Medically-Assisted Detox Versus Medication-Assisted Treatment

Not too long ago, getting treatment for drug and alcohol addiction mostly meant walking into a 12-step meeting and relying on will-power, camaraderie, and a higher power to make a change. Today, there are more treatment options available than ever before. That’s great — it allows individuals to find the path to recovery that is right for them. However, it also means that there’s pressure to understand the treatment options and choose between them.One common source of confusion is between medically-assisted detox, and medication-assisted treatment. Both of these treatment approaches can be helpful for people with opioid addiction or dependence. Although the names sound similar, the approaches are actually quite different. Medically-assisted detox helps people get off opioids entirely, whereas medication-assisted treatment helps people manage their substance use disorder by taking prescription opioids in a responsible and controlled way.Here’s what you should know about each.What is medically-assisted detox?Medically-assisted detox, like that provided by Waismann Method® Opioid Treatment and Rapid Detoxification Specialists is designed to help patients get through the drug detoxification process in a safe, dignified and comfortable way.Facing the prospect of detoxing from opioids is daunting. The symptoms of opioid detox are intense, including nausea, shaking, fatigue and more. In some circles, there’s a belief that going through the pain of detox prepares people for recovery. However, the intense physical and emotional toll of opioid withdrawal can leave people scared and discouraged to even try to attempt detox, which could lead many down the destructive path of addiction.Medically-assisted detox offers an effective option for those ready to be opioid-free. By medically managing the withdrawal symptoms while in a controlled environment, people tend to be more comfortable, have fewer health complications and more importantly, a much greater chance to succeed. Furthermore, being opioid-free allows people to be emotionally present to start addressing the physical or mental pain that likely caused them to turn to opioids.The specifics of a medically-assisted detox program vary, depending on the patient's individual health needs, wishes, and treatment provider. At Waismann Method® Opioid Treatment and Detoxification Specialists, a medically-assisted detox is provided in a hospital, ensuring that patients have a comfortable experience as they detox from opioids and that they have access to qualified medical staff to keep them safe throughout the procedure.What is medication-assisted treatment?Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is a long-term approach to managing opioid use disorder. It has been shown to have great success in keeping people from abusing or misusing opioids; however, there is an important caveat: the medications you take to manage the condition are themselves opioids and your body is still dependent on those drugs.Two medications commonly used for MAT are suboxone and methadone. They are both opioids, which have the potential for abuse. That’s why MAT programs are so carefully supervised — for example, you might have to pick up your medication daily. However, since these opioids are carefully managed and administered in a medical setting, they significantly reduce the harm that someone would encounter using and abusing opioids like heroin or fentanyl.Research has shown that MAT can help people stay in recovery and reduce their risk of relapse. Using MAT is a valid and real approach to recovery — but it’s one that means you’ll be taking medication, possibly for the rest of your life.Is medically-assisted detox or MAT right for me?Medically-assisted detox and MAT are both effective ways of addressing opioid use disorder. Ultimately, it comes down to what feels right for you. Medically-assisted detox will help clear your body of opioids. With the scary and often painful withdrawal symptoms taken care of in a comfortable and controlled medical setting, you’ll be able to focus on healing the pain that brought you to opioid use in the first place.MAT also allows you to mitigate some of the symptoms of detox, though not all. You will still be taking prescription opioids, but in a controlled and approved way, without the risks of procuring drugs illegally or engaging in other risky behaviors. MAT is very effective at helping people stay away from illicit drugs. However, you will need to commit to the program, and to taking your medication every day. Also, if you choose to undergo a medically assisted detoxification, and you are opioid-free, you can use the non-opioid medication naltrexone (oral form) or Vivitrol (monthly injection). Unlike suboxone and methadone, naltrexone and Vivitrol are not opioids and have no addiction risks. They work by blocking opioid receptors in the brain and reducing cravings. Some people prefer naltrexone because it is not an opioid, and there is no physical dependence nor potential for abuse. Others prefer Vivitrol since it is administered as a shot once a month and will have less of an impact on your daily life.In the past decades, opioids have ravished Americans. But one small silver lining to the opioid epidemic is that medical professionals have developed more effective and safe approaches to treatment. When you’re weighing medically-assisted detox or MAT, remember that there’s no wrong approach. You need to discuss the best option for you with your healthcare professional. Both options can help manage your opioid use in order to live a healthier and more balanced life. 

