Heroin Overdoses in U.S. Tripled since 2010

[Tricia]

This is heartbreaking.

Here is a current article about the numbers of overdoses:

https://www.statnews.com/2017/02/24/fatal-overdoses-data/

Here is an older article.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...verdose-deaths-in-u-s-have-tripled-since-2010

We all think of the heroin addict as some grimy homeless person living under a bridge. In reality, addiction crosses the boundaries of wealth and social status.

Someone close to all of us is either a heroin addict or an opiate (pain pills) addict. We just don't know it because they haven't confessed.

Thoughts?

 

[LaborDayRN]

This is heartbreaking.

Here is a current article about the numbers of overdoses:

https://www.statnews.com/2017/02/24/fatal-overdoses-data/

Here is an older article.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...verdose-deaths-in-u-s-have-tripled-since-2010

We all think of the heroin addict as some grimy homeless person living under a bridge. In reality, addiction crosses the boundaries of wealth and social status.

Someone close to all of us is either a heroin addict or an opiate (pain pills) addict. We just don't know it because they haven't confessed.

Thoughts?

This is so true Tricia. In my line of work it's sadly a reality.

 

[bessie]

Coincidentally, you posted this, Tricia, while I was watching the movie "Traffic", in which Michael Douglas plays a newly appointed U. S. drug czar whose A student, best-at-everything, top-of-her-class, wealthy teen daughter becomes hooked on heroin.

Your point's not lost on me in the least. Virtually anyone can become addicted to opiods, and heroin is easier to obtain than prescription pills, especiaaly for teens and young adults. But younger and older both are affected, and many can function well for quite some time before the addiction becomes obvious, or impossible to maintain.

 

[cvaldez1975]

i think h made a comeback due to ppl getting addicted to their pain pills. or teenagers bogarting mom or gramma's pain pills then cant get a hold of them anymore. h is cheaper so they switch. then more h comes cut w fentanyl and other bad stuff its truly an epidemic now

 

[Morag]

When the newest opioids came out back in the 90's (I believe), Big Pharma made a huge pitch that these were non-addictive. At the same time, the medical profession identified treating pain as being among the most important tools to deal with patients. They prescribed these opioids very liberally. Root canal pain- here's a thirty-day prescription. Boo-boo on your knee from falling- here's a script for 60 Vicodin. ETC...After 30 days, you're addicted. If you're a 60 year old granma, your doc will give you an unlimited number of scripts, and they don't call it addiction. If you're a 20 year old college student, you 'have' to buy them on the street. When you can't afford them, your friendly dealer suggests a cheaper alternative. And so it goes.

I read recently that there are over 100,000,000 Americans with chronic pain. Plenty of them are addicted, but they don't acknowledge it. Surely there are not 100,000,000 of us with chronic pain so severe that they need heavy duty narcotics to get thru life. Some of them sell the pills they don't really need.

And the government still classifies marijuana in the same category one as heroin.

 

[PowMom01]

I know these addicts need help but my heart breaks more for their children and families who have suffer right along with the addict.

My son was born addicted to methadone (and exposed to many other illicit drugs) and suffered through 6 weeks of withdrawals after his birth. IMO, his birthmother abused him before he was even born and failed to keep him safe after his birth due to her addiction.

Now he is MY SON and there is nothing I won't do to keep him safe!

 

[cvaldez1975]

this article made me cry. this poor woman.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/trisha-grose/heroin-just-killed-my-baby_b_9329782.html

 

[MaryG12]

Heroin is truly frightening where I live.

Among other drugs.

This one story is particularly heartbreaking - a young man only 24 years old.

I really do not know what to say except heroin et al is a very serious problem where I live.

And I do not like saying it, either.

 

[MaryG12]

Just came across this recent story from back in December - in a WaWa, no less.

And with a 4 year-old child present, too.

 

[MaryG12]

Manatee County, which is north of Sarasota County, also has frightening and tragic statistics regarding heroin.

 

[Elley Mae]

Canada's overdose crisis:
'This drug takes over your life'
(part 1)


http://observers.france24.com/content/20170329-canada-overdose-crisis-drug-takes-over-life-part-1

 

[Beth11311]

Canada's overdose crisis:
'This drug takes over your life'
(part 1)


http://observers.france24.com/content/20170329-canada-overdose-crisis-drug-takes-over-life-part-1

It most certainly does....and I speak from experience.

From 12 to 21 I was a very heavy user, ended up becoming addicted to intravenous heroin use. My life was in shambles in the end...although funny enough I graduated high school with a 4.5 and got 4.0s my first year of college...just goes to show you that addiction doesn't "look" like anyone in particular. People that meet me now and hear my story are always shocked and every time will say something along the lines of "but you don't look like an addict". We imagine addicts as dirty, burned out or homeless, but the fact of the matter is that just isn't the case.

