by Sher Delva | Sep 5, 2017 | Addiction, Addiction Stigma, Addiction Treatment
September 2017 marks the 27th anniversary of National Recovery Month. The purpose of National Recovery Month is to increase awareness of mental and substance use disorder and celebrate people who DO recover.
The theme for National Recovery Month 2017 is: Join the Voices for Recovery: Strengthen Families and Communities.
This year’s theme highlights the value of family and community support. National Recovery Month invites individuals in recovery and their family members to share their personal stories and successes to inspire and encourage others.
The Purpose of National Recovery Month 2017
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is sponsoring National Recovery Month.
Back in 1992, Congress established SAMHSA to help make information and services more accessible to those in need of assistance.
SAMHSA Strategic Initiatives have various purposes, including:
- Providing resources for people with mental and substance use disorders
- Supporting the families of those struggling with mental and substance use disorders
- Building resilient and supportive communities
- Promoting prevention of costly behavioral health problems
National Recovery Month’s overall goal is to educate Americans that addiction treatment and mental health services can enable those struggling to live a healthy and rewarding life.
National Recovery Month sends the message that:
- Treatment is essential and effective
- Prevention does work
- People can and do recover
Every September, thousands of prevention, treatment and recovery programs host events and activities intended to educate the public about recovery. There are millions of lives who have been transformed through recovery. National Recovery Month is about raising awareness of the treatment programs out there. It is also about celebrating the successes of those who have recovered.
Broward Recovery Month Celebration
If you live in the South Florida area, you should consider attending a SPECIAL event occurring in Broward County.
Broward’s Recovery Month Celebration: “honors outstanding individuals who have made significant contributions to helping people in our county remain sober.”
Broward Recovery Month invites you to attend a special recovery event on September 9th at the War Memorial Auditorium. The event will occur from 11 – 3 and there will be food, fun, and inspiration for all. Special guest speakers Heidi and Dug McGuirk will be speaking at this year’s event. Please see our recent article for more information.
The Importance of National Recovery Month
Overall, the mission of National Recovery Month 2017 is to show Americans that addiction and mental illness are not life sentences. There is support out there. There are millions of Americans who have sought treatment and have recovered. Furthermore, through education, we can prevent these conditions from becoming worse. Awareness is the key.
The message that recovery CAN happen changes the face of addiction from one of hopelessness to one of possibilities and success.
There is a way out. Often, the media focuses on those struggling with addiction, however, there are plenty of recovering addicts who have managed to lead successful healthy lives. These successes tend to go unnoticed.
National Recovery Month 2017 helps spread the message of recovery and acknowledge these accomplishments. If someone you know is struggling with addiction or mental illness, give us a call. There is a way out and we can help. Do not wait. Call toll-free today.
CALL NOW 1-888-922-5398
by Justin Mckibben | Aug 29, 2017 | Addiction, Alcohol Addiction, Drug Abuse, Drug Policy, Inpatient Treatment, Outpatient Treatment, Professionals
With substance use disorder and addiction being such a prevalent problem in America, we think it is crucial for people to understand substance use and addiction as best as they possibly can. Part of looking at which professions have the highest rate of substance use disorder is not just about making people aware of how common it is in the workplace, but also to break the stigma of substance use disorder and show that drugs and alcohol impact people in every workplace, from entry level to executives.
Resources of Substance Use Rates
In April of 2015 the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released a survey that combined data collected by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) from every year between 2008 and 2012 to find out which professions held the highest rates of:
The NSDUH assess symptoms of dependence or abuse of alcohol or drugs through a series of questions included in their survey. The questions are based on the criteria described by the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). It defines illicit drugs as:
The NSDUH uses the definition of heavy alcohol use of:
- 5 or more drinks on the same occasion
- 5 or more days in the past 30 days
The rating system includes full-time workers from age 18 up to age 64.
Which Jobs Have the Highest Rates of Substance Use Disorder?
In the following categories, number represents the percentage of works out of all those surveyed between 2008 and 2012.
