A Message to Those Affected by the Opioid Crisis

This blog post is authored by Mary H. Beck, LMSW, CAI, President & CEO of The Council on Recovery

Most of us are well aware of the opioid crisis facing our communities. We read the grave statistics about addiction and overdose deaths experienced by so many. Impassioned advocates call us to action, treatment specialists inform us on the most cutting-edge practices, legislators pass laws and allocate financial resources to combat this public health emergency. All of this is vitally important.

Yet we are facing a parallel crisis, which is tearing apart families and leaving people in severe distress – a crisis to which our communities are often blind: the trauma and grief experienced by family and friends of those struggling with addiction or who are trying to live in the wake of an overdose death.

Our loved ones die – it is a sad, painful truth. For years, many of us live in fear of this truth – knowing that when someone we love so deeply is suffering from a chronic illness, death may be the outcome. We cherish the moments of reprieve and hope for recovery. At other times, we are doing everything in our power to save them – we suffer in silence once they are gone.

This is true whether your loved one dies from cancer, heart failure, brain disease, and yes, addiction too. If you are feeling the pain of a loved one’s substance abuse or their death, you are not alone. Over 100,000 people have died of a drug overdose in the past year alone – leaving spouses, parents, siblings, and friends behind.

How did we get here?

Americans take 80 percent of all prescription painkillers in the world. New reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Houston High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area confirm that drug overdoses have surged since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, both in Houston and nationwide. The sharpest increases were deaths involving opioids, primarily illicitly manufactured fentanyl. In the last year, fentanyl related deaths in Houston increased by 40%.

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The extremity of this surge is a cause for grave concern for our team, but it only strengthens our resolve to partner with local leaders and community partners to tackle this issue comprehensively and systemically. This takes a multi-pronged approach – focused on education and awareness, providing intervention and treatment, opening doors to recovery, and when necessary supporting family and friends in their grief.

If you are one of the millions watching a loved one’s addiction spiral out of control, or if you have already lost a loved one due to an overdose, you deserve the same compassion and support others receive when they are grieving.  You need a place to turn, where your strength and courage are honored, while your grief and emotions are nurtured. The Council on Recovery is that place – a place to start when you don’t know where to turn and a place to heal.

If you, a loved one, or a client/patient is struggling with opioid use, contact us today, and we can get them the help they need. For more information on our opioid use services, download our flyer.

The Council on Recovery Responds to Rising Trend of Adolescent Vaping with Specialized Services for Teens and Parents

In response to the dramatic rise in adolescent vaping, The Council on Recovery is excited to announce the launch of specialized services specifically designed to deliver education, early intervention, and clinical treatment for adolescents experimenting with or abusing electronic cigarettes.

Lori Fiester, LCSW, MAC, CIP, CDWF, Clinical Director, says “With a new school year just around the corner, we have seen a marked increase in the number of concerned parents and educators whose teenagers are experimenting with or abusing electronic cigarettes. Many parents don’t know where to turn for information they can trust or how to get their children help.”

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s most recent Monitoring the Future survey, the percentage of 10th and 12th graders who reported vaping nicotine during the past 30 days nearly doubled in the past year. This alarming rise is the largest single-year increase of any substance in the history of the survey and translates to approximately 1.5 million additional adolescents vaping.

“Vaping is drawing on Big Tobacco’s playbook to market electronic cigarettes as safe and appealing to adolescents,” says The Council’s President & CEO, Mel Taylor. “When we see stories that the nation’s largest e-cigarette maker is considering opening its first shops in Houston or that Texas teens are being diagnosed with lung disease as a result of vaping, we are very concerned. At some point, every teen will make a choice whether or not to use. We simply want young people to have all the information they need to make a healthy choice. They deserve that.”

In spite of the explosion of vaping among teens, Houston had no dedicated resources to intervene on vaping until now. This fall, The Council will enhance our existing service array for adolescents with the addition of specialized services for vaping. Services will include psychoeducation, comprehensive assessment, intervention, and treatment for teens and their families impacted by vaping. Parent coaching and support, as well as professional consultation will bring needed knowledge and skills to parents and teachers to help them recognize and respond to risky behaviors. To learn more or access services, contact The Council’s intake line at 713-914-0556.

