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Helping Someone to Cope with Opioid Addiction Pittsfield, Massachusetts (MA) - Berkshire Health Systems
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Health Take-Away

Health Take-Away

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  • Breast Cancer Awareness: Mammograms Save Lives
  • Antibiotic Resistance
  • Lung Cancer Screening
  • Giving Thanks
  • Healthy Holidays
  • Alcohol's Impact on Breast Cancer Risk
  • Acupuncture Can Help with Relief in Breast Cancer Care
  • Breast Reconstruction Surgery Journey is Personal
  • Building Your Immunity during COVID-19
  • Emotional Toll of COVID-19
  • COVID-19 Anti-Body Testing: What It Tells You What It Won't
  • Treating Varicose Veins
  • Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine: What is OMM
  • Know Your Audiology Options
  • Pets as Therapists
  • Reducing the Stigma of Substance Use Disorder
  • Be Kind to Your Heart
  • Headache Care
  • Managing Presenteeism
  • Don't Struggle with Resolutions
  • Enjoy the Holidays Through the Gift of Giving
  • Seasonal Affective Disorder
  • Save a Life, Lift Your Soul, Give Blood
  • Team Approach for Breast Cancer
  • Surviving Breast Cancer: A Journey
  • Hunger in the Berkshires
  • Vaccinations Help Avoid Needless Risks
  • Embrace Mindfulness
  • Low Carb High Fat Diet has Benefits
  • Probiotics Uses the Good Bugs to Fight the Bad Ones
  • Use the Power of Nature for Better Health
  • Unplug from Online for Better Health
  • Weight Loss Through Narrowing Your Eating Window
  • Mammography and Dense Breast Tissue
  • Medication-Assisted Treatment for Addiction Disorder
  • Smoker or Former Smoker? Lung Cancer Screening is Recommended for You
  • Be Safe When Using Over the Counter Medications
  • Screenings for Colon Cancer
  • Thyroid Health Essential to Metabolism
  • Go for Nutrition that is Heart Healthy
  • High Blood Pressure and Ways to Lower It
  • Hospitalists: Your Around the Clock Caregiver
  • Weight Loss Surgery Has Lasting Impact
  • Can you Find Joy in the Holidays When Sick?
  • Coping with Holiday Depression
  • When Quitting Smoking You May Need to Try and Try Again
  • Vaginal Birth after C-Section
  • New Tool to Assess Breast Cancer Risk
  • Migraines: How to Treat Them
  • Vestibular Care: It's All in Your Ears
  • Prepare for a Healthy Trip Abroad
  • New Moms Encouraged to Breast Feed
  • Language Diversity Important to Healthcare
  • Latest Advances in Joint Replacement
  • Vaping and Nicotine Addiction
  • Urgent Care or Emergency Department
  • Free Medicare Wellness Visit
  • Rehabilitation from Stroke Onset
  • Life Threatening Stroke Can be Prevented
  • Mammography and MRI for Women with High Risk of Breast Cancer
  • Breaking the Silence on Kidney Disease
  • Stop Mindless Eating
  • Hospitals Working to Improve Heart Health
  • Your Healthy Gut Bacteria
  • Give Up Smoking in 2018
  • Healthy Resolutions for 2018
  • Healthy Giving for 2017
  • Concussions: Myths and Truths
  • Celebrate a Thankful & Healthy Holiday
  • Don't Die of Embarrassment: Get Screened for Colon Cancer
  • Don't Let the Flu Get You This Season
  • Advanced Cardiac Imaging
  • Chronic Wound Care
  • What is a Hospitalist?
  • Healthy Heart Rhythms
  • Wellness Coaching
  • Men's Health In Crisis
  • Prevent Stroke or Respond FAST
  • Walking to Good Health
  • Healing Through Acupuncture
  • Self Care is Our Future
  • Family Wellness - Play Together Stay Healthy Together
  • Rewriting Your Book of Life
  • Pre-Diabetes: A Wake-Up Call for Better Health
  • Overcoming Crisis With Resiliency
  • Stepping Off the Slippery Slope
  • Sleep & Wellness: Learning to Cherish Your Sleep
  • Kicking the Habit and Ending the Fear
  • High Blood Pressure: One of the Few Things in Life We Can Control
  • Friendship is Powerful Medicine
  • It's Flu Season: Get the Vaccine!
  • The Healing Power of Gratitude
  • Where's the Joy?
  • New Year's Resolutions to Live By
  • Preventing Falls: A Leading Health Risk for the Older Population
  • Staying Healthy in the Office
  • Exercising at Home and Staying Fit in the Winter
  • Cardiac Rehabilitation: Regaining a Healthier and Better Life
  • Nutrition & Exercise: Two Great Gifts for Children
  • A Screening That Has Saved More than a Million Lives
  • How Walking Can Change Your Life
  • Injury-Free Sports & Activities
  • Have a Healthy Summer
  • Head to a Farmers' Market
  • Just Breathe
  • Lyme Disease Facts
  • Mindful Eating
  • Empathy in Healthcare
  • Preparing Your Family for an Emergency
  • Helping Someone to Cope with Opioid Addiction
  • Breast Cancer Awareness: Mammograms Save Lives
  • Antibiotic Resistance
  • Lung Cancer Screening
  • Giving Thanks
  • Healthy Holidays