We Need to Discuss Mental Health in the Black Community

“How are you feeling?”“What self-care have you done today?”“Have you considered going to a therapist?”These questions are not often circulated within the black community. That’s because the topic of mental health is as taboo as talking about money at social gatherings or discussing politics on a first date. For many black people the idea of therapy is a foreign concept. Even informal discussions about one’s emotional wellbeing amongst family or friends is something that does not come easy for black people. As a young African-American man, I have seen this aversion first hand and have even shared the same hesitancy about being open about my own feelings. Recently, I’ve pondered over the reasoning behind the resistance to mental health discussions and talk therapy in the black community. I’ve come to the conclusion that several factors, both internal and external, have contributed to this phenomenon. While the observations I am going to share do not capture the full scope of the relationship between mental health and the black community, they do highlight the role history, culture, and society have in creating this strained relationship.From slavery to racial profiling, history has left many black people scarred and the toll from these physical scars leaves little room for processing the emotional wounds that come out of these events. It’s not easy to lament about a bad day at work when you know that your ancestors experienced being whipped and chained. It makes whatever internal emotions black people are feeling seem insignificant in comparison to the painful scars of their ancestry. Even in the present day, when a black person is brutalized, the focus is generally centered on that person’s physical injuries rather than the mental trauma they underwent. Overcoming this adversity has enamored the black community with a “push through the pain” mentality which gets passed down from generation to generation. In many black households, the idea of being emotionally transparent is unheard of because older generations kept their emotions bottled up, making concepts like therapy often a foreign subject in a majority of black families.This aversion towards therapy equally stems from a long history of black people not being listened to when they talk about their problems. Studies have shown that black patients have higher rates of poor health outcomes in comparison to white patients; this is due to many white doctors being dismissive of the concerns black patients raise about their health. This dismissive attitude is not isolated to only the medical community; there is a litany of situations where black people have felt their voices were being silenced or feelings invalidated. When we protest, we’re told we’re doing it the wrong way, when we highlight a double standard, we’re accused of playing the “race card,” when we say “Black Lives Matter,” we’re met with “All Lives Matter.” This continuous back-and-forth of us expressing our hardships and then being told that it’s not real, eventually makes some black people stop trying to have the conversation. Why would we sit on a couch and confide in someone when history has shown us that it might fall on deaf ears? Or worse, we might be told that we are our own problem. Talking to a black therapist might be easier for some because there is a sense of trust and camaraderie but even that is a challenge due to a lack of accessibility. Finding therapists of color, much like finding medical doctors of color, can be a difficult process.So where do we go from here? How do we rewrite history and unravel the crippling stigmas about mental health in the black community? The truth is, we cannot change the past, we only have control over our future and it will take a lot of time and patience before black families can have an open dialogue about therapy and mental health. But that still leaves the question: how are black people supposed to handle their emotional trauma in the meantime?Before I delve into my solution, I feel that I must address ways in which the black community can evolve and have more open discussions about mental health topics. First, people have to unlearn certain behaviors and replace them with more positive ones. Negative actions like telling boys not to cry or reciting mantras like “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” encourage black people to internalize their feelings, which leads to detrimental results. If you find yourself participating in this kind of behavior, stop yourself and allow the person who's vulnerable to confide in you; be a listening ear. If you see someone dismissing another black person’s feelings, stop them and redirect them into having a more respectful and considerate dialogue. I am well aware that this is easier said than done. It is very challenging to correct someone else’s behavior, especially if they are older than you. Remember, what you say is just as important as how you say it. If you are equally thoughtful about your tone as well as your words, you are more likely to get a receptive response. It also becomes a lot easier with time and the more frequently you do it.Another important step is directed towards people outside of the black community. If you have a black friend, co-worker, or partner, be mindful of your responses when they talk to you about what is troubling them. If they want to talk about what’s bothering them, listen without interruption and avoid any language that could be dismissive or insensitive. It is also best not to say that the struggles they are facing are exactly like the ones you face. The challenges white women face are not the same as the challenges black women do; just like the struggles of a gay man are not the same as the ones of a black gay man. Trying to unify and say you and a black person are experiencing the exact same thing belittles the unique experiences black people face; experiences you can’t relate to but ones you can be a supportive listener for. Again, this is not easy and takes a lot of time and patience, but the results will be gratifying for all parties involved.I’d be naive to believe that the advice I laid out would be immediately followed by the masses. I am well aware that many will not take my advice, either out of fear or complacency, and even if they do, it will take a long time for significant change to be seen within the black community. In the interim, what I say to members of the black community who want an outlet but can’t go to therapy because of the factors I’ve discussed: Write about what is bothering you. Journaling can be incredibly cathartic and there is no wrong way to do it; it’s your world and you get to decide the rules. There’s a sense of safety and trust on the page and you’re given the liberty to express yourself freely without fear of judgement or dismissal. Everybody in life struggles, but the pain you feel becomes exponentially easier to handle once you let it out. In a perfect world, black people would be able to discuss their mental health without such major hurdles, but until then, writing can provide a much-needed solace.

