate 9 Benadryl and made a scene at the ER for 45 minutes" in my experience.
So yeah, compared to some of the infuriating shit you see in medicine/health care, dealing with some dipshit trying to wheedle painkillers isn't a big deal. Once they find a doctor who's willing to prescribe them 3 or 4 Dilaudids and tell them to fuck off they're set.
