Several weeks ago Carter County Fiscal Court accepted their share of opioid settlement money from a state-wide class action suit. Those funds – about $1.4 million – can be used by the county however they like, as long as the money goes toward “opioid abatement.”
How the county chooses to define “opioid abatement” is up to them.
Some magistrates suggested using the funds for increased law enforcement, to help take drugs off the street.
Judge Executive Mike Malone, however, expressed some skepticism with how effective that sort of spending might be.
“You’ll never get it all off the street,” Malone said.
Instead, he pointed out, treatment can be effective, but only when it is taken seriously by all parties involved and those who suffer from addiction are willing to make the hard decisions necessary to get, and to stay, clean.
It isn’t a lack of desire on the part of those who suffer from addiction, Malone pointed out, that leads to a failure in recovery. It’s often an inability to fully separate themselves from the influences, and the stressors, that led to their addiction in the first place.
Malone used an anecdote at that time of a friend who once suffered from a cocaine addiction, but conquered it by moving to Grayson several years ago. The reason moving to Grayson worked for this individual was because they literally knew no one at all in the city. They were away from the bad influences and acquaintances who might otherwise encourage relapse. They were also away from all the specific stressors of their old life that made them seek escape in drugs.
This doesn’t mean their life in Grayson has been completely free of stress, or even that the person might not have been tempted. No one’s life is ever completely free of stress. And almost every addict will tell you that just because they are a reformed addict doesn’t mean the addiction went away. It just means they have it under control.
And while moving to a new city, where you aren’t going to be tempted by old friends and fall into old habits, is a great strategy, it isn’t practical – or even plausible – for everyone.
The logistics alone can be overwhelming. When you combine that with a lack of monetary resources, it just isn’t an option for most of our local folks struggling with addiction.
But if local addicts can’t just move away to another community to assist in their recovery, what can be done to help keep them from relapsing?
Holistic programs, like the one currently being funded by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) through the local Pathways office, are one good start.
Sarah Veech, clinical director at Pathways, recently discussed this program with the Grayson Area Chamber of Commerce. Instead of just treating the physical aspects of addiction – which is still an important part of the process – the Pathways program gives the agency increased flexibility to deal with underlying issues.
If a patient’s teeth, for instance, are causing them pain that leads to self-medication – or is causing self-consciousness that makes it difficult to smile and talk with potential employers – Pathways can now help them with that issue. Not directly. Pathways isn’t providing dental care. Rather, they can offer assistance with scheduling appointments, navigating the social programs that can help them pay for dental care, and even help them obtain transportation through other agencies so they can make it to their appointment.
Dental care is just one example.
By addressing the whole person, and all of their needs – not just their physical withdrawal symptoms or the psychological urge to seek solace in a high – the SAMHSA grant is helping Pathways situate those in recovery for greater success.
Addressing these other needs alone isn’t a magic bullet for success. But, as Senator Robin Webb pointed out, without addressing mental health issues, we’re “going to have recidivism.”
“If we’re going to be successful, we’re going to need both (physical and mental health care) going on,” Webb said.
There is also a need for more action on issues related to detox and the ability of facilities to issue 72 hour holds on those in active addiction, Webb said.
We agree with Webb, as well as Malone and Veech, that there isn’t a single strategy for success in the fight against opioid addiction. It needs to be a multi-pronged approach. And one that addresses the whole person. But for the first time in a long time there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon.
We, as a community, should embrace and kindle that spark of hope, and maybe – just maybe – the flame of recovery can overcome the darkness and despair that has taken hold in far too many individuals and families across our communities.
