Opioid settlements between the U.S. government and opioid manufacturers, wholesale distributors, doctors, and pharmacies are no longer front-page headlines. But, the devastation of opioid addiction is still affecting American families. Large swaths of the country’s population are still reeling from lost lives, broken families, and personal despair. Today, you have to dig deep to uncover the latest news on what solutions are being put in place to use settlement dollars to help those affected and shut down organizations that continue to over-prescribe or distribute opioids recklessly. Opioid dependency can happen to anyone. Contact Fresh Start Recovery to learn about our humanistic, patient-centered approach to treating opioid dependency.
Keeping the Opioid Crisis at Bay
It is important to keep the focus on the opioid epidemic. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) statistics:
- More than 760,000 people have died since 1999 from a drug overdose.
- Two out of three drug overdose deaths in 2018 involved an opioid.
- 9.9 million people misused prescription pain relievers, and 808,000 people used heroin.
Our goal is to help people affected by the over-prescribing of opioids to get the help they need. The appropriate prescribing of alternative pain-relieving medications is essential to protecting all American citizens’ health and safety. Here are some reasons why it is important to keep the focus on the opioid epidemic:
Focus on New Pain Management Therapies
Pain from an injury or medical condition is a real problem, and the prescribed opioids were often the best solution for severe pain that is either chronic or acute. As the country moves forward, it is critical to find alternative pain management therapies and review what needs to be changed with current best practices, including:
- Partial hospitalization program
- Outpatient programs
- Intensive outpatient programs
- Relapse prevention
We must keep the focus on replacing opioids with new, non-addictive medications, alternate or holistic healing methods, and more research and advocacy for pain management. The U.S. government must take the lead to help patients, first responders, hospitals, and those recovering from opioid dependency get the help they need.
Keeping the Focus on Those Affected
Prescription opioids are highly addictive, leaving otherwise non-addicted individuals searching feverishly for illegal substitutes to combat the brain’s obsessive and compulsive cravings. No American population was spared as the opioid addiction traveled through suburbia, Appalachia, metropolitan cities, and rural townships, affecting almost every community from coast to coast. People were ill-prepared to learn they had fallen victim to opioid addiction.
The focus must remain on the opioid epidemic for the sake of all those individuals who need a bed in a suitable drug rehabilitation program, so they can experience a safe withdrawal from opioids and start the process of putting their lives back together.
Rebuilding Lives at Fresh Start Recovery
The opioid crisis is far from over. It’s not enough that drug companies have been held financially responsible. Many Gaithersburg families are still in the process of rebuilding. With the right programs, medication management, community involvement, and family participation, anyone can recover from opioid dependency.
Overcoming Opioid Dependency
Chemical dependency makes many people feel powerless, but overcoming chemical dependency is one of the most empowering experiences of a person’s lifetime. We must always remember how a nation was lulled into a false sense of security and hope, and keep the focus on corporate transparency and government oversight so that this opioid epidemic never happens again.
Fresh Start Recovery is More than Rehab
If you or a loved one are struggling with opioid addiction, contact Fresh Start Recovery Center in Maryland at 833.625.0398 for more information about our detox programs, along with in-patient or outpatient drug rehab treatments.
