The Chronicles of Loving A Heroin Addict: Overdose Awareness

Showing posts with label Overdose Awareness. Show all posts

Friday, January 27, 2017

Drug Facts Week: A Harsh Reality

Billy Before Overdose

Remember I said a few weeks ago that I have saved bits of stories and ideas for posts just setting in my draft folder?

I found this among them. It was saved from a Facebook Group post some months back and is definitely worth mentioning and of course they said share it.

This is National Drug Facts Week.

What better way to end the week than to tell you that this addiction isn't a fairy tale and to share something that is real about heroin and addiction.

Heroin addiction can and will kill you and if it doesn't it can

Friday, September 2, 2016

An Update: An Overdose and Recovery Story

In April of this year I decided to let the skeletons out of the closet and come out without fear to talk about our son who at that time was actively using. Hiding in society's stigma was helping no one least of all our son.

Truly a moment of Newness of Life

His drugs of choice we thought was heroin and opioids, percs, oxy, methadone, suboxone and also Xanax. Whatever he could find on the street cheap and easy to self medicate he was abusing.

Boy have we learned a lot just in the past five months. His addiction turned to what could have been a more deadlier side.

He was tired of living in the addiction. He had forgotten the steps to take to turn his life back around and

Wednesday, August 31, 2016

PREVENT OVERDOSE: Take a Narcan Class

One of the steps Berkeley County is taking in public and community awareness is the urge to the public to take the Narcan (Naloxone) Class. This class is an important step in the fight. For me taking the class helped me identify the signs of an overdose and what to do. More importantly I have the medication to offer that could possibly

OVERDOSE AWARENESS: Calling For Help Is Not A Crime

Image result for Good Samaritan Law Heroin

The real tragedy is that many of these deaths could have been prevented!

West Virginia now has a 9-1-1 Good Samaritan Law protecting those who try to save the life of a person who has overdosed.

911 Good Samaritan Law: Preventing Overdose Deaths and Saving Lives

Do you know the signs of an overdose? Do you know what to do in case of an emergency?

First call 9-1-1.
Administer Narcan or Naloxone If you have it on hand
Start Recovery measures

What to do in an overdose emergency
If you have a substance abuse problem please call...

Help4WV

pic from: The Marchman Act
pic from: Help4WV

OVERDOSE AWARENESS In The Panhandle

Today is International Overdose Awareness Day. You have no doubt had a Facebook friend or two put the purple ribbon on their Facebook page in reminder. You may also have read in your newsfeed a time or two in August reminders from your friends about today.

In my opinion, everyday is overdose awareness day. Kevin Knowles, our Recovery Services Coordinator recently spoke with local news WHAG and gave this report on our number of overdoses in the past seven months.

"In a county of only 110,000, there have been 345 overdoses in the past seven

Sunday, July 31, 2016

Every Overdose Is Someone's Child

Starting today or on Monday August 1st you will likely notice a lot of purple ribbons every where. Many of us have pledged that we will light our Facebooks up purple with Overdose Prevention Awareness everyday.

August 31st is National Overdose Prevention Awareness Day.

I wish I didn't have to hear about another life gone because of heroin and addiction.

Saturday, July 30, 2016

Friends Don't Let Friends Die

Overdose Awareness

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

National Overdose Awareness

Starting today it is likely that you will see a lot of Facebook Pages lit up Purple for this month. August 31st is International Overdose Prevention Awareness Day.

In my opinion, everyday should be overdose prevention awareness day. I gave a lot of my ribbons away on July 23rd at our meetup. One lady asked for twenty to give to those she knew so they too can rock the purple ribbon.

Just the fact that people are still overdosing on heroin here in my town and people are still dying here in my town indicates we still have a lot of work to do here in Berkeley County and Martinsburg, WV.

The stigma of this disease is still alive and kicking here in this county and city. I have talked to so many people here. There are those who have lost a loved one. There are those going through this with someone they love.

Then there are those who haven't even gotten here yet.

Rock'in Recovery

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