May 21, 2022 Do you know the difference between tolerance, physical dependency, and addiction in connection to Substance Use Disorders? Briefly, tolerance involves the amount of a drug or alcohol that your body needs to feel the effects. By continuing to use over time, you'll need higher doses in order to feel the same results because your tolerance level has increased. Dependence shows up when you've been using or drinking for a period of time and you decide to stop. Your body, which is now relying on the drug or alcohol, will object and you will experience withdrawal symptoms. Addiction occurs when you can't stop using or drinking even though it's causing bad things to happen in your life. For more information on the signs connected to tolerance and dependence and the common risk factors for addiction, please read the WebMD article. Here's the link: Tolerance, Physical Dependence, Addiction: the Differences (webmd.com)
May 14, 2022 A recent webinar discussed non-opioid alternatives for treating pain. It covered options like non-opioid medications, acupuncture, chiropractic care, and physical therapy. During the presentation, a video titledTaylor's Story was mentioned. The video tells the story about a teenager having shoulder surgery for a sports injury, being prescribed Percocet, spiraling down into addiction, overdosing, and dying. And it tells the story of a family who refuses to let their son die in vain. Taylor told his Dad that the Percocet "lit up" his brain and it took away his anxiety, it made him feel normal.
Taylor's Mom encourages everyone to be advocates for your children. Mental health issues and addictions need to be treated together. If your child is prescribed opioids, please ask why and ask for alternatives. Opioids may make your child's brain "light up" and then your family will be in for some serious trouble. Please watch the video.
Prevention and Recovery Ministry New U.S. Department of Justice guidelines assert that it’s illegal under the Americans with Disabilities Act to discriminate against people because they are using prescribedmethadone or other medications to treat opioid use disorder. People have been denied medical help, legal help, housing resources, and jobs because of the stigma associated with treatment programs which use the medication naltrexone or drugs that themselves are opioids, such as methadone and buprenorphine. These are folks who are taking a prescribed medication in order to control their disease and to live productive, normal lives. Just like folks who use prescribed medications to control their blood pressure or their diabetes or their heart disease or any other chronic diseases. Let's do what we can to stop the stigma. Here's the link: Treatment for opioid addiction often brings discrimination | AP News
May 1, 2022
On March 10th, five West Point Military Academy cadets survived after overdosing on fentanyl-laced cocaine while on spring break in Florida. Community activists quickly hit the beaches to talk with the spring breakers about the dangers associated with fentanyl-laced drugs. They turned it into "an opportunity to really beef up our education and prevention efforts by flooding the beaches and the streets". As another example of meeting folks where they are, the activists warned the spring breakers of the surge in recreational drugs that are cut with fentanyl and they distributed units of Narcan. As quoted in the article, "It's about saving lives, it's all about saving one life at a time". Here's the link: Florida groups canvass spring breakers to warn of fentanyl | AP News
4/17/2022 Nicotine is the chemical the makes smoking and vaping addictive. Puff Bar, which is sold in flavors like blueberry, strawberry banana and mango, has become the most popular e-cigarette among teenagers. To skirt the FDA rules on tobacco products, the makers of Puff Bar and other vaping companies moved to synthetic nicotine.
Last month, Congress passed language clarifying that the FDA can regulate any form of nicotine, regardless of the source. Under the new law, synthetic nicotine will be subject to the same federal age limit and sales restrictions as other tobacco products. Which should mean that Puff Bar and the other vaping companies will have to stop selling their fruit flavored products to our children. Here's the link to the article: E-cigs using synthetic nicotine come under FDA oversight | News | fbherald.com 4/10/2022 This week's article begins with "As the addiction and overdose crisis that has gripped the U.S. for two decades turns even deadlier, state governments are scrambling for ways to stem the destruction wrought by fentanyl and other synthetic opioids." Calls are being made for harsher penalties for fentanyl trafficking. Changes are also being made to ease access to harm reduction tools like Narcan and Fentanyltest strips. As we've previously shared with you, Narcan can reverse opioid drug overdoses. The test strips can help to prevent accidental overdoses caused by drugs that are laced with fentanyl.
This week's message began in Mental Health America (mhanational.org), linked over to startyourrecovery.org, and landed in mayoclinic.org. The Mayo Clinic article contains an extensive list of the symptoms that can be shown by users of the numerous drugs that are being abused today. It also covers Risk factors to becoming addicted and Complications that can happen from using drugs. And it ends by talking about Prevention, especially by parents talking their children.
3/21/22 Can you tell if your loved one is using drugs or alcohol? As stated in today's article, "While the warning signs for addiction are not the same for everyone, most people with an addiction to drugs or alcohol will display some changes in mood, behavior, or experience consequences as a result of their substance use. Knowing the signs and symptoms of addiction are important for early detection of an addictive disorder, but only a licensed professional can formally diagnose a substance use disorder. It’s important to schedule a formal assessment if you suspect you or a loved one is struggling with drug or alcohol addiction." Recovered.org contains a wide selection of information from parents talking to their children to identifying addictions to finding recovery and treatment options. Here's the link to their warning signs page: Warning Signs of Addiction | recovered.org
3/20/22
During the 3-8-2022 Anti-Drug Coalition meeting, two representatives from Voices of Hope (VOH) spoke about their efforts to help folks who are actively using drugs. They go into the communities and homes of the drug users. They provide wound care nursing. They distribute harm reduction supplies. Often, they simply give folks someone to talk to. And, when the time's right, they work to try to get these folks into treatment. VOH is willing to provide their services in our local communities. Here is the link to their web page: VOH Home - Voices of Hope, Inc. (voicesofhopemaryland.org).
3/13/22 Fentanyl Laced Drugs: what you should know As stated on a DEA Fact Sheet, criminal drug networks are flooding the U.S. with deadly fake pills. They are widely available across every state in our country. Counterfeit pills often contain fentanyl and are more lethal than ever before. Please know that counterfeit pills are being sold and are being used in southern York County and northern Harford County. See the following links for more information:
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3/7/22 RECOVERY IS POSSIBLE! Recent studies have shown that most Americans (75%) who suffer from alcohol and drug Substance Use Disorders survive. The recovery process can be slow and painful, but recovery is possible even after multiple relapses. People do go on to live full and healthy lives. As quoted in the article, "Nobody recovered from addiction dead. My feeling is if we can keep people alive long enough, we know eventually the majority get recovery". The link to the article is available in the Parish newsletter and on St. Mary's FaceBook page.