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I was scrolling through the news yesterday, just trying to make my Monday pass by a little faster. Political headline after political headline, but then I saw a rough one that really caught my attention.
Loudoun County Man Dies From Heroin Overdose
“Damn,” I thought. “Another one?”
Recently, my area has seen a lot of heroin-related deaths. For the state of Virginia, I wouldn’t really ponder too hard on heroin or meth-related deaths, but I feel like I am watching one drug single-handedly wreck the richest county in the United States of America.
Most heroin deaths can be avoided, but the users are too embarrassed to get help. They are too embarrassed to talk to a loved one, or maybe even too oblivious to even admit that they have a problem. Opioid addiction is one of those “oh that would never be me” type of problems, but you are lying to yourself if you don’t think you are struggling with some sort of battle in your own life. If you can read this and truly believe that you have nothing you’re dealing with, then you’re probably dealing with being a pathological liar.
People in our generation face all kinds of uphill battles on a daily basis. A lot of you struggle with anxiety, and I’m sure a lot of you reading this are on medicine for it. Maybe you’re depressed. That’s totally cool. More than 15 million Americans deal with depression each year. Mostly everyone deals with some sort of addiction. Maybe you drink just a little more than you should, or you can’t quite put down that recreational drug that carried you through college. It could be cigarettes, dip, painkillers, or maybe even porn.
“No that’s not me, I don’t deal with all that stuff.”
Okay, let me continue. This is for all the stress eaters, the people that struggle with credit cards and debt, the ones too scared to go make friends because they’re crippled by social anxiety, the employees that push themselves beyond their limits because they feed off of their boss’s approval, the gambling addicts that think they’ll just make their money back the next time, the people who struggle with needing authority, the hoarders, those in physically or emotionally abusive relationships, people that live a double life on the internet, workaholics, shopaholics, and I could go on and on. This is for anyone struggling with something big or small. Get help.
Don’t be afraid to get help. Don’t be afraid to tell your best friend that you just don’t know how to tell your boss “no” and are addicted to over-achieving. Don’t be afraid to tell your mom that your anxiety keeps you up at night. Don’t be afraid to tell your roommate that you can’t spend five minutes away from your iPhone. Don’t be afraid to tell your significant other that you can’t stop binge eating. Don’t be afraid to talk to someone. You may be afraid you’ll be judged, but people who really care about you won’t say a word. People that are important will support you through anything.
If you’re still scared to tell anything to someone who knows you, then go see a therapist. If that’s still too much for you, we have this beautiful thing called the internet. Create an anonymous account and go on Reddit to make your confessions. Maybe there’s a group out there of other people fighting the same battles as you that would love to take you in and support you. Alcoholics Anonymous isn’t the only support group out there. There’s a support group out there for everything.
Back to the heroin epidemic in my area. The sheriff’s department has trained all deputies on how to administer naloxone in case they find someone who has overdosed. An open-door policy has been implemented so that users can come and get help without fear of punishment.
No matter how big or no matter how small, it’s okay to get help. You’re not alone. .
Image via Shutterstock
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Came for the stock photo girl, stayed for the content. Great article Delph.
Beautiful and informative article, Delph.
I hope the concept of drug use as a mental illness rather than a crime continues to gain steam in our wonderful country.
I’ll echo others’ sentiment that this is a great article.
Also, as a country, we could do more to get rid of the stigma of mental illnesses. I’m sure that if more people saw depression like they see the flu, there would be less drug addiction and suicide occurrences.
Really well said. The Heroin epidemic specifically is out of hand in Ohio. Have had at least 2 people from high school that were absolute stunners and many more of people where all I could do was sadly shake my head. Stay as far away from that drug as possible. It hurts so bad to see people go down that road and ultimately lose. Can’t imagine dealing with that as a family member.
Many times it starts from taking prescription painkillers or anti-anxiety meds (i.e Xanax, hydrocodone, tramadol, oxy, etc..). These are very expensive drugs that, compounded with their highly addictive nature, leads addicts to find cheaper, more readily available options through heroin or other street opiates. Not trying to trivialize anxiety disorders or chronic pain, because they are real issues, but it’s nice to see an open dialogue on the subject of getting help no matter what your situation.
Canada has those rooms/houses where users can go and be under the supervision of a doctor while they use but also receive treatment and counseling. Similar ideas are under consideration here and gaining some headway. On a less serious note, I’d help stock photo gal do her math homework.
10/10 times I would help stock photo gal.
Atta boy, Delph.
Sup
Speaking of reddit communities, come check out the unofficial PGP reddit, we’re a welcoming community of basic post grads https://www.reddit.com/r/PostGradProblem/
Recently saw a great quote on The Humans of New York FB page. Guy quit using painkillers and said, “I did it for me but because of my wife.” The only thing people who love you want to see if you be happy and healthy. Reach out to those who you love most and they’ll do everything in their power to help, without judgment.
Thank you for this