6 Sober Ways to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick’s Day is supposed to be a day of cultural celebration for the Irish and their descendants. And yet, the patron saint of Ireland likely wouldn’t recognize the celebrants who down green beer and get drunk in his name.This year, with the world still under quarantine precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19, St. Patty’s Day will look a lot different. If you’re in early recovery or have recently left treatment, that’s great news for you, since you won’t be the only one spending March 17 sober.Wondering what to do to honor your heritage and have some fun, while staying safe and sober? Here are 6 ideas.1. Cook Up an Irish FeastDrinking is out, but eating is the perfect way to celebrate St. Patty’s day. Why not try your hand at a traditional Irish dish, like corned beef and cabbage? The great thing about this St. Patty’s Day go-to is that it’s simple: just pop everything in a slow cooker, then enjoy. If you haven’t tried cooking corned beef and cabbage before, don’t be intimidated. There are plenty of tutorials and recipes online.2. Sip Some TeaThere’s something soothing about sitting back with a warm drink, and we could all use a little comfort this year. Irish culture loves beer, that’s true, but they also love tea. Taking a cup of tea — with or without a sweet snack — is the perfect way to slow down for a few minutes and catch up with friends or family (even if that conversation has to take place over Zoom). For a truly authentic experience opt for Irish Breakfast Tea with milk. The best part about a tea party? You can make it as fancy as you like!3. Look Up Your HeritageLots of people claim to have Irish heritage, especially on St. Patrick's Day. But do you know the truth of your genealogy? These days it’s easier than ever to find out, with websites that test your DNA or simply allow you to work on tracing your family tree. Take some time this St. Patty’s day to learn more about your family history, whether your roots extend to Ireland or not.4. Let the Leprechaun InLeprechauns — the magical mythical men of Irish lore — have long held people’s imaginations. So, it’s no wonder that some parents and teachers have started incorporating a naughty leprechaun into their St. Patty’s day celebrations. If you’re feeling frisky, let “a leprechaun” play tricks on your children or roommates. When they spot green milk or chocolates sprinkled all over the house, enjoy watching their smiles.5. Go GreenIreland is famous around the world for its lush landscape. Why not celebrate the holiday by spending some time outdoors? If you have a yard of your own, take steps to get it ready for spring. If not, head to your favorite outdoor park or hiking area. Depending on where you live, you might not be seeing green yet, but chances are you can find some signs of spring.6. Step Into Irish DanceIf it’s too cold to get outside, you can still get your heart pumping. Look up Youtube videos of Irish Dance, and see if you can step up to the plate. After you’ve laughed and got your workout in, settle in to watch the professionals of Riverdance. The iconic Irish dance show is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and is available for streaming online.Holidays can highlight the challenges of early recovery. If you’ve spent most of your St. Patrick's days drinking too much, it can be difficult to acknowledge the holiday in a different way. During 2021, however, you have a big benefit going for you: everyone is celebrating their favorite holidays in different ways. You’re not alone, but one of millions of people reevaluating their traditions on March 17.Use that to your advantage. This year, you can redefine your St. Patrick’s Day in a way that still lets you have fun, while also maintaining your health and sobriety.Sunshine Coast Health Centre is a non 12-step drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in British Columbia. Learn more here.

