The Opioid Epidemic Story is a Tragedy
Opioid addiction is a startling and fast-growing epidemic. Its epidemic growth may be one of the saddest drug addiction stories ever told.
There are whole generations of families and communities being lost to opioid addiction. Opioid addiction keeps growing in communities throughout the US. A professional group became appalled at what they were witnessing and began an opioid awareness campaign.
The American Society of Anesthesiologists opioid epidemic awareness campaign is an effort to inform people about the symptoms of opioid abuse. If an addict wants to get treatment, there is information provided on where to get treatment and help.
But there are no easy answers or solutions in how best to stop the widespread penetration of opioid addiction in the U.S.
How Widespread is Opioid Addiction?
The numbers of opioid addiction are surreal to read about. There are three million people in the U.S. and 16 million globally who suffer from opioid addiction. What's more, those numbers keep growing yearly.
How do you know if someone you love is addicted to opioids? There are some common symptoms you can look for. They are;
- False sense of euphoria
- Grandiose feelings about self
- Anxious and irritable
- Lack of motivation
- Paranoid or psychotic episodes
- Quit doing favorite things
- Hypervigilant
- Insomnia
Once you start noticing any of these symptoms, there are a multitude of different treatment options you can give them, if you find out they are abusing opioid.
But in the end, it is up to the addict to seek treatment. No matter how bad the opioid addiction is you cannot force another adult to get treatment for an addiction they won't admit they have. Opioids include illegal drugs like heroin. But they also include drugs you can get from a prescription. These prescriptions are for drugs like fentanyl, codeine, and morphine. Because opioid is a legally prescribed drug, many times opioid addicts will tell you they have pain and must take the drug as it is the doctor's orders.
Opioid Addiction Helplines
There are a multitude of treatment options for opioid addiction. There are websites dedicated to information on the opioid epidemic. There are websites which provide opioid addiction treatment options through free online resources.
One of those websites may open up possibilities when providing treatment options for any addict. It may be one word in a sentence or one sentence in a paragraph which helps reach the addict.
Many times it is the other person on the other side of a phone call or helpline who provides hope. There is a hopeful connection website which provides a no cost treatment helpline dedicated to addicts.
Opioid treatment solutions work best when the treatment is customized to the addict's needs. Opioid addiction may have similar symptoms no matter who the addict is but every person is different in how they experience and manage the symptoms of addiction.
Types of Opioid Addiction Treatment Options
All opioid addiction treatment involves some form or style of various counseling methods. Some of these include, but are not limited to;
- One on one counseling which involves goals, motivations, progress and what to do when you have setbacks.
- Altering negative thinking behaviors by learning how to have positive coping skills called cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). It is effective when dealing in lives with over-the-top stress.
- Giving an addict incentives for not using opioids is called contingency management therapy.
- Group counseling can be effective with addicts. This is because when an addict hears other opioid addiction stories the feeling of loneliness is gone. No one should feel alone when seeking addiction treatment. Group counseling also exposes you to new methods and ways to fight opioid addiction.
- Many addiction treatment plans include family counseling. Bringing in your partner or other family members helps open the door to communication and healing.
Widespread and Ever-Growing Opioid Addiction
The opioid addiction is not going anywhere soon because the numbers keep increasing and not much seems to slow it down.
More than 130 people die daily in the United States from opioid addiction. It is estimated that over $78.5 billion is allocated to emergency healthcare, treatment and law enforcement due to opioid addiction.
What's amazing is 8-12% of those who receive opioids for pain start abusing the drug. Between 2016 and 2017 opioid overdoses went up 30% in just 52 areas within 45 states.
Opioid addiction isn't slowing down and in fact, many abusers of opioid move on to heroin when they cannot get a prescription or buy opioid on the streets.
The magnification of drug abuse and the fall-out from one drug is almost beyond comprehension.
When opioid addiction happens to you or someone you love the battle isn't just heartbreaking. The drug addiction becomes real with its criminal, psychological, and physical fall-out. The treatment needed becomes required right now.
Opioid Treatment Customized to Your Needs
No one has all the answers to opioid addiction. Nor does anyone have all the answers to the best treatment programs for the disorder. But by spending time in communication learning about the addicts behaviors and symptoms there is a way forward which may help.
There are dedicated personnel standing by to talk to you, offer you treatment information and more. But you have to want to learn about opioid information. You have to want to fight against your opioid cravings.
Most of all, you have to be the one who is ready to face the consequences of your addiction both in body and mind.
There is no addiction easy to conquer. Take the first step in helping yourself escape from your opioid addiction. Don't become part of the statistics of lives interrupted by death well before your time.
Don't become a statistic when there is still so much to discover about yourself. Tell your story to others. Become an inspiration to many people. Your story shouldn't begin and end with only one chapter detailing your opioid addiction.
Widespread opioid addiction is only as strong as its users. It's hold on geographical areas and people weaken when people quit using. Reach out to us today, so we can help you end your use of opioids.