It’s no secret that the U.S. is the world’s largest consumer of opioids, and in recent decades the rate of opioid overdoses in this country has skyrocketed. Ohio in particular is a state of infamy in this case, with billions of prescribed pills on an annual basis, in a country where the use of opioid-based prescription medication is higher than in any other developed country in the world.
Yet there is one state with a dark history of drug abuse that has mostly managed to slip through the public eye – the state of Texas. Recorded data shows that Texas has some of the lowest overdose rates in the country – yet a report by Houston Chronicle alleged that these rates are undercounted, and that there is a serious case of underreporting of drug-related deaths in the Lone Star State.
This greatly affects drug treatment availability. The availability of drug treatment in the state is mirrored by its overdose statistics, for the most part, the more treatment is needed, and the more can be invested in it. Yet Texas’ underreporting has created an awkward situation for citizens in Texas looking for treatment, in that they may not find adequate coverage.
Texas isn’t the only state hit hard by drug overdoses, and while the infamous opiate heroin is definitely to blame for a large chunk of the country (and the state’s) deaths, prescription medication continues to take the largest death toll, with the CDC stating that the overdoses have quadrupled in recent decades.
The complication here is that there is no easy solution due to the sheer effectiveness of prescription opioids as painkillers for chronic pain, and as effective anesthetics. Their use in medicine is widespread, and no concrete alternatives have been discovered – at least, not with the same potency as opiate-based medicine.
How Opiates Work
Opiates are drugs created as derivatives of opium, an extract of the poppy plant with massive potential for drug abuse due to how the body translates it into morphine, a natural anesthetic. The danger in opiates is that they’re extremely addictive – some data estimates that 2.4 million Americans are using opiate medication non-medically.
Opiates develop a physical dependency, driving up tolerance while increasing the nuisance of withdrawal. Eventually, an overdose occurs – usually, the user passes out and is unable to breathe. Due to the sheer addictiveness of opiates, opiate drugs like heroin are considered highly dangerous. However, prescription drugs like oxytocin continue to circulate the pharmaceutical market because of what opiates do for chronic pain patients and others suffering massive acute pain.
Chronic pain is a fairly widespread condition in the United States. It’s described as pain that lasts longer than 12 weeks or three months, usually from an old injury or some form of nerve damage. Chronic pain is reoccurring, and defined by each patient and their own understanding of pain and discomfort. Typically, pain medication is prescribed as a form of effective pain management, but many treatment providers are working towards eliminating the use of opiates as a form of pain management in light of their potential misuse.
There are no known alternatives to opiates that share their effectiveness, but there are holistic approaches such as utilizing herbal ointments, eating an anti-inflammatory diet, and engaging in regular exercise to stimulate the tendons and reduce swelling, as well as strengthen the body in general. Other alternatives include acupuncture, swimming, and mind-body techniques including mindfulness and yoga.
Helping Those in Need
While the data suggests that addiction treatment services and availability in Texas is limited, the fact remains that few people actively seek treatment for their addiction to begin with. It’s important to point out the treatability of addiction, even opiate addiction, and the massively improved quality of life achieved through recovery.
In cases of self-medication, where the addiction grew out of the necessity of prescription medication, alternatives must be sought while recovery is ongoing, and total sobriety – including abstaining from other forms of medication – is typically necessary.
To make this bearable, some residential treatment centers specialize in providing rehab plus pain management to help patients continue to find new ways to deal with their pain while staying drug-free.
However, residential treatment is just the beginning. The real challenge is coping with pain out in the real world while continuing drug recovery. Many people struggle with staying sober out of rehab without the temptation provided by chronic pain, so proper pain management is the absolutely most crucial element to maintaining long-term sobriety and avoiding a relapse caused by a lack of control.
There are severe cases of chronic pain where pain medication is unavoidable. In these cases, however, it is still ill-advised to utilize opiates – other pain management medication, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatories and corticosteroids can be used instead of opiates, although they won’t be quite as effective.
A Treatment Solution
There are dozens of ways to deal with drug recovery, even with the added complexity of a pain management schedule. However, the details of such programs depend on the nature of a patient’s chronic pain, the severity of the pain, and level of physical dependence and addiction they developed to their previous medication.
Yet for the state of Texas, the treatment solution towards a better future for those struggling to beat their drug addiction only requires one straightforward path, and not dozens – better education, and a public discussion towards the importance of proper drug treatment in the Lone Star State.
Making the Most of Recovery
Once out of rehab, many patients are thrust back into the world after struggling with pain medication, addiction and chronic pain – the jarring difference between professional care at a treatment center and the real world can send a lot of people spiraling down a seriously problematic path of relapses and depression.
Sober living homes can accommodate recovering patients in Texas looking for a place to re-establish themselves among other recovering patients, to focus on both the recovery process and learning to cope with both the addiction and the pain in a state of sobriety.