Everything You Should Know About Nutrition and Addiction

Drug or alcohol use takes a massive toll on your body. Drugs and alcohol can affect the way that your brain regulates neurotransmitters, and the health of your cardiovascular system. But too often, the impact of addiction on nutrition gets overlooked.Most people who are actively using don’t have the bandwidth to focus on eating healthy. When you’re living in the chaos of active addiction, you’re unlikely to go through the extra steps of preparing a meal that nourishes your body. Even when people get sober and enter recovery, the day-to-day demands of maintaining sobriety can push healthy nutrition to the back burner.However, eating well can help your body repair the damage done by drug or alcohol abuse. That’s why more treatment centers are incorporating nutrition into their accommodations and lessons. Proper balanced nutrition can give you the energy to face the demands of recovery, and help you feel valued and deserving.Here’s what you should know about addiction and nutrition, and how to get yourself back on track.Addiction is linked with poor nutritionMany people who abuse drugs or alcohol also have poor nutrition, research has shown. There are a few reasons for this: people with substance use disorder may not be educated about the importance of nutrition. Even if they know what they should be doing, they often live in environments that make it difficult to prepare nutritious foods, research shows. If your housing isn’t secure, for example, you’re less likely to think about creating healthy meals.The habits developed during a period of active use can be hard to break. People who are in treatment for opioid addiction eat fewer fruits and vegetables than the general public, but eat more sweets and foods that do not have a significant vitamin content.Using can leave your vitamin and nutrient stores depleted Over time, using drugs or alcohol frequently affects the stores of vitamins and minerals in your body. People who abuse alcohol have lower levels of these vitamins:Vitamins B6Vitamin AThiamineRiboflavinPantothenic acidDrug use is also linked to mineral deficiencies, including:ZincIronCalciumChromiumMagnesiumPotassiumTogether, these deficiencies can have a big impact on your health, causing symptoms that range from depression, confusion, skin issues, hair loss and anemia. They can also make the symptoms of withdrawal worse, so some researchers recommend incorporating nutritional supplements into medically-assisted treatment and withdrawal.Nutrition can impact your recoveryWhat you’re eating during the withdrawal and treatment process can impact your outcomes. Research shows that eating more protein and complex carbohydrates like fruits, vegetables and whole grains can boost the success of a methadone program.“Methadone maintenance treatment, itself, is not a favorable approach until it is coupled with proper diet, due to negative role of vitamins and minerals deficiencies in the withdrawal process,” researchers wrote in one study.Eating healthy isn’t about weight lossLet’s be clear — eating healthy has lots of great benefits. While a balanced diet can help you maintain a proper weight, the real benefit of eating well in recovery isn’t about a number on the scale, but about nourishing your body and healing it. A balanced approach to nutrition lets you have treats, but also learning to give your body all the nutrients and vitamins it needs. So don’t worry about the scale, which might leave you discouraged. Instead, focus on how healthy eating makes you feel.Where to startCompletely revamping your approach to eating can be overwhelming, especially in the midst of trying to achieve and maintain sobriety. So, when it comes to building good nutrition, don’t be afraid to start small.Here are a few steps that can help replenish your body:Take a multivitamin. Although this isn’t the same as getting your recommended daily nutrients from food, it’s a simple, easy step to help build up nutrients and avoid deficiencies each day.Add more fruits and vegetables. One simple way to build more nutrients into your diet is by focusing on fruits and vegetables. Challenges yourself to incorporate a fruit or vegetable into every meal. Cut up health plant-based snacks and leave them outside so you’re more likely to grab those when you’re hungry.Focus on color. If your plate is colorful, changes are you’re getting an array of different vitamins. See how many different colors and textures you can incorporate into your meals and snacks.Talk to your doctor about nutrition. Open a dialogue with your treatment professionals about nutrition. If you’re open to it, ask for a referral to a nutritionist who works with people in recovery. He or she will be able to help you identify meals that satisfy your taste buds, while also nourishing your body.Learning about nutrition, exploring new dishes and finding out what works for you can be a fun pastime in early recovery, and leave you feeling much better. Learn more about Oceanside Malibu at http://oceansidemalibu.com/. Reach Oceanside Malibu by phone at (866) 738-6550. Find Oceanside Malibu on Facebook.

