by Sher Delva | Jun 16, 2017 | Addiction, Mental Health, Mental Health Stigma, Stigma, Therapy
All over social media, articles with titles like “5 Ways to Know You’re an Introvert” or “Why Introverts Are Great to Date” continue to gain popularity. Suddenly, it seems like being an introvert is the latest trend. However, the reality is most people still do not know what it means to be an introvert
Many assume that introverts are simply shy people. This is far from the case. In fact, introverts are often actors, performers, and motivational speakers. Introversion has more to do with how you enjoy spending your time re-energizing, and not how shy you are.
Extroverts tend to re-energize by engaging in social activities like going out to eat with friends, or mingling at a party. While introverts may enjoy these activities, they do not find them to be energizing. Instead, they are likely to re-energize by staying home, reading a book, or meeting a friend one-on-one for coffee.
Everyone is different. Introversion and extroversion occur on a spectrum. No one person is completely an introvert or completely an extrovert. However, introverts tend to share certain traits and challenges. Recently, Heidi McGuirk, the co-founder of Revolutionary Health and life coach, opened up about what introversion means.
McGuirk affirms that it is crucial that introverts discuss their personality type with others. Otherwise, it is easy for relationships and friendships to suffer due to misunderstanding.
Introverts vs. Extroverts
McGuirk explains the difference between introverts and extroverts in by using her career as an example:
“The easiest way to explain it is my husband and I do the exact same thing for a living: we both speak, we both teach, we both do seminars and workshops. He can speak all day long, do an eight-hour training and at the end of that training, want to go out to dinner with as many people from that workshop as possible, and stay up and talk and continue to go,” she explains.
However, McGuirk does not respond the same way to social stimulation.
“After I do a workshop, whether it’s two hours or eight hours, I need to go home, fold the blinds, get cozy comfy and disappear and take a hot bath and kind of not talk to anyone.”
Why is there such a huge difference?
McGuirk explains it’s because introverts need to recharge. If this is not understood by all parties involved, it can often come across cold and aloof.
Another example she uses is when she and her husband go to Disney World with their toddler. While McGuirk loves to go to Disney World, at a certain point, she finds she must take a break from the constant stimulation.
“Being an introvert, I love being there, but there’s a certain point that I have at Disney that’s like the breaking point where I just need to kind of go find a spot to be alone, and just be by myself,” she explains.
It’s important to communicate this need, McGuirk says, because otherwise, the people around you will wonder what suddenly went wrong.
“If I don’t communicate that, it can look like 0 to 60 in a split second because I’ll be having fun and all of a sudden, uh-oh, I’ve reached my boiling point,” she says. “ If I don’t tell [my husband] what’s going on with me, he’s left scratching his head going, ‘What’s wrong with her? Is she bipolar or crazy? Or is it me?”
Instead of hiding, introverts need to expose themselves, rather than pretend. Introverts have a tendency to try to overcome their introversion through behaving like an extrovert. However, after a while, introverts burn out and cannot hide behind that façade anymore.
Why Introverts Detest Small Talk
Introverts have a need for solitude and a more focused communication style. It is important to explain those to others who lean on the more extroverted side, McGuirk explains.
Furthermore, introverts tend to detest small talk. Small talk is seen as wasted energy that introverts would rather save for more important, meaningful conversations. For example, introverts are not likely to want to have long, lengthy conversations with their server at a restaurant.
“A ten-minute conversation about fish drains me quicker than anything you can possibly imagine,” McGuirk admits.
On the other hand, introverts find they can withstand deeper conversations much easier.
“If you want to sit and talk about your childhood or if you want to talk about something deep and meaningful, I can do that all day,” she says. “But small talk depletes me.”
Introverts are the type of people who will go to a party or event and talk to one or two, instead of mingling around the room. Deep, meaningful conversations do not drain the introvert like small talk. An article in the Huffington Post explains that most introverts view small talk as meaningless conversation and view it as a barrier to more meaningful conversation.
Author Diane Cameron states, “Introverts crave meaning, so party chitchat feels like sandpaper to our psyche,” or like the depleting of precious, precious energy.”
Introverts Need to Expose Themselves to Friends
Introversion can seriously affect friendships. It is common for introverts to make plans with friends and want to cancel last minute because they desperately need to recharge their batteries.
“You might love your friends and want to be around your friends, but guess what, sometimes you make plans with your friends, and you instantly regret it,” McGuirk says. “But instead of communicating that, you make up a lame excuse or just don’t tell them anything at all, and they’re left wondering what’s wrong with them or what’s wrong with you instead of having an open communication.”
Introverts struggle with very extroverted friends because they feel over-stimulated.
“You might have a friendship that’s overwhelming to you where it’s too much; it’s too fast. It’s too much, it’s too intense, and they want to do stuff all the time,” she says.
