Answer Addiction

Tag: honoring loved ones lost to addiction

  • Remembering Lives Lost On International Overdose Awareness Day

    Remembering Lives Lost On International Overdose Awareness Day

    International Overdose Awareness Day is on Saturday, August 31st.

    International Overdose Awareness Day is on August 31st, like every year since it began in Australia in 2001. This year, the National Safety Council (NSC) is encouraging people in the U.S. to recognize the awareness day and “remember loved ones and act toward preventing overdose,” according to Occupational Health & Safety.

    Overdose death rates in the U.S. have been on the rise for decades, increasing from 6.1 per 100,000 people in 1999 to 21.7 in 2017, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

    The increases were particularly severe from 2012 to 2017, though early reports appear to show a slight decrease from 2017 to 2018, sparking hopes that national efforts to fight this epidemic are beginning to show results.

    Spreading the Word

    Still, tens of thousands of people in the U.S. alone are dying yearly, and the NSC is working to reduce the stigma of drug addiction and spread the word.

    “Opioid misuse touches one in every four Americans, and these deaths are completely preventable,” said NSC President and CEO Lorraine M. Martin. “It is also a time to reduce stigma and prevent future deaths by supporting education and advocacy efforts.”

    The NSC is recommending a number of actions that groups and individuals can take to commemorate International Overdose Awareness Day, including holding a candlelight vigil, hosting a fundraiser, wearing purple, and adding the name of someone who died of an opioid overdose to the Celebrating Lost Loved Ones map.

    How To Participate

    The International Overdose Awareness Day website has additional ideas and resources for ways to participate and has already registered a long list of events from all around the world, from Afghanistan to Waupaca, Wisconsin. You can also post or read tributes about lost loved ones on the website or download free social media graphics, t-shirt designs, and overdose fact sheets.

    In 2014, the campaign partnered with the Penington Institute in Australia, which is dedicated to building knowledge and increasing awareness around substance use disorders and equipping frontline workers to act on the problem.

    “Overdose does not discriminate, and the number of people affected by it are increasing around the world,” reads the 2018 International Awareness Day Partners Report. “Part of what makes overdose so deadly is the silence that surrounds it. At Penington Institute, we envisage a world where overdose is destigmatized and better understood; where policy makers make well-informed and evidence-based decisions that help those who are at risk of overdose.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Woman Gives Back To Recovery Community With Chicken Lunches 

    Woman Gives Back To Recovery Community With Chicken Lunches 

    The lunches are served at the “recovery cafe,” which houses a memorial book with the names of those lost to addiction, including the woman’s husband. 

    Elaine Bradley, a 61-year-old English woman in recovery, chooses to help others walking the same path—but not through traditional means. 

    Instead, Bradley serves up chicken. 

    According to The Guardian, Bradley lost her husband to alcohol use disorder 11 years ago and battled it herself before getting sober six years ago. 

    She now volunteers at a local recovery center, where she runs a Thursday chicken lunch club which provides a space for those in recovery or who are seeking recovery to discuss what they are experiencing. She also heads up the peer-mentoring group meetings. 

    “You’ve got to talk to each other,” Bradley tells the Guardian. “They all sit and chat about this, that and the other and they open up a bit more.”

    The Recovery Cafe

    The space where Bradley serves her well-loved chicken is referred to as the “recovery cafe.” It houses a memorial book with the names of those lost to substance use disorder, including Bradley’s husband. 

    For Bradley, the space is a homey one. “It’s a nice feel when you walk in here, although it’s blooming hot,” Bradley said. “You know everyone by first names and they all know us. They know that they can trust us.”

    The need for such services in Essex is greater now than ever, as there were recently six fatalities in three days due to suspected drug use. Additionally, Public Health England statistics indicate that the area sees higher-than-average death rates from illicit substances.

    “It’s sad, but what can you do? The help is here if they want it,” Bradley said. 

    Dr. Ahmad Muhamed, an addiction psychiatry specialist, tells the Guardian that he treats patients struggling with a variety of substances. Often, he says, they’re prescribed medications like methadone to help them taper off the drugs. 

    “It varies from one patient to another because you have to take into account a lot of factors: their physical health, their mental health, their socioeconomic status,” he said. “Even if they have been on it for years, the end goal is for them to come off it.”

    According to Bradley, the area could benefit from spaces like the recovery cafe. 

    “To be honest, I think Southend needs a lot more of these places because the work we do here, I think, is amazing,” she said. 

    View the original article at thefix.com