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addiction, the various populations at risk for the disease, current statistics and trends, and
psychological disorders that often accompany addiction. You will also find information on spotting
the signs and symptoms of substance use and hotlines for immediate assistance.
Treatment for addiction takes many forms and depends on the needs of the individual.
In accordance with the American Society of Addiction Medicine, we offer information on
outcome-oriented treatment that adheres to an established continuum of care. In this section, you
will find information and resources related to evidence-based treatment models, counseling and
therapy and payment and insurance options.
Treatment for addiction takes many forms and depends on the needs of the
individual. In accordance with the American Society of Addiction Medicine, we offer
information on outcome-oriented treatment that adheres to an established continuum of
care. In this section, you will find information and resources related to evidence-based
treatment models, counseling and therapy and payment and insurance options.
The recovery process doesn't end after 90 days of treatment. The transition back to
life outside of rehab is fraught with the potential for relapse. Aftercare resources such as
12-step groups, sober living homes and support for family and friends promote a life rich with
rewarding relationships and meaning.
Our community offers unique perspectives on lifelong recovery and substance use
prevention, empowering others through stories of strength and courage. From people in active
recovery to advocates who have lost loved ones to the devastating disease of addiction, our
community understands the struggle and provides guidance born of personal experience.
For the second consecutive year, a record number of people died from drug overdoses in 2015. Fueled by soaring rates of opioid abuse and addiction, 52,404 Americans died from drug overdoses last year. That’s up from 47,055 drug deaths in 2014.
Opioids, such as prescription drugs containing oxycodone, or illicit drugs such as heroin accounted for 33,091 deadly drug overdoses in 2015, up from 28,647 in 2014.
“The epidemic of deaths involving opioids continues to worsen,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Tom Frieden said in a statement. “Prescription opioid misuse and use of heroin and illicitly manufactured fentanyl are intertwined and deeply troubling problems.”
Deaths from heroin increased by 23 percent to 12,990 in 2015, causing more deaths than semi-synthetic opioids, such as oxycodone and hydrocodone, for the first time since the opioid epidemic began in the 1990s, according to a Washington Post analysis of CDC data.
The number of annual heroin deaths has been increasing steadily since 2007. That year, gun homicides killed five times as many people as heroin. In 2015, the number of heroin deaths passed gun homicides for the first time.
Heroin is a drug derived from morphine, a naturally-occurring chemical found in opium. It’s chemically similar to prescription painkillers containing opiates such as oxycodone, hydrocodone or methadone. Illicit use of heroin began to rise in the mid-2000s when people dependent on or addicted to prescription opioids turned to the cheaper and more easily available drug on the street.
As the opioid epidemic has worsened, more opioid users have begun seeking a more potent painkiller called fentanyl. Fentanyl is a prescription drug that is between 25 and 50 times as strong as heroin. It’s commonly found in pain patches, but illicit manufacturers have been selling the chemical to dealers on the street.
Drug dealers have laced heroin with fentanyl to increase the drug’s value, leading to a large number of overdoses from people who didn’t know the strength of the drug they were consuming. Deaths from synthetic opioids, including fentanyl and excluding methadone, nearly doubled from 2014 to 2015.
Note: Some deaths included a combination of illicit, synthetic or prescription opioids.
Congress recently passed the 21st Century Cures Act, which authorizes $1 billion to support state efforts to prevent and treat opioid addiction. President Obama has said that he’ll sign the bill into law before he leaves office.
In a statement, Director of National Drug Control Policy Michael Botticelli said the opioid epidemic continues to devastate communities because Americans can’t get the treatment that they need.
“The administration will work to get this new funding out to states as quickly as possible to make sure that every American who wants treatment for an opioid use disorder is able to get it,” Botticelli said.
Funding for treatment is vital to saving lives. However, recent research indicates that physicians are continuing to prescribe highly addictive opioid drugs, and they’re failing to properly educate or monitor their patients for signs of abuse.
Prescription Opioids Remain Top Cause of Drug Overdoses
More than a decade after researchers discovered that reckless prescribing of opioids was associated with increases in drug overdoses, prescription drugs still cause more drug overdose deaths than illicit substances such as heroin or fentanyl.
An estimated 5 percent of American adults take prescription opioids for long-term use, and 34 percent of them say they believe they are either addicted or dependent on the drugs, according to a recent Washington Post/Kaiser Family Foundation survey.
Almost every survey participant (98 percent) said they took prescription painkillers to relieve pain, but many also reported other reasons for taking the drugs.
34 percent took opioids to get high or have fun.
22 percent took the painkillers to deal with stress.
12 percent used the drugs to relax.
Most respondents (97 percent) said they first got painkillers through a doctor’s prescription, and they discussed the drug’s addictive potential with their prescriber. However, only 33 percent of respondents discussed ways to stop using the drugs with their doctor.
The CDC announced guidelines for prescribing opioids in March 2016. The guidelines emphasized that doctors should develop a plan for discontinuation before prescribing the drugs and closely monitor their patients.
Until the majority of the nation’s prescribers adhere to the guidelines, the country will continue to treat addiction while doing little to prevent it.
Medical Disclaimer: DrugRehab.com aims to improve the quality of life for people struggling with a substance use or mental health disorder with fact-based content about the nature of behavioral health conditions, treatment options and their related outcomes. We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider.
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View Sources
Ingraham, C. (2016, December 8). Heroin deaths surpass gun homicides for the first time, CDC data shows.
Kaiser Family Foundation. (2016, December 11). The Washington Post/Kaiser Survey: 1 in 3 Long-Term Prescription Painkiller Users Think They’re Addicted or Dependent.
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