Intimacy and Alcohol

My EX-WIFE WAS the only person I was ever intimate with in the absence of alcohol. She was the only person that I trusted and loved so completely that I felt free being me. But when alcohol and its destructive aftermath reached its limit, she left me and my world went to pieces.I don’t blame her. I was difficult to be with. A recovering alcoholic can be a handful.One year after my divorce, I started dating again. I thought I was ready to deal with life and seek out new relationships. It became increasingly clear that alcohol was my shell, my protection from having to be the true me, whoever that was. I had to face new relationships without alcohol in my system.I felt like a hermit crab that just outgrew its shell and felt totally exposed.On the dating scene I felt cheated. I couldn’t sip wine over romantic dinners or laugh easily at light moments. I felt defective, as though I didn’t fit the mold my date was looking for. Sex was so easy drunk. you could be or act any way you wanted, and then blame it on the alcohol.I entered into several relationships and found myself pulling away. I was scared. I was unable to successfully achieve intimacy. I was so embarrassed. The questions swirled. how do I let myself get close to someone that I don’t completely trust—knowing it’s just me, myself and I, with no buzz, no protection? If the woman I date drinks alcohol but seems to accept me, how do I know it will last? Will she get tired of me like my ex? If I date someone who doesn’t drink alcohol, how do I open up? how do I enjoy myself knowing it’s just us? If I give in and drink alcohol, I know I will die.I am now nearly nine years into sobriety, and it’s been four years since my divorce. I am starting to learn to love again. It took time, self-care, therapy and patience. No magic formula. I can’t tell you that I still feel entirely comfortable. Sometimes I want to get drunk and just let loose. But that’s my problem. Those are my hang-ups and they come from lack of self-love. I am a work in progress. I am so happy I don’t give in and drink again. Sobriety is a journey with many chapters.I sometimes feel like I am missing my shell. I am coming to the realization that hermit crabs need shells for survival. I am not a hermit crab. The only thing hiding in a shell will accomplish is keeping me from being the man I am supposed to become.Excerpted from Through a Sober Lens: A Photographer's Journey by Michael Blanchard, available at Amazon or Michael Blanchard's website.

Treating an Opioid Use Disorder Is Difficult. A Pandemic Doesn’t Help.

Getting treatment for an opioid use disorder can be complicated, often requiring daily visits to receive addiction medication under the supervision of a provider. While guidelines have been relaxed to reduce barriers for those seeking care, it’s not clear how effective the changes have been.“Their barriers are huge here,” said Kim Brown, the founder of Quad Cities Harm Reduction (QCHR), “and they’ve been exacerbated by the pandemic.” QCHR distributes supplies, including naloxone, the medication used to reverse opioid overdoses, to drug users across Illinois and Iowa.On this episode of the podcast we speak with Brown about how the pandemic is affecting access to opioid treatment as providers navigate a new regulatory landscape.Since January 2020, Direct Relief – through a donation by Pfizer – shipped 863,680 doses of naloxone to harm reduction groups, clinics and health centers across the United States, including Quad Cities Harm Reduction, which received 650 doses of naloxone, as well as personal protective equipment for their volunteer staff.Direct Relief · Treating an Opioid Use Disorder is Difficult. A Pandemic Doesn't Help.Listen and subscribe to Direct Relief’s podcast from your mobile device:Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | SpotifyTranscript:Getting treatment for an opioid use disorder can be difficult. During a pandemic it’s even harder. People are navigating a changing landscape with shuttered programs and ambiguous new treatment guidelines. And they’re doing it even as overdoses are on the rise.BRENDAN SALONER: I think what’s really changed is that with the pandemic many programs, frankly, just shut their doors.Brendan Saloner is a professor of health policy and management at Johns Hopkins University. He studies access to treatment for those with opioid use disorders.SALONER: I think, you know, there was a moment of panic back in March when places realized this was spreading very fast and nobody really knew how to contain it. So, in that immediate aftermath of the emergency, there was this move to completely shut off these points of connection with care. And for many patients that was very devastating. People lost one of their main sources of continuity, not only with medication and with treatment, but also with the community of people that was there for them and part of their support network.For many opioid treatment involves taking one of two drugs: methadone or buprenorphine. These are both opioids that act by binding to the same receptors in the brain as heroin or oxycodone, but they don’t have a euphoric effect. They help by reducing cravings and preventing withdrawal symptoms.During the pandemic, the federal government has lifted certain regulations around the prescription of these drugs. The intention is to reduce barriers as social distancing and shutdowns make getting to a doctor’s office more difficult, but it’s not clear how effective these measures have been.RAFANELLI: What regulatory changes have been made around prescribing addiction medication?SALONER: So it’s still the case that patients can only get methadone through opioid treatment programs. What happened under the regulatory changes is that patients can now get more days of what’s known as take-home methadone, meaning methadone that they’re allowed to take out of the clinic and give to themselves at home, so that was a big deal. And that was done very deliberately to try to reduce crowding in the clinical setting. For buprenorphine, right now it’s still is the case that not every doctor or clinician can prescribe buprenorphine. It’s also regulated under a separate set of federal regulations called the X waiver. So to get buprenorphine a doctor has to have this additional