The death toll from fentanyl use in conjunction with other opioids has escalated dramatically, reaching unprecedented levels since the mid-2010s, as the potent synthetic opioid increasingly saturates the market and contributes to a growing public health crisis. Nitrous oxide also became a growing concern as party-goers were ingesting the gas to get high at alarming rates causing increasing overdoses as well. GHB is the club drug preference that can be crushed up and snorted like the old standby cocaine. There’s a laundry list of opioids that continue to plague our streets. No wonder it’s so difficult for addicts to get sober and stay sober! They have to battle the temptations daily of all of the triggers out there in the world that caused them to use in the first place. It’s not just a matter of will power!
SOBRIETY IS A JOURNEY, NOT A DESTINATION
While drug abuse can change the brain, time and treatments can change it too. With the support people need to navigate triggers, relieve withdrawal symptoms, and make healthy lifestyle changes, people can heal from addiction. Researchers have developed therapies to to support recovery, which include safe, effective medications to overcome some opioid substance abuse disorders. When a person reaches the level of addiction, they have lost control over substance use. Just like any other person with a disease, they need to be able to get quality, evidence-based treatment and care. With the help of their family and support system, people with substance abuse disorders have substantially higher chances of recovery and survival.
ADDICTION IS A CHRONIC DISEASE
RESOURCES:
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
SAMHSA’S NATIONAL HELPLINE: 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or www.samhsa.gov for FREE, CONFIDENTIAL, 24/7, 365 day-per-year treatment referral information in English and Spanish for individuals and families facing substance abuse and/or mental health disorders.
MEDLINEplus Health Information on Substance Use Disorders (National Library of Medicine, NIH)
www.medlineplus.gov Trusted health information on drug use, addiction, and mental health disorders from the National Library of Medicine.
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
Call 800-273-8255 or text TALK to 741741. www.afsp.org