I’ve been doing content marketing for addiction treatment centers for nearly 8 years now.
(Anniversary next month, yay!)
So, every year many of these substance use disorder treatment centers observe the global events related to recovery and addiction awareness, including:
- International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD)
- International Recovery Day
- Recovery Month
With IOAD 2024 coming up tomorrow on August 31…
I wanted to share my thoughts, after having a vested interest in trying to help thousands of people end overdose and find recovery.
How the U.S. Is Addressing the Overdose Threat
We place SO much emphasis on helping people be more aware of overdose and the opioid crisis. From helping with:
- Ending opioid overdose
- Raising awareness of the prevalence of overdose deaths
- Teaching about overdose prevention
- Educating on the signs of alcohol and drug overdose
- Leading conversations on social media about harm reduction
And I agree with these efforts. Helping save lives is very important.
As is reducing the threat of overdose on drugs such as heroin, fentanyl, and others — especially when it comes to the impact of drug overdose deaths on public health both in America and worldwide.
Reversing the Overdose Trend Starts with Helping More People Reach Recovery
In the past few years, I’ve been heartened to see naloxone nasal spray toolkits everywhere.
- First, they were on pharmacy countertops,
- Now, you can find them everywhere, from healthcare centers to the average local business.
- Most recently, I saw a box of these overdose reversal kits just sitting outside an Elks Club while picking up my daughter for a luncheon.
This is INCREDIBLE progress.
We now care more about implementing life-saving methods than the stigma these little kits could bring.
My question to that end is:
How have we still not eradicated the stigma surrounding addiction?
After all, addiction is the ugly monster driving the need for overdose response plans in the first place.
4 Tips on How to Combine Overdose and Recovery Efforts
There are hundreds of blog posts out there on overdose awareness day tips and initiatives to end the opioid epidemic.
Here are my tips for helping prevent overdose…
✨ By helping people manage their addiction (substance abuse) instead:✨
1. Offer Your Recovery Support
So simple, so effective.
Did you know one of the biggest factors in recovery is a strong support system?
Check in on people you know are in recovery.
Stand with them. Be a listening ear. Swallow your judgment. And offer to help them find support services if needed.
2. Hold Substance-Free Gatherings/Events
Alcohol is the number one ‘drug’ in the country.
If you know a loved one who battles alcohol addiction, or is in recovery, consider doing this for them.
Really, put your money where your mouth is in terms of being an ally.
Show a loved one you care and stand in unmoving solidarity of recovery efforts.
3. Forget What You Think You Know About Addiction
I was talking to a family member about addiction.
How it robs you of the usual decision-making abilities due to brain chemistry changes wrought by the substance over time.
She said, “yeah, but anyone can decide to take control of their life.”
That is not, in fact, true for many people with addiction, especially for people with severe SUDs like opioid use disorder.
They are literally fighting their own brain and body to get back to health.
Have a heart, please. Together we can.
4. Become an Advocate for Overdose Awareness & Recovery
Pick up a naloxone kit to keep in your car, and learn how to use it.
But go beyond that.
Go to an Al-Anon meeting.
Call a friend to see how their recovery journey is going. Learn the main signs of major mental health disorders like depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Pay attention to these signs in your family members and friends.
Read everything you can on addiction education.
Consider, for the sake of every person you know who fights drug or alcohol abuse…
Changing how you think about addiction.
Only then will we see real progress on both the overdose epidemic and the addiction woes.
Ending the Overdose Threat Means Supporting Our Community in Recovery First
To end the opioid overdose epidemic and on a larger scale, the drug overdose epidemic, we have to look at the root cause.
As an addiction recovery marketer, I work with many of the recovery providers who are doing the good work to help people manage their substance abuse every day.
But we as a community can do more.
Visit the official website for IOAD 2024 to learn more about how you can become an ally and advocate for overdose awareness. Visit SAMHSA.gov for fact sheets on different addiction, behavioral health facts, and treatment providers.
Don’t just treat the symptoms. Treat the disease that is addiction.
Sources
International Overdose Awareness Day. “Homepage.” Retrieved August 30, 2024 from https://www.overdoseday.com/.
NSC. “Make a Difference on International Overdose Awareness Day Aug. 31.” Retrieved August 30, 2024 from https://www.nsc.org/community-safety/safety-topics/overdose-awareness-day?srsltid=AfmBOoqsbCwwV-4FmjIzyWkfXhAb6p5Y_aXqs0j3-xmB553h8cE3Xalh.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “Overdose Prevention.” Retrieved August 30, 2024 from https://www.cdc.gov/overdose-prevention/php/toolkits/ioad.html.