credential or license from the federal government. So the X waiver still exists, even though there was some attempt recently to get rid of it. But what has changed is that doctors that prescribed buprenorphine right now are not needing to meet the same kinds of face-to-face requirements around initiating patients and then continuing patients in their treatment. So there again the intention has been to try to limit the number of times the patients actually have to come into their doctor’s office to get their medication.But the new laws are somewhat ambiguous leaving it up to providers to interpret.SALONER: The real tricky thing is that, although there has been some greater allowances of this take-home methadone–you know, allowing patients to not have to take the medicine every day in the clinic under observation–not a lot of guidance is out there about who should be eligible for take-home methadone. The federal regulation is pretty ambiguous about what a “stable” patient is who would be eligible to get up to 28 days of take-home methadone. And that ambiguity has, I think, given rise to very, different kinds of treatment protocols in different clinics. Some clinics are having those patients coming in very often to get their dispensed medication.That’s been the experience of Kim Brown who runs Quad Cities Harm Reduction in Iowa and Illinois. The group distributes supplies to people who use drugs, including Naloxone or Narcan–the medication used to reverse opioid overdoses.KIM BROWN: I founded QC Harm Reduction officially in 2015, but we were out on the streets slinging Narcan from 2012 onward. I’d get my hands on Narcan one way or another and it went to the drug users in our community.She says during the pandemic, many of those enrolled in opioid treatment programs haven’t benefited from the new rules.RAFANELLI: Can you talk about the regulatory changes and how they’re affecting the drug users that you know?BROWN: Folks with an opioid use disorder, who are a protected class under the ADA, were supposed to get take-homes for a month, at the least take homes for two weeks, to keep them safe. They didn’t follow those mandates. If somebody had drugs in their urine, they refused to give them take homes and demanded that they get on the city bus or try to find a ride to get to the clinic every day between 6:00 AM and 12:30 to get their dose during a pandemic. Those are the barriers that have been placed in front of our participants.According to the law providers are allowed to administer urine tests to patients undergoing opioid treatment. When and how frequently is up to their discretion. And because guidelines around what is considered stable and unstable are vague, some providers may use a urine test to decide. As Brown has found, those deemed unstable may not be eligible for multiple weeks’ worth of take-home medication, meaning they need to go to a clinic every day to take their prescription.While the pandemic has made accessing daily treatment more difficult, providers are experiencing challenges of their own.RAFANELLI: Tell me a little bit about how the pandemic is affecting your operations at QC Harm Reduction and the people that you reach.BROWN: In January and February we were really getting up and running over in Rock Island, getting all our services set up and we were paying attention to the pandemic, but I don’t think anybody realized the significance of it, right, until it got significant. So, I think part of the struggles for our drug users is many of them are unhoused. The shelters decided to house all of our unhoused folks–well, as many as they could–in the motels on the outskirts of town. They could be in Davenport, they could have been over here out by the airport, they could be in Bettendorf, but they housed them in motels to help people stay physically distanced from other folks and to try to keep folks safe. Once that happened, it was kind of like everybody scattered. Does that make sense? Once they were in the motels, then they had rules to follow. It was almost like everybody quit moving around in the Quad Cities. And when we went out on outreach to find the folks that were moving around, they were very seldom where they always were before the pandemic started. They were indoors door shut away, following rules and not out engaging with us on a weekly basis.Across the nation, drug overdoses have increased substantially during the pandemic, according to data released by the CDC.Drug related deaths were up 20% in the 12 months leading into spring 2020. While the numbers show death rates rising before the pandemic, the biggest spike occurred between March and May of last year. The CDC attributes these increases primarily to the polluted drug supply.RAFANELLI: I know there’s been disruptions in the drug supply chain. How have these disruptions affected drug users in your community?BROWN: In this area, they’re encountering a lot of adulterated methamphetamines, a little bit of heroin. We don’t have that much heroin here in our area right now. It’s almost all fentanyl. And they were reduced to buying the methamphetamines, a little bit of heroin here and there, but by and large, most of the drug supply that came in through here was adulterated with fentanyl. And if people weren’t testing their dope, they were overdosing and dying because they weren’t familiar with the amount of fentanyl that was present in that particular batch of dope. I know in Illinois overdose death rates went up approximately 19%–those numbers could have changed. And I believe Iowa’s went up to like 35 or 36%. And it was because people were using, they were self-isolating, right? So they were using alone. You never use alone, but they were using alone because they were isolated in motel rooms. They were isolated in housing apartments. They weren’t with people. They were using extremely adulterated dope, not testing it if they didn’t have the strips. But if you’re alone and you’re isolated and you can’t get somewhere, you’re going to do what you do. And what they were doing is using alone with no one there to look after them in the event of an overdose.RAFANELLI: So you think isolation is the main driver behind the national increase in overdoses?BROWN: I think it had a lot to do with it. Don’t you?This transcript has been edited for clarity.

