Hope is in short supply these days. So much bad news, it’s easy to just check out. People hurt each other in profound ways and the trauma that follows, pursues them throughout their lives. Patients tell me horrific stories that are difficult to hear. Where is the hope in this?
My husband, Tim, is taking a welding class at Ivy Tech and loving it. As he was leaving the Tech building this week to drive home, he heard what he thought was sobbing. He followed the sound and came upon a young student in terrible distress, crying uncontrollably. When he asked her if he could help, she told him that a friend had just been found dead of an overdose. She was overwhelmed with grief. Tim managed to get her to her professor who knew the student well and he was able to help her.
This scenario repeats itself all over our nation daily. The rising death toll from drug overdose slaps us in the face to wake us up. More people die from overdoses annually than in auto accidents for several years now. Friends and family, neighbors and acquaintances, are caught up in this downward vortex and we don’t know how to pull them out of it.
There are numerous reasons why people get caught up in substance abuse. For some, it is self medicating for trauma, depression and anxiety. For others, it’s just because everyone around them is using, so they do too. No matter why they started, everyone universally has trouble stopping. The substances change their brain chemistry making the cravings unbearably strong. Many keep using just to avoid withdrawal. It breaks my heart to see the struggle to be set free from this bondage. But there is hope.
Historically, we have had too few mental health professional and facilities available to treat the growing number of patients. But in the last few years, there has been a push to train more primary care providers and behaviorist to treat addictions. I have been a part of this training with 2 of our NP’s, our social workers and psychologist to learn how to do MAT (Medically Assisted Treatment) for substance abuse. Before we even began, we identified a number of our existing patients who could benefit from this treatment.
So we have started by treating our own patients and plan to expand our services to others soon. We combine medical treatment with counseling in an outpatient setting. Obviously some people need inpatient detox but many can succeed with close follow-up in the clinic. We have so many patients with mental illness, food insecurity and homelessness. We already help them with these challenges. Now we can treat addictions too. This one service in our clinic promises to give them their life back and set them free.
I’m excited but yet have trepidation about treating substance abuse. I want to be a hope-giver but there are so many barriers to care every patient must overcome. At its core, this is a spiritual battle that must be fought with more than just medication and counseling. Within the 12 Steps of AA and NA, is the pursuit of strength through a Higher Power. These programs have been successful since their inception through sponsorship and seeking that Higher Power for sustained sobriety.
We know that there will be successes and failures along the way. We are not unrealistic. But with God’s help, we will be hope-givers to many seeking freedom from substances that threaten to destroy them and their families. Just one less overdose, makes it all worthwhile.
