The Chronicles of Loving A Heroin Addict: The First Steps in Healing and Recovery For Martinsburg/Berkeley County WV

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

The First Steps in Healing and Recovery For Martinsburg/Berkeley County WV

Yesterday evening we were invited to a sit down meeting with Councilman Kevin Knowles who has also been appointed as Berkeley County's Community Recovery Services Coordinator. He invited us to tell him about our son Kyle who has struggled with heroin and opiate addiction now for the past eleven years and to tell us his plans for the future of Martinsburg and Berkeley County as it relates to the heroin, opiate and drug problem we have here.

He shared with us his plans for his Recovery Resource Center and we got to visit the center which is still under construction and is
located in the county offices on West Stephen St. here in Martinsburg. The Recovery Resource Center will be a place of coming together and meeting. Most importantly it will be open to those who are using and seeking help and treatment.

Councilman Knowles has some great plans for the Martinsburg/
Berkeley County community in helping to combat our heroin epidemic here in the county. We knew this was going to be a process and that there would be no magical over night fixes.

For the future of our town he used Recovery Point in Huntington, WV as an example of what he would like to see here in Martinsburg and Berkeley County. The services of Recovery Point focuses on detox (non medicated), Off the Street, Recovery and Continuing Care as well as Peer Mentoring all of which can help to prevent relapse.

This would also mean we need more Sober Living houses here in Martinsburg and Berkeley County to meet the needs of those recovering and putting their lives back together.

Mayor George Karos announced at the Council Meeting on June 9th his three tier drug initiative for the City of Martinsburg:

Working with Law Enforcement to combat the traffickers to our town
Working with the Community Recovery Services Coordinator and the treatment of our local people who are addicted to heroin, opiates and other drugs.
Prevention which includes local police and the schools here in Martinsburg and Berkeley County

As well as Narcan training for all Fire Department Personnel and Local Law Enforcement.

Councilman Knowles is definitely on the same page with us and is on our side. This is going to be a joint community effort as well because he is seeking volunteers on our side. The biggest is continuing with the awareness.

Thank you so much Councilman Knowles for allowing us the time to talk and for sharing your plans. You can contact him at his office 400 W. Stephen St Suite 201 by calling (304)264-1923 or you can email him at kknowles@berkeleywv.org

© 2016 Gossip Girl

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What Are Our Issues In Berkeley County/Martinsburg WV? We have no clear solutions!!!!

Besides this heroin epidemic?
We really have no clear solutions to the problem or so it seems on this side of the addiction...

1- The high numbers of Overdose and Preventable Death Our numbers of OD's and OD causing death continue to rise.
Drug use and the disorders that go along with it are still going untreated.

Our town officials and the local media need to stop using the catch phrase, "Dispelling Rumors" when referring to this heroin epidemic here! What rumors? There is no place for the word rumors in the discussion about this heroin epidemic. The numbers we have is data and statistics!!!!

2-We have No Drug Treatment Here We need treatment on demand. When someone is suffering a heart attack or a stroke they go to the hospital. That person will get triaged in the ER, tests are run, they will go to the ICU for further medical care. They are under constant medical supervision 24/7 and will get the best of all medical care. When someone is suffering from heroin addiction and they go to the hospital they get Narcan, often laughed at and put down, called a junkie and later released back to the streets where the cycle of drug abuse continues. When a person is suffering from a heroin addiction they shouldn't have to say they are suicidal and going to kill themselves to get access to a treatment facility. It should be available to them when they need it!

Something is clearly wrong with that!

3-We continue Criminalizing Those Who Are Addicted
We have a judicial system in this country that continues handcuffs instead of help! The intent is that the spiraling addict will "get it together" without any treatment induces harm, it cost money, causes recidivism and is no way solving the real problem.

4-We have No Harm Reduction- No Needle Exchange

5-No Community Awareness but plenty of NIMBY: Not In My Backyard
Mentality

6. Drugged Driving: Drug Driving Is Becoming A Huge Problem in all of WV. The numbers are only increasing. Driving while intoxicated (Alcohol) used to be the biggest problem on the roadways. Now you don't know who may be on the roads under the influence of powerful drugs like heroin.

7. Not only does the "Heroin Highway" go through this town but, Martinsburg's (WV) new nickname is Little Baltimore

8. This epidemic affects everyone. We need more Awareness here. Community Awareness, Youth Awareness and Parent Awareness. We must make people face the reality that the prejudice and injustice in literally killing people and that is data proven!

9. STOP The Stigma relating to heroin abuse. If we had Community Awareness we wouldn't have the stigma here.

10. We need to end the discriminatory practice and policies that often discriminate people with substance abuse problems and those who abuse with a criminal record excluding them from finding suitable jobs, their rights and opportunities. Many of these policies even those who have recovered.

11. We need a Strategic Public Health Awareness Campaign here.

12. More Awareness Is Needed to the problem which involves everyone on the same page, at the same table and in the same room to come up with solutions.

13. We need more youth awareness in our community.

14. More Parental Awareness Needed

15. We need to STOP the silence about this heroin epidemic here. We need to SPEAK the truth about heroin and this epidemic and we need to START the conversation!

It Will Take The Entire Village

If you are not part of the solution, then you are the problem.

In the beginning of all of this- the heroin, the epidemic- many years ago they said cigarettes was non addictive. Then in the late 80's came OxyContin. We were told that too was non addictive. Now weed is being marketed as, non addictive. Haven't we learned yet that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results? When will we ever learn?

Some Positive Initiatives Happening in our Community..

The Recovery Resource Center opened. It's located at 400 W. Stephen St in Martinsburg. Kevin Knowles is the Recovery Services Coordinator.

The #wvdayofhope

On Dec. 6, 2016 Martinsburg City Zoning Approved the Detox Center which will be located on Wilson St. in Martinsburg.

Important Upcoming Events

Mark You Calendars:

If your group has an event coming up, please let me know!

Update on Narcan Classes:

Classes will not be held every Friday now. They will now be held the first Friday of the month (starting May 6th) at the Martinsburg health department at 3:00. Whoever wants to attend needs to call the health department and sign up.

The third Friday of the month (starting May 20th) there will be on at 6:00 at Callahan Counseling Services 1020 Winchester Ave. There is no need to sign up for this one.

Callahan Counseling is located at 1020 Winchester Ave in Martinsburg, WV. This class starts at 6 PM. Visit Narcan Training of the Eastern Panhandle for more information

If interested in taking the Narcan Classes please sign up. Lately there has not been a lot of attendance. If this continues it is likely the local classes will stop.

Every Sunday Evening Nar-Anon meeting @ 6PM The group meets at Trinity UM Church on Martin St. in Martinsburg

Find a NA or Recovery Meeting Here in Martinsburg