Recovery from Addiction or Abuse - Finding the Buried Treasure Within Yourself

Category: News from Elsewhere

Generation Found Showing

If you are concerned about addiction in our communities and want to be involved in solutions, joins for this event!

Mark your calendar for APRIL 13th from 7-9pm to join a group of us who are passionate about the upcoming documentary and discussion about addiction and the incredible communities developing in the U.S. to provide vital support for young people in recovery, GENERATION FOUND by the creators of the groundbreaking film, THE ANONYMOUS PEOPLE. Check out this exciting film trailer here:http://generationfoundfilm.com . If you can come, join us in the UTC University Center Signal Mtn. Room located on East 5th Street (directionshttp://www.utc.edu/university-center/directions-to-the-uc.php) . Are you in? If so, spread the word to your friends and make an event out of it!

About the film:
From the creators of the groundbreaking film, THE ANONYMOUS PEOPLE, comes GENERATION FOUND, a powerful story about one community coming together to ignite a youth addiction recovery revolution in their hometown. Devastated by an epidemic of addiction, Houston faced the reality of burying and locking up its young people at an alarming rate. And so in one of the largest cities in America, visionary counselors, law school dropouts, aspiring rock musicians, retired football players, oil industry executives, and church leaders came together to build the world’s largest peer-driven youth and family recovery community.
Independently filmed over the course of two years, GENERATION FOUND takes an unprecedented and intimate look at how a system of treatment centers, sober high schools, alternative peer groups, and collegiate recovery programs can exist in concert to intervene early and provide a real and tested long-term alternative to the “War on Drugs.” It is not only a deeply personal story, but one with real-world utility for communities struggling with addiction worldwide.

Register and get your free tickets here (click on this link).

CDC says opioid-related deaths at all-time high

The Washington Post (12/8, Ingraham) reports data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday revealed that “opioid deaths continued to surge in 2015, surpassing 30,000 for the first time in recent history.” The data shows “an increase of nearly 5,000 deaths from 2014.” CDC Director Tom Frieden, MD, said in a statement, “The epidemic of deaths involving opioids continues to worsen.” He added, “Prescription opioid misuse and use of heroin and illicitly manufactured fentanyl are intertwined and deeply troubling problems.”

        The AP (12/8, Stobbe) reports that according to the data, overdose deaths rose “11 percent last year, to 52,404.” The AP specifies that “heroin deaths rose 23 percent in one year,” deaths “from synthetic opioids, including illicit fentanyl, rose 73 percent,” and abuse “of drugs like OxyContin and Vicodin” increased 4 percent. Robert Anderson, “who oversees death statistics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” said, “I don’t think we’ve ever seen anything like this. Certainly not in modern times.” The amount of deaths from overdose was greater than that of car crashes and gun violence.

Surgeon General’s Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 17, 2016
Contact: ASH Media Office
202-205-0143
[email protected]

Surgeon General Issues Landmark Report on Alcohol, Drugs and Health

“How we respond to this crisis is a test for America”

The new Surgeon General’s report finds alcohol and drug misuse and severe substance use disorders, commonly called addiction, to be one of America’s most pressing public health concerns.  Nearly 21 million Americans – more than the number of people who have all cancers combined – suffer from substance use disorders.“Alcohol and drug addiction take an enormous toll on individuals, families, and communities,” said U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. “Most Americans know someone who has been touched by an alcohol or a drug use disorder. Yet 90 percent of people with a substance use disorder are not getting treatment. That has to change.”

Today’s report, Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health, marks the first time a U.S. Surgeon General has dedicated a report to substance misuse and related disorders. The report addresses alcohol, illicit drugs, and prescription drug misuse, with chapters dedicated to neurobiology, prevention, treatment, recovery, health systems integration and recommendations for the future. It provides an in-depth look at the science of substance use disorders and addiction, calls for a cultural shift in the way Americans talk about the issue, and recommends actions we can take to prevent and treat these conditions, and promote recovery.

One in seven people in the U.S. is expected to develop a substance use disorder at some point in their lives. Yet only 1 in 10 receives treatment. Among other things, the report shows that substance use disorders typically develop over time following repeated episodes of misuse that result in changes to the brain circuitry.

The Report makes clear that substance misuse – which includes use of a substance in any way that can cause harm to oneself or others – is an underappreciated but critical public health challenge that can lead to substance use disorders, such as addiction. In 2015, nearly 48 million Americans used an illicit drug or misused a prescription medication, approximately 67 million reported binge drinking in the past month, and nearly 28 million self-reported driving under the influence in the past year.  This large, at-risk population of Americans can benefit from appropriate screening, prevention, and treatment services.

“Although substance misuse problems and use disorders may occur at any age, adolescence and young adulthood are particularly critical at-risk periods,” Dr. Murthy said. “Preventing or even simply delaying young people from trying substances is important to reducing the likelihood of a use disorder later in life.”

For example, people who use alcohol before the age of 15 are four times more likely to develop an alcohol use disorder later in life compared to those who have their first drink at age 20 or older.

One of the findings of this report is that substance use disorder treatment in the United States remains largely separate from the rest of health care and serves only a fraction of those in need of treatment.

The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 and the Affordable Care Act in 2010 have increased access to these services, making it possible for more people to get the treatment and support services they need to get and stay well. Yet for a variety of reasons, including stigma, a treatment gap remains.  This treatment gap can also be attributed to factors, including lack of screening for use disorders, fear of shame and discrimination associated with addressing substance use disorders, lack of access to and costs of care, and fragmentation of services in our health care system.  Additionally, many people seek or are referred to substance use disorder treatment only after a crisis, such as an overdose, or through involvement with the criminal justice system.

“Families across this country are fighting addiction -they’re fighting an illness, as well as a stigma. They’re doing all they can, and we should do no less.  At the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, we have worked hard to make our nation healthier and save lives by increasing access to evidence-based treatment for those who need it,” said HHS Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell. “While there’s more to do, this historic report provides us guidance and outlines important steps we can take to move forward, build on our progress to address this public health crisis, and make a difference for more Americans.”

The report identifies substance use disorders as a public health problem that requires a public health solution. It recommends taking action by eradicating negative attitudes and changing the way people think about substance use disorders; recognizing substance misuse and intervening early; and expanding access to treatment.

“It’s time to change how we view addiction,” said Dr. Murthy. “Not as a moral failing but as a chronic illness that must be treated with skill, urgency and compassion. The way we address this crisis is a test for America.”

“The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health provides a roadmap for working together to move our efforts forward,” said Kana Enomoto, principal deputy administrator for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. “I hope all who read it will be inspired to take action to stem the rising tide of this public health crisis and reduce the impact of substance misuse and addiction on individuals, communities, and our nation.”

Fortunately, both the Obama Administration and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has focused efforts at curbing addiction and there has been progress in this space. The Obama administration has invested in the research, development and evaluation of programs to prevent and treat substance misuse and substance use disorders, as well as support recovery.  The President has also called for an investment of $1 billion to provide treatment to combat the opioid epidemic. In addition, HHS has developed a department-wide Opioid Initiative – PDF focused on improving opioid prescribing practices; expanding access to medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder; and increasing the use of naloxone to reverse opioid overdoses. The initiative concentrates on evidence-based strategies that can have the most significant impact on the crisis.

“We have the opportunity to transform lives and strengthen communities by addressing our country’s addiction crisis,” said Dr. Murthy. “There could not be a more important time for us to act.”

For the full report and executive summary, visit http://addiction.surgeongeneral.gov/.

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