The Council Taking Back Unwanted Prescription Drugs Saturday, April 27

Take Back 2019 photo 1

On Saturday, April 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., The Council on Recovery and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will give the public its 17th opportunity in nine years to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.

Bring your pills for disposal to The Council at 303 Jackson Hill Street in Houston. (We cannot accept liquids or needles or sharps, only pills or patches). This drive up/drop-off service is free and anonymous, no questions asked. The Council’s drive-through covered portico will keep everyone dry in the event of rain. Additional security personnel will also assure the safety of everyone who participates in the event.

Last fall Americans turned in nearly 460 tons (more than 900,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at more than 5,800 sites operated by the DEA and almost 4,800 of its state and local law enforcement partners. Overall, in its 16 previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in almost 11 million pounds—nearly 5,500 tons—of pills.

This Take Back initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows year after year that the majority of misused and abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends. These include someone else’s medication being stolen from the home medicine cabinet.

In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.

For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the April 27 Take Back Day event, go to www.DEATakeBack.com or call The Council at 713-942-4100 or contact us online.

12 Tips for Partying Sober During the Holidays

For a recovering addict or alcoholic, holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s can be annual versions of The Bermuda Triangle. To stay out of the danger zone, it is best to prepare yourself for the potential threats to your sobriety before you encounter them. Here are 12 Tips you can follow for partying sober during the holidays:

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Norman Rockwell (1894-1978), “Freedom from Want,” 1943.
Story illustration for “The Saturday Evening Post,” March 6, 1943. Photo Credit www.nrm.org.

1-Prepare your mind

Have a few lines handy for when someone offers you a drink at a holiday party. “No thank you, but I’ll take a Coke.” If you are constantly asked, be repetitive and consistent with your answers and answer firmly, “No.”

2-Volunteer

Spend time helping at a soup kitchen or helping children’s charities. You’ll find that giving your time will feel amazing and still give you the ability to be social during the holiday season.

3-Be the designated driver for the evening

By being the designated driver, this will make you look responsible and will prevent more people from asking you to drink with them.

4-Celebrate the sober life

Host your own substance-free shindig. Arrange games and chances for attendees to win prizes.

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Snowboarding Christmas outing. Photo Credit: Jakob Owens.

5-Have an escape plan

If you are at an event where people have a lot of alcohol, attend the party with a sober friend. If your urges are too strong, set an alternative plan for the night so you won’t feel obligated to stay.

6-Avoid familiar places

Stay away from old hangout areas and minimize the time you spend with old friends if you happen to run into them.

7-HALT

Avoid being too Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired before an event. This can lead to stronger urges to relapse.

8-Follow your recovery routine

Stick as close to your recovery routine as possible during the holidays.

9-Exercise

Exercise on a regular schedule. Dancing at holiday parties can also help keep your mind off of drinking.

10-Relocate

Try to stand closer to the food than the drinks at social gatherings.

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New Year’s Eve celebration with sparklers. Photo credit: Sang Huynh.

11-Do not overeat

Try not to overeat. This can lead to HALT feelings and feelings of guilt. Instead, watch your portions and schedule meals appropriately.

12-Seek assistance when needed

Attend a 12-step meeting before or after the holidays as a reminder that you are not in this alone. The encouragement will help you stay focused on your sober journey throughout the holiday season.

Many of The Council on Recovery’s staff will be unavailable on major federal holidays. However, the building will be open to host meetings and yoga classes. For more information please contact 713.942.4100 or email us here. Happy Holidays!

Binge Drinking: A Big Problem for Young Adults Not in College

There is a public health crisis plaguing the U.S. once again, binge drinking. People who binge drink may not do so during the regular weekdays, but may consume excessive amounts over the weekend. Binge drinking is the third leading cause of preventable deaths in the U.S. An estimated 88,000 people die from excessive alcohol use each year.

In 1998, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) gathered a task force to solve problems related to binge drinking in college. They analyzed behaviors of college students between the ages of 18 and 24 years of age. Their 2002 study found that from 1999 to 2005, the percentage of college students who reported binge drinking rose from 42 percent to 45 percent. These numbers then declined to 37 percent by 2014. These improved statistics seemed promising, but another demographic became an even greater cause for concern.