Helping Someone to Cope with Opioid Addiction

What to do when someone you love has an opioid substance use disorder
By Adam Rosen, MD

When I was in medical school in the late 1990’s, there was a movement to promote the idea of the “fifth vital sign.”  It was thought that pain was under-treated, leading to unnecessary suffering.  Around the same time, prescriptions for opioid analgesics increased dramatically.  It was not long before rates of addiction to these prescribed pain medications also began to increase. Prescriptions have become harder to obtain, and some formulations have been developed that are harder to alter for a greater high.  This has pushed the street value of prescription opioids higher, and many people have sought out heroin to avoid the intolerable withdrawal symptoms that occur in people who are physiologically dependent.

It’s frightening to see someone you love become trapped in this cycle, and you can feel alone and helpless in the face of such an overwhelming situation. The following are some basic ideas that may help you in this struggle.

  1. Educate yourself about the disease of addiction.

The stigma of addiction is very hard to overcome, and some people see it as a moral failing – as if your loved one lacked character and resolve. The path to addiction is actually much more complex and no one is immune. Patients with opioid use disorders include people from all races, ethnicities, socioeconomic status, religions or lack thereof. You are far from alone.

Yet, you cannot watch helplessly from the sidelines. Learn as much as you can about why it is now considered a chronic illness that has biological, psychological and sociological underpinnings, not unlike other chronic diseases like diabetes or hypertension. Get information about addiction from reputable sources such as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), medical societies like the American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, and the American Society of Addiction Medicine. Understanding more about addiction will also help you navigate the next two steps.

  1. Find support from qualified professionals or groups

Addiction takes a terrible toll on families. There is a not-so-fine line between loving and enabling that you may not recognize. Families are unprepared to face what can be typical behavior among people with opiate use disorders, including exposure to alarming health risks, police and court encounters, loss of a job, and estrangement from those who love them.

Qualified therapists and organizations such as Al-Anon, Nar-Anon and Learn to Cope can provide the support and guidance you will need to weather this crisis. Medication-assisted treatment has been shown in many studies to be the most effective treatment for many with opioid use disorders. Most communities have local clinics providing medications like methadone, bupenorphine and naltrexone. Medications need to be combined with psychosocial treatment to be most effective. In addition, our local hospitals and mental health organizations have day treatment programs, as well as residential rehabilitation for those in need of more intensive treatment. 

  1. Never stop encouraging your loved one to get help

I’ve seen many patients get better and resume a high quality of life, but it’s a long-term process. Just as the causes are multifactorial, most successful treatments are varied, including biological, psychological and social approaches. You may have lost the closeness of your relationship before addiction, but don’t stop talking.  It is vital to learn about enabling, because as hard as it can be to set firm limits, these kinds of behaviors will not save their lives.  While you won’t enable their addiction, make sure they know you will always be available to support their decision to seek professional help and will stand by them every step of the way. It is understandable to be angry and distrustful, but try to avoid language that may make them more ashamed than they already are. Understand that the road ahead is long and frequently interrupted by relapse. The process will be frustrating for all of you, but the outcome can be recovery and a more hopeful future.

Adam Rosen, MD, is an ASAM-certified substance use disorder specialist and Medical Director of Berkshire Medical Center’s Jones 2 inpatient unit. Donna Marie Geary, RN, and Bob Cote, LADC, also contributed to this column.

 

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