Through an examination of personal narratives, we sought to elucidate the experiences of people receiving chronic opioid therapy for chronic non-cancer pain. The participants were 34 adult volunteer outpatients treated in pain clinics. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed using the grounded theory approach. The participants described their daily life experiences of chronic pain and opioid therapy. Informed consent and ethical approval were obtained. Six categories were extracted:"Barriers to living with chronic pain,""Facing injustice or extreme chronic pain and catastrophizing,""Making an attempt to improve one's condition,""Ambivalence about medical treatment,""Finding a compromise while living with chronic pain,"and"Regaining a life."These findings expand our understanding of Japanese patients with chronic non-cancer pain who receive opioid treatment and how they cope in their daily lives.