According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2 million people had an opioid use disorder in 2018 alone. The state has enforced different protocols to help reduce the number of overdoses and deaths contributing to the opioid epidemic. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services states that the opioid epidemic statistics calculated over 12,000 opioid overdose deaths from 1999 to 2016. Learn more about the heroin epidemic and the opioid epidemic in North Carolina by calling us today.
What Are Opioids?
Opioids are a type of medication prescribed to patients who are in pain. This can be a chronic pain that comes from an injury or disability. Opioids are not just pills. They also include heroin and synthetic fentanyl. When opioids become active, they diminish the pain signals that the body sends to the brain. This affects how the brain responds to pain. Illicit drugs are a big problem in the state of North Carolina right now. However, prescription use of opioids has more than doubled. These medications include morphine, codeine, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxycodone, oxymorphone, fentanyl, buprenorphine, methadone, and heroin.
North Carolina Opioid Action Plans
North Carolina has implemented many different action plans to help with the opioid epidemic in North Carolina. In June 2017, North Carolina began a plan to help decrease opioid use by 24%. A new plan came about two years later. The program helped to increase the number of opioid addiction medications by 15%. There were also 10% fewer overdoses in the state. The state has also gained over $54 million in funding from outside sources to stop the epidemic. This funding has helped over 12,000 individuals begin their recovery journeys.
These action plans intend to attack the opioid epidemic and heroin epidemic in many ways. Stronger youth programs help reduce the number of youths targeted. The state has work to create better access to programs, allowing for an increase in caring for mothers and pregnant women. The plans also propose to reduce the number of prescriptions written for opioids. Provisions have also been made for better training for pharmacists and other medication professionals and for granting better access to naloxone kits, especially in lower-income communities. The plans also strive to create more support systems and facilities in the state. The statistics board at the North Carolina DHHS has shown that there has been an improvement in recovery management since the action plans went into effect.
Recovery Services
There are many different recovery sources available if you suffer from either the heroin epidemic or the opioid epidemic. These are both indoor and outdoor practices to get you focused back on what is essential: yourself. Some of the types of therapies include:
- Experiential Therapy
- Trauma Therapy
- Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT)
Some people might require a custom combination of treatments to better help them recover fully.
During your time at a treatment center, you can expect to get relapse prevention education and even expressive arts therapy. Places like The Willows at Red Oak Recovery also make use of 12-step programs, the tried and true method for recovery that’s worked for millions.
Different facilities offer you plenty of soothing programs and activities to help you become a healthier version of you on your road to recovery. For instance, some of these include yoga, acupuncture, adventure therapy, sober peak exercises, cooking classes, fly fishing, backpacking, whitewater rafting, canoeing, gardening, service work, and horseback riding.
Do you or someone you know have problems with opioid use, heroin use, or related addictions? Want to learn more about opioid epidemic statistics? Call The Willows at Red Oak Recovery North Carolina at 855.773.0614 to get the help you need to fight opioid addiction.
