International Overdose Awareness Day is a global event held on August 31st each year to remember those gone too soon from opioid overdose deaths. It’s about honoring those who have lost their lives to overdose and supporting the grieving loved ones left behind. Individuals and communities around the world can do this by:
- Creating awareness of the issue itself
- Educating the public on the risks, signs, and consequences of opioid use disorder
- Implementing preventative actions
The overall goal? To reduce the stigma of addiction, spare more lives, and have fewer victims in the coming years.
Why International Overdose Awareness Day is Needed: The Problem with the Current Approach to Opioid Use Disorder
The current approach to the opioid epidemic is to criminalize, rather than support, individuals living with the disease of addiction. For example, locking people up for months on end, labeling them as drug addicts, and leaving them on replacement opioids indefinitely are more significant tactics that have failed. At best, these methods are ineffective. At worst, they stigmatize people and leave them feeling unheard, unseen, and misunderstood. This systemic failure is a significant contributor to the spiraling sense of hopelessness and depression many individuals feel. Ultimately, it contributes to the thousands of overdoses claiming the lives in American society every year.
But There’s Good News
The truth is more promising than what the status quo would have us believe. In particular, addiction is a treatable and reversible condition. It can be a temporary issue and does not have to become an unavoidable fate. People have the right to go through a bad time in their life and recover from it. Their past does not have to limit and control where they go and what they accomplish in the future.
For over 24 years, people from all over the world have chosen Waismann Method as their opioid detox provider.
We know the challenges you face and the importance of creating a unique and personal experience for you right from the start.Call for Detox Options 1-800-423-2482
The problem is that most financial profits are made on long-term management—not on cures or solutions. People are led to believe that the only way to “recover” from their opioid addiction is to use “legal” opioids such as methadone indefinitely.
Let’s say this isn’t due to a greedy or stigmatized perspective — let’s give standard treatment centers the benefit of the doubt. At the very least, these centers and medical teams are operating on a theory of “treatment” that is severely short-sighted. The focus is on managing symptoms of disease rather than addressing the root cause —which in the end still leaves people dependent on drugs.
A Better Way: Medical Detoxification
Don’t let this day pass by without doing something to stop another overdose. #ENDOVERDOSE
There is a better way. Effective medical detoxification is possible and essential. Patients can receive in-hospital medical detox or rapid detox so they can be more emotionally present and engaged in not only addiction recovery but in mental health treatment, too. A medical approach to detoxification takes us beyond the label of “drug addict” and supports the person experiencing it. These medical treatment plans are not pre-set. In contrast, the plans are individually determined and implemented based on patients’ personal, health, and emotional needs.
The compassionate, individualized, and humanistic approach needs to be the new standard of care for opioid dependence. By honoring International Overdose Awareness Day, communities can help support this much-needed shift.
Time to remember. Time to act.
#STOPTHE SILENCE
Involve Yourself: 5 Ways to Recognize International Overdose Awareness Day
Whether you want to honor the life of someone you lost to an opioid overdose, teach your fellow community members about opioid use disorder, or simply raise awareness about addiction in your community, there are plenty of ways you can use International Overdose Awareness Day as a vehicle to help you achieve your goals:
Educate Yourself
Learn about the signs and symptoms of overdose, how to prevent overdose, and how to respond to potential overdoses. The more you know about opioid addiction and dependence, the more you help reduce the stigma with this disease—a stigma that prevents people from seeking and receiving help. For instance, see online resources from the American Society of Addiction Medicine, International Overdose Awareness Day, and the Opioid Overdose Prevention Toolkit from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Hold a Memorial Service
Include in your ceremony something that helps you express your grief and gratitude for loved ones lost to addiction. For example, try candle lighting, tree planting, banner signing, or tribute readings. This service can be as simple or as significant as you’d like—from a quiet barbecue in your backyard to a large service in your local park.
Invite a Speaker to Your Service, Workplace, Church, School, or Any Other Group You’re a Part of
The speaker (or speakers) can be anyone who has been touched by opioid overdose or addiction and/or is professionally knowledgeable about addiction and dependency (e.g., community advocates, physicians, police officers, certified alcohol drug counselors, etc.).
Contact Your Local Media
Create a press release, submit an op-ed, hop on your local news station, or arrange an interview with your local radio station. The more people you can inform in your community about International Overdose Awareness Day, the greater its impact can be. Great things to share and talk about include planned memorial activities, local organizations that people can donate to or volunteer with, and educational campaigns.
Get Connected
If you know someone struggling with addiction and is ready to get help, find a reputable detox and treatment center. Shop around, get second (third, fourth, fifth…) opinions, and arrange tours if possible. Addiction is a treatable condition. Know that you are deserving of the help you seek.
Conclusion
In 2019 the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) ‘World Drug Report shared findings showing that the USA remains the country with the highest drug-related mortality rate in the world. Actually, North America accounts for a quarter of all drug-related deaths globally.
In April 2021, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released new data showing that the number of people who had died from an overdose in the USA within 12 months, from September 2020 to 2021, was 90,237.
In these challenging times, we, as a society, can do more, and we can do better. At the Waismann Method® treatment center and Domus Retreat in Orange County, California, we’re doing our part to change this sobering statistic. Our experienced team specializes in the care of patients living with opioid dependence. We offer advanced medical detox and rapid detox procedures, including anesthesia-assisted rapid detox, as well as a unique and essential individualized model of care.
