Canadian, Oklahoma 2/18/2010 4:15:30 AM
Ten Reasons to Take Action Against Substance Abuse and Addiction
Number One: Overdoses
It's the call no family wants to get: there's been a drug overdose and you need to come to the hospital. Maybe it's for a son or a daughter. Or it could be for a spouse, sibling, parent or even a best friend.
Fortunately, medical science has developed medications and techniques that can save lives in the midst of an overdose, as long as they can find out which drug was taken in time and as long as the overdose was not too severe. Unfortunately, some people take too much of a drug or get help too late to survive.
Since the early 1970s, mortality rates from unintentional drug overdose have been rising steadily. In 2007, that rate had reached 27,600 drug overdose deaths. The same year, there were just over 19,000 homicides. In fact, in the category of accidental deaths, drug overdose deaths are second only to deaths from vehicle crashes.
What's more, illicit drugs such as cocaine and heroin are not the major contributors to this increase. The greatest increase has come from prescription pain relievers and sedatives. When abused, these drugs can easily become addictive and repeated abuse can lead to mistakes such as overdoses.
"Drug overdoses are a terrible and unnecessary way to lose our loved ones," declared Derry Hallmark, Certified Chemical Dependency Counselor at Narconon Arrowhead. Narconon Arrowhead is one of the country's leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma. "They are particularly unnecessary because addiction can be addressed with a holistic, drug-free program such as the one we deliver at Narconon that enables the addicted person to replace addiction with a productive, enjoyable life."
When the Spring break arrives, some addicted people will avoid family events from the shame they feel due to their addiction. Others will make the trip home. Surveys show that most families try to overlook the addiction so everyone can have an enjoyable visit, but as one former addict put it, "It was like ingnoring the elephant in the living room. Everyone knew it was there but no one wanted to say anything."
This Spring break season, if someone you know suffers from addiction, take action. Don't let overdose take the life of someone you love. "At Narconon, we provide counseling and referrals for people all over the country," added Mr.Hallmark. "We help families find solutions to addiction every single day."
To find immediate help for someone who is having a problem with drugs or alcohol, contact Narconon's free addiction consultation and referral helpline at 1-800-468-6933 or visit our website at www.stopaddiction.com