There are different types of addicts, I was the sort of addict that somehow held down a job and school until I burned out, left college after one year never to return. I thought I could "handle it". Even at the end I still had a job, to pay for my habit. But in the end I had nothing and no one, I was suicidal and deeply depressed. I'm lucky that I had an intervention and ended up in treatment...and now am coming up on ten years sober.

Incidentally I met my husband, who was also an addict, at an AA meeting. We just celebrated 8 years of marriage and have a sweet five year-old
little girl. But our story is unusual, and we see so many struggling...so many of our friends are dead, others continue to pass away, and this is unending because addiction is a monster. And it's only getting worse.

My husband works in treatment, getting kids 12-17 into treatment centers, and also places adults. He speaks to the parents and loved ones and it's just so sad to hear. We are both involved in the recovery world, and are still shocked at how sad and depraved this world can be.

Sorry I hope that wasn't terribly O/T but wanted to offer some first hand perspective.


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[Elley Mae]

Beth11311

Thank you for being open about your past addiction problems.
Congratulations on your ability to see the wrong path and finding the right one. It's so sad to see what ppl are doing to themselves, i wish you & yours the best in life & hoping you & husband can help lead others in the right directions.

 

[Beth11311]

Beth11311

Thank you for being open about your past addiction problems.
Congratulations on your ability to see the wrong path and finding the right one. It's so sad to see what ppl are doing to themselves, i wish you & yours the best in life & hoping you & husband can help lead others in the right directions.

Thank you so much - I believe that the more honest and open we can be about addiction the closer we are to aiding others in getting help. It's not shameful yet it's treated as such, similar to mental health issues. It breaks my heart, especially as we lose friends we love. It's terrible to see how the children of these addicts suffer. I wish I knew an answer to fixing all of this.


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[MzOpinion8d]

Many doctors liberally prescribe opiates for pain management, as mentioned above. What people don't realize is that even if they're taking it exactly as prescribed, they will develop a physical dependence on it.

On top of that, they will develop a tolerance for it, therefore creating a need for larger and larger doses.

Most insurance companies will not pay for hospital opiate detoxes. Benzodiazepine detox and alcohol detox are covered because there is a risk of seizures leading to death. But opiate withdrawal is not considered life threatening.

Opiate withdrawal is excruciating for most people. It's basically like the flu - the worst flu imaginable. The person has stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, chills, runny nose, watery eyes, unstable vital signs, dehydration, overall muscle pain, agitation...it's extremely uncomfortable which is why so many addicts cannot kick it.

Many people who are taking opiates as prescribed by doctors don't realize they have a problem because they aren't abusing their meds. Docs don't take the time to educate patients on dependence, so they assume if they're not abusing their meds they're not addicted. I have had many, many people crying as they sat before me, saying how betrayed they felt by their doctors, because all they did was take their meds as prescribed and ended up addicted.

Opiates also provide a feeling of relaxation, which I think is why we're seeing more and more people who "don't look like addicts" addicted and overdosing. So many of us have extremely stressful lives and people are searching for ways to cope.

These are just some rambling thoughts I had after reading this post. I am a nurse and have experience in hospital supervised detox, residential substance abuse treatment, and corrections nursing. I literally deal with addicts every work day. We recently had nearly 20 people on withdrawal monitoring for benzos, alcohol, opiates, or some combination of the 3. They are assessed a minimum of 3 times daily. It typically takes 3-5 days to detox, sometimes up to 10. Tax money is being spent paying medical staff in jails for this type of care. And if we monitored methamphetamine withdrawal we'd easily have 10 more people every day being assessed. Drug use/abuse affects everyone whether they realize it or not.

 

[SouthernCutie]

This is heartbreaking.

Here is a current article about the numbers of overdoses:

https://www.statnews.com/2017/02/24/fatal-overdoses-data/

Here is an older article.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...verdose-deaths-in-u-s-have-tripled-since-2010

We all think of the heroin addict as some grimy homeless person living under a bridge. In reality, addiction crosses the boundaries of wealth and social status.

Someone close to all of us is either a heroin addict or an opiate (pain pills) addict. We just don't know it because they haven't confessed.

Thoughts?

ITA not all but a lot start out on prescriptions from Drs and when they can't get it they go to heroin because its cheaper and accessible.... We need more understanding most don't want to be addicts they just want to feel normal...
Addiction runs in my family my mom has been on pain pills 20 plus yrs and she and my stepfather are addicts they even encouraged my 2 brothers and myself to go to the Dr. and get pain medicine ( I have lupus) but I decided I could no longer take pain pills and was fortunate enough to get into a suboxone clinic many years ago. That poses problems too for those wanting help....a 30 day supply of my suboxone was 500 dollars plus 150 dollars every 2 weeks for the office visit.... I completed my program been clean 6 yrs now but I wish it was more accessible to others.
As for my family in Miami they are still addicted on any given night they take multiple Roxies, Ambien, Xanax bars, Soma, Suboxone and other narcotics and Tylenol PM. I haven't been able to visit in yrs too slippery of a slope I feel and I'm terrified they will never wake up one morning Being addicted is not a choice for most people it messes with your brain chemistry and if they could just stop most would but the withdrawal lasts months and I found most are just trying to get by day by day....I have never known of anyone on heroin thankfully but it scares me the most.

