National Recovery Month – Battling addiction

Everyone has heard about the opiod epidemic, but the numbers are still shocking: a person dies from a heroin or opioid overdose every 19 minutes.

About 21 million Americans are estimated to be dealing with substance abuse addiction; more than all cancer patients combined. According to USA Today, however, that number has immense implications for health care and law enforcement.

Every September, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) sponsors a Recovery Month to help spread the message about these disorders and to celebrate those who are succeeding with recovery. Their message is that recovery is possible in many forms and that prevention works to avoid having issues with behavioral health in the first place.

Because recovery is different for everyone, it is important to tailor treatment to each individual for them to succeed.  Medication and counseling, often in combination, are some of the ways to help someone struggling with addiction.

While these services can be found in the obvious places like hospitals and rehabilitation programs, they are also available through peer-run organizations, home-based providers, and other community-driven locations. To find out more about treatment options in your community, go to samhsa.gov.