Recently, binge drinking for non-college young adults has increased from 36 percent to 40 percent. Young men are twice more likely to binge drink than young women according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

 

CDC chartRepresentation of how many people binge drink in the U.S.; categorized by age. Photo Credit: CDC.

Ralph Hingson, the creator of the CDC study, believes that this group of young adults are binge drinking more because they don’t have as many organizational involvement in their spare time. Binge drinking is not only a problem in adolescents and young adults but in every age demographic in the U.S.

“People often don’t recognize binge drinking as a problem because it’s not a daily thing,” Gregory Smith, M.D. stated in an interview with Men’s Fitness.

The following are signs that a person is a binge drinker:

Becoming a big risk taker

The person may act out of character and make bad decisions that lead to an increased possibility of contracting an STD or getting a DUI.

Drinking heavily every weekend

Abstaining from drinking during the week does not make it a wise decision to drink eight drinks in one night as a reward. Excessive drinking can lead to raised blood pressure, increase the risks of cancer, and interfere with medication.

Exceeding your alcohol limit

If the drinker has difficulty sticking with a planned number of drinks or doesn’t remember how many they’ve had, there is a problem.

Black Out

Heavy drinking interferes with a brain messenger called glutamate which is linked to memory. If the drinker cannot remember events of the night, he/she may have experienced a blackout.

Neglecting your responsibilities

If the person is usually hard-working, dedicated to his/her goals, but has replaced those characteristics with hangovers and drunken happy hours, there is a drinking problem.

About 22 million people need treatment for alcohol or drug addiction, but less than 1% actually receive treatment. If you know someone who needs us, please contact The Council on Recovery at 713.914.0556 for assistance.

The Council on Recovery Launches Houston’s First Relapse & Renewal Clinic

The Council on Recovery has launched Houston’s first Relapse & Renewal Clinic™, a revolutionary program to save the lives of alcoholics and drug addicts who are struggling with sobriety, even after completing inpatient rehab or participating in 12-Step groups.

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The Council on Recovery’s Relapse & Renewal Clinic

“People often get out of treatment and enter 12-Step groups only to find they’ve still got the compulsion to drink or use,” says Mel Taylor, President & CEO of The Council on Recovery. “Over 65 percent of them relapse within their first year of sobriety. Relapse devastates lives, shatters hopes, and is sometimes deadly. It’s a huge cost to society and our healthcare system.”

The Relapse & Renewal Clinic is a comprehensive outpatient program that combines support, education, group therapy, and personalized treatment to prevent back-sliding (or slipping) and strengthen the desire to stay sober. The intensive four-week program gives participants sufficient time to practice sobriety skills and better connect with the local recovery community.

A groundbreaking feature of the Relapse & Renewal Clinic is its use of Recovery Support Consultants to provide direct one-on-one assistance. Each Consultant is trained in relapse prevention and sobriety support, and also an active member of Houston’s recovery community. They guide Clinic participants by encouraging attendance of 12-Step meetings, helping them navigate recovery resources, and being a reliable, understanding person to contact at times of struggle or potential relapse.

The Clinic also serves those who have been sober a while (sometimes years), but find themselves struggling against relapse, or what some in the mental health community call “pre-lapse”. “Our program anticipates these struggles and provides immediate solutions for both preventing relapse and renewing confidence in sobriety,” says Lori Fiester, LCSW and Director of The Council on Recovery’s Center for Recovering Families.

“The key advantage is that participants don’t have to start over in the treatment process, but rather engage in their recovery where they are,” Fiester says. “We don’t focus on negatives, like shame of relapse, but instead take the time to explore deeper issues within sobriety that need attention. This instills resiliency and self-care that build healing and strength. And, whenever possible, we involve the entire family in the recovery process. In this way, the program both saves lives and heals families.”

The Relapse & Renewal Clinic is an alternative to residential treatment or sober-living facilities when such approaches may not be necessary or affordable. The Clinic is open to all adults, regardless of length of sobriety or number of relapses.

The Relapse & Renewal Clinic is located at The Council on Recovery, 303 Jackson Hill Street, Houston, TX 77007. For more information call 281-200-9290 or visit www.councilonrecovery.org #RelapseandRenewal