Take one look at the news nowadays and what do you see? Pictures, stories, obituaries, police blotters, and mourning people all from one thing. How did we get to this scary place and where did this begin. How have we gotten to where drug overdoses are the top cause of accidental death in the U.S? According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine, there were 47,055 legal drug deaths in 2014 in just the U.S. alone and 10,574 of those deaths were from heroin. That was two short years ago and the numbers are still rising. Something needs to change.
The most current example that really hit myself and several others was here in Ohio. Pictures were released of two parents passed out in their car from an overdose and their little child was in the backseat. Anyone seeing these pictures have become distraught, and I think it's a very important thing for people to see. This is affecting everyone whether we wish to believe it or not. Not only are people endangering themselves and their health, but also the well being of others. Thankfully, their little one was safe and sound but it could have been a lot worse.
Addiction is a serious and difficult problem. There is no one size fits all approach and it most definitely does not change over night. However, we can't sit by and continue to pretend there is no problem and hope that the people with addiction problems see these statistics and change their ways. They need help. We need to support those around us and help people see that there is an out. We need to start donating money and encouraging organizations who have been helping get people clean for years.
We need to look at those around us in our lives and decide if they need help. If you know someone with an addiction, help them. Stop sitting by, monitoring them and think they know what they are doing. They don't. What is a "safe" amount for them one day is not the next. Maybe they have a different type of addiction. Stop them while it is early. A lot of people slowly upgrade drugs to the more hardcore things to get a better high. Encourage them to get help. Make them know you want to help them so you can keep them in your life. If all else fails and you have tried everything you can and you are still concerned, call 1-800-662-4357. This number belongs to The National Institute on Drug Abuse and they are a national hotline dedicated to helping people with substance addictions.
Let's end this epidemic together and save many lives that don't need to be taken. If you have a substance abuse problem and you are reading this by some chance, please know you are special, you are loved, and you are important. Take the step, save yourself, and find your purpose.