9 Things You Should Know About Women and Addiction

On International Women’s Day (March 8), people from around the world come together to focus on advancing women’s rights and equality. This year the theme is #choosetochallenge, which invites men and women alike to stand up for gender equality.Although addiction can touch anyone, gender differences often influence a person’s experience with both addiction and recovery. Because of that, accessing a recovery program that is focused on women can be beneficial in helping females achieve and maintain sobriety.Here’s what you should know about women and addiction, including how we can create more effective treatment targeted toward females.1. Women are just as likely to develop a substance use disorder. Addiction has typically been thought of as a male problem. Treatment for addiction has focused largely on men, while not recognizing the scale of the issue in women. Although men are more likely to use illicit drugs, men and women are equally likely to develop a substance use disorder as their male counterparts.2. Binge drinking rates are rising among women.When it comes to binge drinking, women are leveling the playing field in a way that is anything but healthy. Binge drinking for women is defined as consuming 4 drinks or more in 2 hours. While binge drinking increased for most groups between 2006 and 2018, the most significant increase was among childless women ages 30-44, whose drinking rates doubled during that period.3. Women use drugs, too. In the U.S., nearly 20 million adult women use illicit drugs each year. Women tend to start using drugs for different reasons than men do, including to fight exhaustion, lose weight, or manage mental health problems. Divorce, the birth or loss of a child, and the pressures of motherhood can all contribute to female mental health conditions, which in turn increases risk for drug use.4. Women may become addicted more easily. Some research indicates that women can become addicted to drugs after using smaller amounts of the drugs, or using for a shorter amount of time. This could be because drugs and alcohol have a large impact on the female body, including the brain and cardiovascular system. Since women, on average, have more body fat than men, their bodies store alcohol, which prolongs the time that their organs are exposed to alcohol.5. Addiction presents unique challenges for women. Women who use and abuse drugs or alcohol might find themselves in unsafe situations. Women with substance use disorder are more likely to be in abusive relationships or to be forced into sex work.6. Substance use affects women’s mental health. Women who use or abuse substances are more likely than those who don’t to experience depression, anxiety, and panic attacks.7. Women’s substance abuse affects generations. Women who use substances face a risk that men don’t: injuring their fetus if they become pregnant. The rates of substance abuse among pregnant women have risen for drugs ranging from opioids to marijuana.8. Women are more likely to die of overdoses. Although more men than women die from drug overdoses, the risk of serious injury or death is higher for women who use drugs than for men who use drugs. Female drug users are more likely to go to the emergency room for overdoses. It’s not just illicit drugs that are dangerous: research indicates that rates of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder are likely higher than previously thought. Up to 5% of American children may have the condition, which can cause lifelong disabilities, including cognitive impairment.9. Recovery can be harder for women. There’s not enough research on recovery from substance use disorder for women. However, the research that’s out there is alarming. It indicates that women are more likely than men to experience cravings, which leads to a greater risk of relapse.Leading medical officials in both the United States and Canada have called for more research to better understand women and addiction. Although substance use disorder has been studied in men for decades, there’s a dearth of research when it comes to females impacted by addiction. Learning more about why women abuse substances, how their bodies are affected by substance abuse, and what treatment modalities are most effective for them can help us provide more equitable, accessible and effective treatment for women.Sunshine Coast Health Centre is a non 12-step drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in British Columbia. Learn more here.