Overview
The first thing anyone who is going to read this article is hope easy anyone can help stop the opiod epidemic. The Opiod Epidemic has been going on for a few too long decades now. It also has been taking lives from loved ones as well. With technology these days, everyone can help spread the word and save lives just from your living room. So lets get to it.
In The Beginning
Who would have known that a prescribed drug you get from your local doctor could turn into a nationwide epidemic? In the United States of America over Hundreds of thousands of people keep overdosing over opioids every year after year. Keep in mind this was a epidemic for there last few decades and keeps getting worse by the year. According to the National Safety Council, “Opioids prescriptions keep rising, in result more emergency visits to the hospital, and more overdose deaths.”
Despite all these facts and data, somehow for some reason, the opioid epidemic keeps continuing and on, with no sign of slowing down. There are two sides to this equation that needs to be addressed for this issue. One side you have the certified, experienced, and trustful doctors who prescribe these drugs to their patients, knowing the facts, the risks, repercussions , and possible side effects of opioids, including death.
The other side of the problem are the users who take them. Of course, at first, opioids were created and prescribed to the patients to treat their pain. Nobody knew in the beginning how addictive and dangerous the drug could be, but this was twenty years ago. The epidemic started back in 1991 where the first couple of causes of death was due to opioid over dosage. Either the population has been living under a rock or simply chose to ignore these signs for the last few decades.
Opiod Addiction Leads to more Problems
When one problem leads to more problems that are even harder to deal with is the last thing everybody needs.
When the person no longer gets the stimulation from the drug they are used too, they move on to some where else to find it. Sadly, they move on to Heroin which leads to Heroin Addiction.
While using heroin someone sometime will come across a dirty needle infected with HIV and Hepatitis C.
This disease comes from taking opioids during pregnancy. Newborns suffer from opioid withdrawals,low birth weight and respiratory complications. This results in longer and costly hospital stays.
When someone hooked up with any addictive drug doesn’t get the drug they crave and want. They will begin their life of crime if they don’t have the money nor resources to the drug. They will feel if they were going to die if they didn’t get that high they will act in desperate manner. According to a old report back in 1994 from the Bureau of Justice Statistics ,it states”Drug users in the general population are more likely than nonusers to commit crimes.”
Withdraw Symptoms
When somebody finally decided to cut their addiction cold-turkey, which is a good thing. Can be proven very difficult if without professional help. Due to withdraw symptoms that comes after quitting the drug, which can last for about 10-days. Though keep in mind the opiod user may feel like an entirety.
- Drug Cravings
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Abdominal Pain
- Diarrhea
- Flashing cold, hot, could even be both
How Hard is it to Quit Opiod Addiction
Now, before anyone can judge, they should ask themselves one question. How was it for anyone to give up or quit anything they did? For example, like quitting junk food, sugar, cigarettes, bread, even coffee for-ever? Now imagine for somebody trying to quit a addictive drug? If all of this is true. Where should a person do if they are trying to quit their opiod addiction?
Relapsing
Let’s say the person went over all the bumps, holes, and hills from quitting their opiod addiction. Are they done yet from their addiction? Sadly, the battle doesn’t end their because their is a risk in the process called Relapsing. Like anyone quitting anything for a while, they will sometimes get back to their addiction after sometime. They shouldn’t feel too bad about Relapsing because it is part of the process from quitting any drug related addiction. Now where should anyone go from here if its hard quitting by themselves?
Seek Professional Help
There are treatment programs out their with professional, experienced, and certified staff that care for them and their well-being. This can make the road from addiction to recovery much easier then just doing it alone with no help. Just simply give them a call and explain their current situation. The rehabilitation facility would be more then happy to help them get started on the right program with the right mind-set and road to recovery.
Most treatment facilities can make the treatments affordable by paying through, insurance, out-of-pocket, down-payments, and don’t forget family and friends too. They will be more then happy to help them find a way to fund them to get started. They can use this link to find local facilities near them by SAMHSA, who has been to trying reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities.
Which Treatment Centers are Good?
Everyone must becareful when choosing a treatment center before they give them a call. Their are people out their scamming vulnerable people such as drug-addicts for their money. What they will do is milk every penny they can out of them. Just simply keep these points in mind when choosing any drug treatment facility.
- Check out what treatment programs and services they offer
- Are they accredited/certified by a trustful organization?
- Do they have any social media profiles?
- How long have they been in business for?
- Don’t think luxury equals quality
- Avoid rehabs that G- Guarantees success
- Is the staff licence? Certified? Accredited? Professional? Experienced?
- Does the treatment center use practices based on evidence
- Accept insurance?
- Offer more programs then just Detox?
- Do they offer Representational Relapse treatment?
- Provide additional services?
- Offer family support?
- Gender specific programs?
How Can Anyone Can Help Stop the Opiod Epidemic?
The CDC has launched a awareness campaign to combat the opiod epidemic, so join the fight by simply sharing a post, blog, even a comment through social media.
Through this way there is no way nobody will just not know now, since everybody used social media for the most part. The pros of spreading awareness would be knowing the risks of taking opioids.
Whats the good thing as well is that you contributed into helping people in need for the better. Not just improving one person’s life, but by the thousands. Much more effective then thinking about it.
How To Know if Somebody Possibly has a Opiod Problem?
• Uncontrollable cravings
• Drowsiness
• Chenge in sleeping habits
• Weight loss
• Hygiene
• Uncontrollable intake of opioid use
• Isolation from family/ friends
• Stealing
• Financial difficulties
• Not themselves no more
• Hanging out with the wrong crowd
• Tired all the time
• Depression
• Nervous
When to Help Somebody with an Opiod Problem?
What everyone should know first before helping anyone with opiod addiction is there are two sides to this problem. One side is the person in need of help. The other side is the people willing to help the person. But, this will cancel each other out if either two don’t work with each other.
Conclusion
Now everybody knows everything they should know all relevant information about the Opiod Epidemic that has been going on far too long. With the help of the public by simply posting posts about the opiod epidemic is contributing to stop this once and for all. Remember it is easy to find professional help and resources to treat this life-threatening addiction. Though is spreading the word through social media enough to stop the epidemic? Feel more then free to comment and/or ask questions down below.
Resources
https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/injury/features/prescription-drug-overdose/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/rxawareness/resources/socialmedia.html
Content source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control
Content Resource: National Safety Council
https://findtreatment.gov/
https://www.samhsa.gov/
Content Resource: (SAMHSA )
A branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services