Heavy Alcohol Use
- Mining workers- 5%
- Construction- 5%
- Accommodations/Food Services- 8%
- Arts/Entertainment/Recreation- 5%
- Utilities- 3%
- Wholesale trade- 2%
- Management/Administrative support/waste management- 9%
- Manufacturing- 7%
- Agriculture/forestry/fishing/hunting- 4%
- Retail trade- 0%
- Transportation and warehousing- 8%
- Other services (except public administration)- 5%
- Real estate/rental/leasing- 5%
- Information- 1%
- Professional/scientific/technical services- 7%
- Finance and insurance- 4%
- Public administration- 6%
- Educational services- 7%
- Health care and social assistance- 4%
Illicit Drug Use
The overall rate of illicit substance use among full-time workers, between the age of 18 to 64 years old, who admitted to having used within a month of taking the survey was 8.6% of workers. That may not seem like a lot, but when you consider that is a percentage of ALL professions it is actually a lot bigger than you think.
- Accommodations and food services- 1%
- Arts/Entertainment/Recreation- 7%
- Management/Administrative support/waste management- 1%
- Information- 7%
- Construction- 6%
- Other services (except public administration)- 2%
- Real estate/Rental/Leasing- 9%
- Retail trade- 3%
- Professional, scientific and technical services- 0%
- Wholesale trade- 8%
- Manufacturing- 4%
- Finance and insurance- 5%
- Utilities- 1%
- Transportation and warehousing- 9%
- Agriculture/Forestry/Fishing/Hunting- 7%
- Health care and social assistance- 5%
- Mining- 0%
- Educational services- 8%
- Public administration- 3%
Substance Use Disorder
When it comes to substance use disorder the data is collected for full-time workers from age 18 to 64 that fit the criteria for substance use disorder within a year of taking the survey. The rates of substance use disorder in different professions include:
- Accommodations and food services- 9%
- Construction- 3%
- Arts/Entertainment/Recreation- 9%
- Mining workers- 8%
- Utilities- 5%
- Management/Administrative support/waste management- 4%
- Retail trade-5%
- Agriculture/Forestry/Fishing/Hunting- 5%
- Wholesale trade- 4%
- Other services (except public administration)- 1%
- Real estate/Rental/Leasing- 0%
- Information- 8%
- Finance and insurance- 4%
- Manufacturing- 3%
- Transportation and warehousing- 1%
- Professional, scientific and technical services- 8%
- Public administration- 2%
- Health care and social assistance- 7%
- Educational services- 5%
Different Job Substance Use Trends
When looking at these rankings we can see a few professions that are consistently represented in the top five of all three categories.
NOTE: Remember the top ranks are not based on the overall number of users, but on the percentage of the total industry.
#1 in Heavy Alcohol Use– Mining Workers
121,000 mining workers that were surveyed contributed to the top ranking percent in an industry for heavy alcohol use. This number may seem small compared to the high numbers of heavy alcohol use in other professions. But think of it like this- If there are:
- 100,000 nurses and 70 of them drink heavily
- 100 miners and 70 of them drink heavily
Which would you think it a bigger issue?
#1 in Illicit Drug Use– Accommodations and food services
Accommodations and food services came in as the top rated profession for illicit drug use. According to the numbers of all those in this industry measured, approximately 1,169,000 were recorded for illicit drug use within a month of the survey.
This statistic does not change when accounting for gender or age differences. What this suggests is there may be something unique about this industry and how people end up using drugs more often working in accommodations and food services more than anywhere else.
#1 in Substance Use Disorder- Accommodations and food services
In terms of substance use disorder the accommodations and food services industry again come in at the top of the list. This time, the numbers of those surveyed shows that approximately 1,038,000 people in this profession actually fit the criteria from the DSM-IV for substance use disorder.
But unlike with illicit drug use, this rating did not stay the same when adjusting for age or gender differences. So what does that mean?
It means the higher rates of substance use disorder in the accommodation and food industry depends on the demographics employed in that industry. For example, if you look at age:
- 18-25 years old this industry is number 2
- 26-34 years old its number 1
- 35-49 years old this industry is number 3
- 50-64 years old its only number 11
So What Jobs are the Worst for Substance Use Disorder?
The big thing here is we must acknowledge that there are variables like age and gender that actually will make a big difference as to which jobs are ‘worse for substance use disorder’, while also recognizing the issue of substance use and addiction is not one size fits all. It is a different story for every individual. There is a formula that takes environment into account, but that formula is not the same for everyone.
A young woman working in the accommodations and food services industry might have a harder time staying off drugs than she might as a school teacher… or maybe not. Young men working in social assistance might find it a lot easier to stay off of drugs than one working in construction. It isn’t a guarantee, but it is a trend we can note.
