The Council to Host 2018 Houston Opioid Summit

2018 Houston Opioid Summit Save DateMajor July 25-27 Summit to Gather Multi-Sector Experts to Confront Opioid Crisis & Forge Solutions

The Council on Recovery and the Prevention Resource Center, Region 6, announce the 2018 Houston Opioid Summit, July 25-27, the first summit of its kind to bring together leaders from Houston’s medical, legal, prevention, treatment, legislative, and media sectors to increase awareness of the opioid epidemic and create actionable solutions to save lives.

Taking place at The Council’s main campus at 303 Jackson Hill in Houston, the Opioid Summit will feature keynote speakers, panel discussions, roundtable dialogues, and break-out sessions across four major sectors: Medical, legal, prevention, and treatment. The Opioid Summit will dive deep into this public health emergency that claimed 42,000 lives in 2016 (according to HHS) by exploring all aspects of the issue. It will also examine the role media plays in both the problem and solutions.

The Opioid Summit kicks off Wednesday evening, July 25th, with the free screening of the new documentary – Do No Harm: The Opioid Epidemic introduced by its producer, Harry Wiland, Founder of the Media Policy Center. Thursday, July 26th features an opening keynote address on the scope of the issue, followed by breakout sessions throughout the day and a mid-afternoon keynote address focusing on advocacy. Friday, July 26th opens with a keynote address on the media’s role, followed by additional breakout sessions and roundtable dialogues. The Opioid Summit wraps up Friday afternoon with the intimate and personal perspectives of three nationally prominent figures whose lives were forever changed by opioid addiction. A detailed program for the event will be released by July 1st.

Weds., July 25, 2018, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM – Free Screening of “Do No Harm” & Panel Discussion

Thurs., July 26, 2018, 8:00 AM –4:30 PM – 2018 Houston Opioid Summit

Fri., July 27, 2018, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM – 2018 Houston Opioid Summit

Early-bird Registration: $50 per day (Thurs and/or Friday); After June 22nd, $75 per day (Thursday and/or Friday)

Registration includes breakfast, lunch, snacks, and refreshments.

Licensed professionals in attendance are eligible to receive up to 12 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for this event.

Register at www.councilonrecovery.org For more information, email opioidsummit@councilonrecovery.org or call 281.200.9323.

The Council to Host 2018 Houston Opioid Summit

2018 Houston Opioid Summit Save DateMajor July 25-27 Summit to Gather Multi-Sector Experts to Confront Opioid Crisis & Forge Solutions

The Council on Recovery and the Prevention Resource Center, Region 6, announce the 2018 Houston Opioid Summit, July 25-27, the first summit of its kind to bring together leaders from Houston’s medical, legal, prevention, treatment, legislative, and media sectors to increase awareness of the opioid epidemic and create actionable solutions to save lives.

Taking place at The Council’s main campus at 303 Jackson Hill in Houston, the Opioid Summit will feature keynote speakers, panel discussions, roundtable dialogues, and break-out sessions across four major sectors: Medical, legal, prevention, and treatment. The Opioid Summit will dive deep into this public health emergency that claimed 42,000 lives in 2016 (according to HHS) by exploring all aspects of the issue. It will also examine the role media plays in both the problem and solutions.

The Opioid Summit kicks off Wednesday evening, July 25th, with the free screening of the new documentary – Do No Harm: The Opioid Epidemic introduced by its producer, Harry Wiland, Founder of the Media Policy Center. Thursday, July 26th features an opening keynote address on the scope of the issue, followed by breakout sessions throughout the day and a mid-afternoon keynote address focusing on advocacy. Friday, July 26th opens with a keynote address on the media’s role, followed by additional breakout sessions and roundtable dialogues. The Opioid Summit wraps up Friday afternoon with the intimate and personal perspectives of three nationally prominent figures whose lives were forever changed by opioid addiction. A detailed program for the event will be released by July 1st.

Weds., July 25, 2018, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM – Free Screening of “Do No Harm” & Panel Discussion

Thurs., July 26, 2018, 8:00 AM –4:30 PM – 2018 Houston Opioid Summit

Fri., July 27, 2018, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM – 2018 Houston Opioid Summit

Early-bird Registration: $50 per day (Thurs and/or Friday); After June 22nd, $75 per day (Thursday and/or Friday)

Registration includes breakfast, lunch, snacks, and refreshments.

Licensed professionals in attendance are eligible to receive up to 12 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for this event.

Register at www.councilonrecovery.org For more information, email opioidsummit@councilonrecovery.org or call 281.200.9323.

The Council to Sponsor 2018 Houston Opioid Summit

2018 Houston Opioid Summit Save DateMajor July 25-27 Summit to Gather Multi-Sector Experts to Confront Opioid Crisis & Forge Solutions

The Council on Recovery and the Prevention Resource Center, Region 6, announce the 2018 Houston Opioid Summit, July 25-27, the first summit of its kind to bring together leaders from Houston’s medical, legal, prevention, treatment, legislative, and media sectors to increase awareness of the opioid epidemic and create actionable solutions to save lives.

Taking place at The Council’s main campus at 303 Jackson Hill in Houston, the Opioid Summit will feature keynote speakers, panel discussions, roundtable dialogues, and break-out sessions across four major sectors: Medical, legal, prevention, and treatment. The Opioid Summit will dive deep into this public health emergency that claimed 42,000 lives in 2016 (according to HHS) by exploring all aspects of the issue. It will also examine the role media plays in both the problem and solutions.

