The Coleman Institute Blog

Addiction is a difficult disease. It can be isolating, lonely, and painful. Unlike many other diseases, addiction is often paired with secrets and lies. It is hard to picture a life without addiction when you don’t know what treatment solutions are out there.

Here are 3 addictions solutions that can turn your life around.

Claire (not her real name) juggles a lot in her life.

• She is a full-time college student.
• She works part-time.
• She is getting married over Thanksgiving.
• She has an opioid addiction.

We see it almost daily. A patient comes in for a detox with us stating that they are buying pills, like opiates or benzodiazepines, on the street. They say their dealer is “trustworthy” and that the pills are “legit.” When we test their urine for substances, more often than not, there is no oxycodone, there are no benzos, but what is present is Fentanyl.

As of October 16, 2017, the US Government declared the opioid epidemic a public health emergency. The medical community, and particularly pain medicine practitioners, have been active participants and fully aware of the development of the current state. Prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) and the National All Schedules Prescription Electronic Reporting Act (NASPER) have effectively contributed to the reduction in opioid prescriptions by 8% and prescription opioid overdose death rates by 12%.

Despite these substantial reductions in opioid prescriptions in the USA, deaths by opioid overdose continue to escalate at alarming rates: 64,000 people died from drug overdoses in 2016; over 42,000 of those were opioid deaths. This represents a 20% increase from the total of 52,000 drug overdose fatalities in 2015. Overdoses related to illegally manufactured fentanyl represent the greatest contribution to the increase, accounting for 20,000 deaths in total; heroin accounted for 15,000 deaths; and prescription drugs for less than 15,000. Source.

Fred came for an implant yesterday. He detoxed off of street fentanyl 10 weeks ago. He was about a week late for his scheduled naltrexone implant and as the time drew closer to his return visit, he was getting antsy.

An argument with his wife, who is rightfully having trouble trusting Fred, caused him to get — in his own words — “a f__k-it attitude”. He found his old contacts easily, bought heroin and crack and, for the first time in weeks, ingested drugs into his body.