So, does your job put you in an industry with higher rates of drinking, drug use or addiction? Are you more likely to have co-workers or employees that struggle with substance use than in another position?
With data like this we have to ask- does the job make an impact?
When we consider how central our jobs are to our everyday lives, we should take into account what kind of workplace we put ourselves in and what we have to offer. It is the same thing for those of use trying to work toward recovery. Substance use disorder recovery can be a lot of work, but it is definitely worth the livelihood you stand to gain from it. If you or someone you love is struggling with substance abuse or addiction, please call toll-free now.
CALL NOW 1-888-922-5398
by staff | May 23, 2017 | Addiction, Detox, Drug Abuse, Meth
The overdose death outbreak across America is most notably in connection to the opioid epidemic. Law enforcement and health officials all over the country continue to combat the impact of heroin addiction and prescription opioid abuse, and this issue is a consistent talking point. But opioids aren’t the only drugs that authorities are noticing for an increase with rates of use and overdose. Several state agencies in the U.S. have recently reported a spike in overdose deaths related to methamphetamine.
What is Meth/Crystal Meth?
Meth as an illicit recreational drug that goes by several street names, such as:
This substance usually comes in the form of a crystalline white powder, although other colors have been observed including brown, yellow-gray, even pink or blue. It is often described as odorless and bitter-tasting.
Crystal Meth is a version of methamphetamine that can be made with simple ingredients from drug stores. It comes in clear crystals or chunks resembling ice and is most commonly smoked. This form of the drug has other street names such as:
- Blade
- Crystal
- Glass
- Ice
- Shards
Both forms of methamphetamine, and even amphetamine prescription stimulant drugs, are incredibly addictive and extremely dangerous substances.
New Crystal Meth Stats
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new statistics from 2015 (the most recent year for which federal data is available) that show:
- In 2014 there were 3,700 deaths from methamphetamine overdoses
- More than 4,500 individuals died in 2015 from methamphetamine
- That is an increase of 30%
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), methamphetamine use jumped from 3% in 2010 to 4% in 2015. That may not seem like much, but consider that in comparison to heroin use, which only rose from 1% to 2% during this same time period.
Meth has become rampant in significant portions of the Midwest and in the South. For example, in Oklahoma:
- Methamphetamine was involved in more than 300 overdose deaths in 2016
- It surpassed death rates for both Oxycodone and Hydrocodone… COMBINED!
This huge upsurge in meth use has also prompted more people to seek treatment for meth addiction. For example, in the year 2015 more than 11,000 patients were admitted for treatment in Minnesota, which is nearly twice as many who sought help for meth addiction 10 years before. Other areas that had no previous history with serious meth use rates have also seen a spike in people seeking treatment for meth addiction.
At the end of the day, whether it is legal amphetamine or illicit methamphetamine, these chemicals are known to be dangerous and addictive. Even prescription drugs containing amphetamines are a risk factor. Depending on how the drug is used, issues related to these powerful stimulants may vary. Amphetamines that are crushed or injected will present different complications.
Treating Methamphetamine Addiction
Confronting the risks and adverse effects of meth addiction effectively and safely means utilizing a medical detox and comprehensive treatment program. The physical and psychological impact leads to a number of side-effects and withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms usually include:
- Anxiety
- Agitation
- Incoherent speech
- Dysphoria
- Fatigue
- Lack of motivation
- Sleeplessness
- Vivid dreams
- Suicidal thoughts
The psychological and emotional effects are said to be the most difficult to overcome, while the cravings for the drug are exceptionally strong.
Healthcare officials say they are prepared to help patients during this recent expansion of meth use. However, the director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment at SAMHSA, Kimberly Johnson, believes the current need for treatment may far exceed available resources.
The main strategy for treating meth addiction remains medical detox, followed by inpatient treatment and outpatient therapy. The abuse of amphetamines and methamphetamine, such as crystal meth, is quite serious and therefore amphetamine and methamphetamine abuse treatment is crucial to helping those who struggle with meth addiction.
Overall, the rates of meth use are rising, and there are treatment programs in place to holistically face these issues. For many, meth addiction is an all-consuming threat that takes over their life. If you or someone you love is struggling with substance abuse or addiction, please call toll-free now.
CALL NOW 1-888-922-5398