The Opioid Summit kicks off Wednesday evening, July 25th, with the free screening of the new documentary – Do No Harm: The Opioid Epidemic introduced by its producer, Harry Wiland, Founder of the Media Policy Center. Thursday, July 26th features an opening keynote address on the scope of the issue, followed by breakout sessions throughout the day and a mid-afternoon keynote address focusing on advocacy. Friday, July 26th opens with a keynote address on the media’s role, followed by additional breakout sessions and roundtable dialogues. The Opioid Summit wraps up Friday afternoon with the intimate and personal perspectives of three nationally prominent figures whose lives were forever changed by opioid addiction. A detailed program for the event will be released by July 1st.

Weds., July 25, 2018, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM Free Screening of “Do No Harm” & Panel Discussion

Thurs., July 26, 2018, 8:00 AM –4:30 PM – 2018 Houston Opioid Summit

Fri., July 27, 2018, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM – 2018 Houston Opioid Summit

Early-bird Registration: $50 per day (Thurs and/or Friday); After June 22nd, $75 per day (Thursday and/or Friday)

Registration includes breakfast, lunch, snacks, and refreshments.

Licensed professionals in attendance are eligible to receive up to 12 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for this event.

Register at www.councilonrecovery.org For more information, email opioidsummit@councilonrecovery.org or call 281.200.9323.

 

How Drugs Affect Your Looks and Your Body

Drugs Affect Looks Woman in MirrorFrom the National Institute on Drug Abuse, here’s the latest on some of the ways drugs can change your physical appearance and your body—for the worse:

YOUR SKIN

Steroids cause acne breakouts on your face and body. Meth causes acne, dull skin, and self-inflicted wounds from picking at your face and body because you think that bugs are crawling under your skin, leaving sores and scars. And don’t forget those needle marks and collapsed veins if you shoot up any drugs!

YOUR HAIR

Steroids can cause baldness in men and facial hair and baldness in women.

YOUR CHEST

Steroids can cause development of breasts in males.

YOUR NOSE

Snorting cocaine can lead to nosebleeds and a decreased sense of smell. Eventually it can entirely destroy the cartilage in your nose.

PHYSIQUE

Meth causes a decrease in appetite, causing you to look thin and skeletal. Steroids can cause you to stop growing – you may never reach your full adult height.

LUNGS

Smoking marijuana can cause breathing diseases, including a chronic cough, bronchitis, and emphysema, and lung inflammation and lung infection.

KIDNEYS

Ecstasy and meth raise your body temperature, causing dehydration, which restricts blood flow to the kidneys and may result in kidney failure.

MOUTH

Meth causes dry mouth, teeth clenching, and poor dental hygiene, resulting in meth mouth – rotten teeth, gum disease, and bad breath.

HEART

Stimulants, like cocaine and meth, cause irregular heartbeats, heart attack, stroke, blood clots, heart damage, or sudden death. Inhalants can cause a rapid or irregular heartbeat, leading to heart failure and death. Fatal cardiac slowdown can be caused by sedatives, prescription pain medication, or opioids. Mix alcohol with any of these drugs and you increase your risk of coma and death!

HELP IS AVAILABLE

If you or a loved one are struggling with drug addiction, call The Council on Recovery at 713.942.4100 or contact us here. We can help!

 

Why Do People With Mental Disorders Turn to Drugs?

Many people diagnosed with a mental disorder start abusing illegal drugs to either fight the symptoms of their illness or deal with the side effects of the medicine used to treat their illness. Scientists have long made the link between mental health disorders and substance abuse. In fact, the co-existence of both is referred to as “co-occurring disorders.”

According to the 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)8.2 million adults over the age of 18 had co-occurring disorders (see a diagram from the survey below).

Co occurring disorders chart2

Consider schizophrenia. About 50 percent of people suffering from the disorder have also abused illegal substances at some point during their lives, according to the article “Treating Substance Abuse among Patients with Schizophrenia” published in Psychiatry Online. 

 “It is widely assumed that patients with schizophrenia use substances to reduce psychotic symptoms and alleviate the sedating side effects of neuroleptics. However, the most common reasons given for use of alcohol and other drugs are to “get high” and to reduce negative affective states including social anxiety and tension, dysphoria and depression, and boredom.”

Researchers have made a connection between schizophrenia and marijuana use in particular. Use of the drug causes symptoms of schizophrenia – like hallucinations and paranoia – to get worse.

Teens dealing with a social anxiety disorder are more likely to start using marijuana at an earlier age, according to a study from Case Western Reserve University School.

What are reasons for the connection? There are young users who take the drug to appear more fun and to “alleviate the social anxiety of making friends,” according to the recent “Canadian Youth Perceptions on Cannabis” report, where interviewers spoke to youth participating in the study. In addition to that, both “cannabis intoxication” and withdrawal from the drug can lead to anxiety.

Regular cocaine use is also linked to anxiety disorders and stress.

If you or someone you love suffering from a co-occurring mental health disorder, contact The Council on Recovery.

[From Get Smart About Drugs, a DEA Resource for Parents, Educators, and Care-Givers] 

Council’s 2017 Quality Outcomes Report Shows High Program Effectiveness & Client Satisfaction

The Council on Recovery’s 2017 Outcomes Management Report summarizes the continuously high effectiveness of our programs and services for those adversely affected by alcohol, drugs and related issues. It also reports impressive client satisfaction among the more than 60,000 people we served.

Infographic Outcomes 2017
© 2018, The Council on Recovery

For more information or to receive a copy of the complete report, please contact the report’s author, Jessica Davison, at jdavison@councilonrecovery.org or use the Contact Us form.