Blog: News & Views from the Field

How it Affects Children and What Can Be Done to Help.

Anyone who has a family member suffering from addiction knows how painful it is to watch someone you love struggle with an all-consuming life-threatening disease. Challenges that come with living with someone that has a drug or alcohol addiction include mood swings and unreliability. For children whose parents suffer from addiction, these are more than just challenges. Often times, it comes down to a child being able to stay in their home or needing to live elsewhere.

The opioid crisis in America is in the news every day and its deadly and pervasive effect on our society is well known. Interestingly, not all geographic areas are experiencing this crisis to the same degree. Region by region, the numbers vary drastically. For example, according to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, opioid overdoses increased by 30% in 45 states, between 2016 and 2017. In big cities specifically, particularly in the Midwest, overdoses were up by as much as 54 to 70 percent.

It has been a snowy winter already, and we still have months to go! Snowstorms and icy roads make us all reluctant to leave our homes, but some people are rightly worried that inclement weather also means they are unable to access the treatment and medication they need for drug and alcohol addiction recovery. As a treatment provider in New England, we do our utmost to make sure that our outpatient clients are never without proper care.

Another year has come to a close and a new door is about to open. Whether you’re currently in treatment, recovery or active addiction, the new year is a fresh start for all of us.

Addiction is a complex disease with no single solution. It’s not just the disease itself that can wreak havoc on a person’s life, there are many facets of the issue that make the road to recovery seem difficult. Arguably at the top of that list is access to reputable and accessible treatment options, which is why we recently launched two new innovative programs to help people across Massachusetts struggling from drug and alcohol addiction find and receive care quickly.

The last five decades have been a roller coaster for addiction treatment – from the war on drugs to the introduction of medication-assisted treatment. On November 21, we co-hosted a panel discussion with Regis College about addiction treatment, behavioral health and career options in the field for 45 soon-to-be graduates as well as additional viewers tuning in through a live stream.

Language nuances change over time as society gains greater awareness and sensitivity regarding the struggles experienced by various groups of people. In the addiction treatment community, we’re well aware of the stigma often associated with the disease and its related vocabulary. The concepts of alcohol and drug dependency weren’t considered an illness until 1956. In fact, addiction wasn’t officially classified as a disease until 1987. The definition of addiction was revised in 2011 and the American Society of Addiction Medicine recently produced an updated definition yet again.

Did you know that October 26 is National Make A Difference Day? Coming together to make a difference strengthens communities, overcomes adversity and builds resilience. To honor the event, we’re encouraging all to carry naloxone (otherwise known by brand names NARCAN® and EVZIO®) to save the lives of people dying from an opioid overdose.

At Spectrum Health Systems, we know from experience that when someone is struggling with substance use disorder, he or she does not suffer alone – the family suffers as well. As part of our client-centered, holistic approach to addiction treatment, we believe in the importance of family-focused programming.

Every September, we observe National Recovery Month. Hosted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Recovery Month aims to increase awareness and understanding of mental health and substance use disorders, while promoting professional services that help people in need.