Opiate addiction has affected far too many Americans and is continuing to sweep through the country on its devastating path today. No matter their situation in life or their upbringing, everyone has the potential to fall victim to this deadly epidemic.

The Hard Truths of Opiate Addiction

What is it like for a person who has fallen into the pit of an addiction to prescription pills? In many cases, the person is leading their otherwise-uneventful life until they have to undergo surgery, or something similar… and they’re given painkillers during their recovery. Those pills put them in hugely good moods, so much so that they take more and more, and take it frequently. Before they know it, they’ve developed a serious addiction and are unsure how to end it… if they even want for it to stop.

Of course, it isn’t as ‘easy’ as just continuing to feed the opiate addiction. That person has to find the pills, after all, and his or her doctor may not continue to provide. They withdraw from family and friends, become obsessed with finding the next supply, and often lose their jobs. Loved ones are baffled and distressed, usually unsure of how to help as the addict continues to spiral. Even those who try to detox, who try to reach sobriety and enter into recovery programs, don’t always find success.

This is just the simple, sad state of opioid abuse in our country today. Some are able to enter into effective treatment centers and programs, working for months or years in order to get back on their feet. Even then, though, there’s no way to regain the time that they lost, and they’ll never forget how easily and suddenly they became addicted. It’s a terrifying thing.

There isn’t a single ‘solution’ that works for everyone either looking to begin this long journey or who started down it a long time ago. Some work well in weekly meetings, others have therapists, and there’s always non-habit-forming medication. Many undertake a mix of the three. Of course, for those who can’t or won’t seek out these options, they have a much harder struggle. Not everyone is able to afford counseling or can regularly get helpful medication. It depends in a big way on the state of health care, something that has been up in the air for years now, and which is only growing more tumultuous.

“Even as the American Society of Addiction Medicine and the rest of organized medicine cracks down on prescription medication misuse and over-prescription, it is incumbent on everyone to recognize how quickly opiate use disorders can develop in vulnerable individuals.” Though the worst possible experience will happen to everyone, it’s also true that the best possible conclusion won’t happen to everyone. There are a range of experiences that can be had by someone who is exposed to the lure of these drugs, and the most effective way to help them all at once is to start a conversation, to change the way that we approach this subject, and to provide the best possible healthcare to those who are most at risk.

If you or a loved one are at risk of opiate addiction, or are already struggling and need professional help, then contact The Bergand Group. We offer recovery programs for yourself or for others or are seeking education materials about addictions. The Bergand Group is Maryland’s leading addiction recovery center and offers support for those struggling with addiction and mental health issues, including direction for those who may be denying an addiction.  We can help you to work through your addiction in a safe and healthy environment where everyone is committed to your care.

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About The Bergand Group:

At The Bergand Group in Baltimore and Harford County, Maryland, our therapists have more than twenty years of experience in the mental health and addiction fields. Our focus is on providing comprehensive mental health care and appropriate care for addictive disorders. We offer both alcohol rehab and drug rehabilitation. If you or someone you know is struggling with alcohol or substance addiction, there is help available. We also offer several other services, including family therapy and counseling. We can help. Contact us today.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]