Opioid Crisis and Addiction Treatment

Although it’s a multifaceted problem, the current opioid crisis will not get better until quality treatment is available for everyone who’s addicted. We can still discuss how the problem started and ways to deal with doctors who over-prescribe, but the truth is most doctors prescribe responsibly, especially now that they know more about the problem and realize their licenses can be at risk. We can look at pharmaceutical companies who advertised opioids as non-addictive, but people in pain still need opiate-based medicine. There’s a legitimate use for opioids. 

Expecting to reduce addiction by attacking supply has always failed. When there’s a demand, there’ll be a supply. If strict laws regulating opioids drive people to the streets to buy heroin or whatever new opiate concoction might come available in the black market, the problem will worsen and overdoses will rise. It’s dangerous buying drugs from drug dealers, especially because the buyer doesn’t know the strength of the drug and can easily take too much, plus many become indebted to the dealers and this never turns out well.

In all the news and public service campaigns related to the opioid crisis, I’ve seen very little to educate people on how to access quality, comprehensive treatment. Just going to a doctor and taking a medication for opioid withdrawals is not treatment. Seeing a therapist individually once a week about emotional problems caused by addiction is not necessarily addiction treatment. The public is still uncertain about addiction. The topic scares people, but only because they don’t understand it. Too many still see addiction as a moral problem and addicts as street junkies. I’ve written many articles here explaining different aspects of addiction, treatment and recovery, but this is a small website that reaches relatively few people with the problem. There are other treatment providers like NewDay who deal with the problem everyday, but it’s not enough. Still, only a very small percentage of people who need treatment actually receive treatment. The vast majority of addicts go untreated. Even the billions of dollars released by the government to deal with the opioid problem hasn’t increased quality treatment as far as I can tell — NewDay has not received any help from this money to expand outreach and treatment services. To be honest, I don’t know where the money goes.

A national campaign to expand treatment and understanding of treatment can help deal with the fundamental problem. The more people who understand the facts involved in addiction treatment and recovery, the better we can deal with this problem. If you or someone you know has a problem, call us at 912-201-3605. My vision is for everyone to understand addiction like they understand other medical conditions, and when someone becomes addicted that person can access treatment with ease, with respect and compassion and with no shame.