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[ATasteOfHoney]

When the newest opioids came out back in the 90's (I believe), Big Pharma made a huge pitch that these were non-addictive. At the same time, the medical profession identified treating pain as being among the most important tools to deal with patients. They prescribed these opioids very liberally. Root canal pain- here's a thirty-day prescription. Boo-boo on your knee from falling- here's a script for 60 Vicodin. ETC...After 30 days, you're addicted. If you're a 60 year old granma, your doc will give you an unlimited number of scripts, and they don't call it addiction. If you're a 20 year old college student, you 'have' to buy them on the street. When you can't afford them, your friendly dealer suggests a cheaper alternative. And so it goes.

I read recently that there are over 100,000,000 Americans with chronic pain. Plenty of them are addicted, but they don't acknowledge it. Surely there are not 100,000,000 of us with chronic pain so severe that they need heavy duty narcotics to get thru life. Some of them sell the pills they don't really need.

And the government still classifies marijuana in the same category one as heroin.

You are soooo right--Big Pharma was totally complicent in claiming Oxy's were non-addictive

 

[Scarlettjax]

http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/...duval-hopes-combat-opioid-addiction-education

Here's an article about how opioid addictions are affecting us in my city.

I agree with all that's been said before - this is not something anyone seeks, unless you are seeking relief from pain. Which is why most people find themselves in this situation. Unfortunately, we have this mindset that everyone who uses painkillers are using them for some type of high, and that is wrong. So many who become addicted are only trying to live, and work, and just get through their day feeling somewhat normal or with less pain than usual.

One thing that can be done is to make treatment for addiction much more accessible and not punitive for those who seek it. You should be able to ask for treatment, and get it quickly, with no waiting period or prohibitive cost.

I don't know the answer, but one thing I do know is that Big Pharma needs to research, and find better options for pain than drugs that create the addiction issues the currently available ones do. Pain is real. Living with it is real, and diminishes your quality of life and for those around you. People are going to do what they have to get by; and they should not be penalized for doing so.

 

[Woodland]

Watched a one-hour documentary last evening on the Nat Geo channel that I see will run again today at 4:00 pm, 9:00 pm, midnight and tomorrow at 3:00 pm.

It's called 'Heroin Explosion'. Seems to have been made in 2015.

Found it quite riveting - the info moves fast and will likely keep you glued to your TV (for those that are somewhat antsy to sit through a TV show), barely noticed an hour went by.

According to this documentary, there is a ground zero and a date for when this current epidemic got started. Florida - 2000.

Perps - Big Pharma companies and doctors. After clamping down on them by 2006, and the fact that the prescription form for what is essentially heroin was too expensive, Afghanistan picked up the slack with cheaper heroin, then Mexico took over from them by 2010.

Fentanyl may or may not be added at the street dealer level - when it is added, you are rolling the dice for an overdose. Found it astonishing that addicts will come running to that dealer for a hit of what caused the OD, thinking it mush be good stuff.

My takeaway - the US doesn't need a wall to keep out drugs from the south (not that I thought that would work) - every time a script is written for an opiate painkiller - the doctor knows what will happen to that person and likely members of their family - addiction. The human body cannot fight this.

The documentary is very informative - seems to be accurate. Jmo.

 

[Gardenista]

Watched a one-hour documentary last evening on the Nat Geo channel that I see will run again today at 4:00 pm, 9:00 pm, midnight and tomorrow at 3:00 pm.

It's called 'Heroin Explosion'. Seems to have been made in 2015.

Found it quite riveting - the info moves fast and will likely keep you glued to your TV (for those that are somewhat antsy to sit through a TV show), barely noticed an hour went by.

According to this documentary, there is a ground zero and a date for when this current epidemic got started. Florida - 2000.

Perps - Big Pharma companies and doctors. After clamping down on them by 2006, and the fact that the prescription form for what is essentially heroin was too expensive, Afghanistan picked up the slack with cheaper heroin, then Mexico took over from them by 2010.

Fentanyl may or may not be added at the street dealer level - when it is added, you are rolling the dice for an overdose. Found it astonishing that addicts will come running to that dealer for a hit of what caused the OD, thinking it mush be good stuff.

My takeaway - the US doesn't need a wall to keep out drugs from the south (not that I thought that would work) - every time a script is written for an opiate painkiller - the doctor knows what will happen to that person and likely members of their family - addiction. The human body cannot fight this.

The documentary is very informative - seems to be accurate. Jmo.

LMAO.

I was prescribed one, used what it took to get me thru the issue and that was it. My body never had any urge except to get thru the pain.