Silent Cry

BY BRUCE EDDINS

The opioid addiction crisis has skyrocketed to epidemic proportions in Las Vegas and communities across America.

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, drug overdose now exceeds automobile accidents as the leading cause of death — more than 47,000 in 2017. More than half the deaths nationally were opioid-related, and that number has increased an astounding 137 percent since 2000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

We sit and wonder how could this have gotten so out of hand — to the point where people are dying at this rate. But when you can purchase drugs on every other street corner, can easily have opioids prescribed for pain management, or live in a state with legal marijuana, it is no wonder that drug addiction has infiltrated our communities in record numbers.

Now, don’t misunderstand: I do not oppose legalization of marijuana for pain regulation and other conditions that warrant it usage. But after 30 years of working with people suffering from addiction, many have reported that they began abusing pot or alcohol before moving on to more extreme drugs.

Today, the question is what can be done to empower and support individuals with addiction issues. The first step to triumphing over addiction is acceptance of the condition and a willingness to move toward recovery.

Then you must identify the most appropriate plan to provide you supports and interventions to reduce usage while holistically addressing the side effects associated with recovery.

Drugs can cause permanent psychological damage — due to their effect on the mood-regulating neurons that keep the mind’s sertraline and dopamine in check — as well as damage to your heart. So, it is important to be under the care of a physician to ensure that your approach to recovery is monitored by professionals who can advise on appropriate methods will be the best route towards recovery.

Also, environmental changes might need to be considered — and that may include avoiding family and friends who are actively using drugs. It is very difficult to recover from drug addiction if you resume old habits that contributed to it in the first place.

The best support from others is unconditional — and tough — love that helps you enforce certain constraints that promote positive change and accountability. But the first step toward recovery is to stop the silent cry for help, come out of the dark, open the door, and find help that is often just steps away.