Heidi McGuirk says it’s crucial to explain your personality type to these types of friends, so they know where you stand, instead of disappearing. Let them know that you have a threshold for stimulation, and the two of you must adjust to meet each other’s need.
“It’s important that you communicate that because if you don’t, you’re going to suck it down and suck it up and what will happen is eventually, you’ll be overstimulated, and you’ll blow up. You’ll reach a breaking point, and for many people, that’s actually when they start using other coping skills,” McGuirk says.
Communicate or Risk Negative Coping Strategies
These other coping skills may include numbing these desires for introversion with drinking, flaking, disappearing, isolating or cutting people off. Instead, introverts must make themselves a priority. They must expose themselves to others, so they are aware of these needs.
Introverts tend to be highly sensitive people who need time to process the world around them. Introverts do not need to be cured or fixed, and this is not possible regardless. Instead, they need to be understood, just like all types of personalities.
Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Have you discussed your personality type with those around you? Do not try to numb or hide your true self. Instead, expose who you truly are. If you are struggling with mental illness or addiction, please reach out. We want to teach you the right coping mechanisms. Call today.
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by Sher Delva | Jun 5, 2017 | Addiction, Addiction Stigma, Detox, Drug Abuse, Mental Health, Stigma, Therapy, Withdrawal
If you have gained a significant amount of weight after rehab, rest assured you are not alone. Like the freshman 15, gaining weight is practically expected. In fact, 65 percent of people gain weight after leaving rehab. Even more struggle with eating disorders, compulsive overeating, or what is now known as “food addictions.” What is the correlation and how can we get to the bottom of this?
First, we must look at the brain. Drug addiction and overeating have similar effects in the brain. When you were using drugs, it released happy chemicals like dopamine and serotonin which made you feel good. After becoming sober, you may find that you use food to acquire those same happy chemicals.
You might try to “replace” the high you felt from drugs with unhealthy foods. Foods high in fat, sugar, and calories tend to initiate a quick dopamine response in the brain. Unfortunately, like drugs, this happy feeling does not last long. Eventually, you crash and then try to eat again to achieve that same feeling. Substituting food for drugs or alcohol may lead to compulsive overeating and yes, weight gain.
Weight gain can be a source of personal suffering for some, and may even lead to a relapse. It can also contribute to health consequences like heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. It is important to address the reasons why you have gained weight in recovery. Nutrition is crucial in the early stages of recovery, so it is important to recognize when you are not taking care of yourself properly.
Five common reasons people struggle with weight gain during recovery:
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Stress
Stress is a risk factor for overeating. In the early stages of recovery, you may find yourself under a lot of stress, and now you do not have your drug of choice to mask those feelings. Research has shown time after time how stress can lead to overeating. For many, stress can lead to compulsive overeating and obesity.
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Lack of Dopamine
One major reason for overeating is a lack of dopamine receptor in the brain. When the brain is low in dopamine, it affects impulse control and emotional regulation. Most people with any addiction have a lack of dopamine in the brain. The brain does not instantly recover once you stop using. In the absence of drugs for this reward mechanism, food becomes the next best thing. Weight gain inevitably follows.
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History of Eating Disorders
Another reason for weight gain is a history of eating disorders before entering rehab. Dual diagnosis in rehab is extremely common. Many enter rehab with other psychological conditions including eating disorders. Almost 40 percent of women in recovery meet the criteria for an eating diagnosis. Men in treatment also experience binge eating and weight gain, especially in the beginning as they seek to satisfy cravings for drugs and alcohol. Few treatment centers screen their clients for eating disorders, so this is often not addressed once the recovering addict exits treatment.
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Untreated Depression or Anxiety
As stated above, dual diagnosis is very common in treatment. Many addicts enter treatment with a history of anxiety and depression. Treatment for mood disorders can help reduce the risk of overeating related to these co-occurring disorders. Often, anxiety and depression can lead a person to overeat in an attempt to relieve themselves of these emotional hardships. Overtime, overeating occurs which leads to weight gain.
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Nutritional Deficiencies
In some ways, weight gain after recovery is not a bad thing. Many recovering addicts are nutritionally deficient after detoxing from drugs. Chances are, there eating behaviors and lifestyle choices were not healthy while using. Eating can be a way of restoring your mind and body back to health. It is important to eat the right foods, however overstressing about weight gain should not be your main concern after leaving treatment. Your body may just be in a healing process. Your priority should be staying sober.
Despite the importance of nutrition in recovery, it is uncommon for treatment facilities to address it. It is important to go to a facility that incorporates wellness into the recovery process. While in treatment, take steps to eating healthy and exercising so that it becomes a lifestyle change upon leaving treatment.
There are steps that you can take to improve your overall health and well-being. Talk to your doctor about supplements you can take to help make the process easier. We encourage you to develop a healthy eating and exercise plan while you are in treatment. The staff at your facility may be able to help you along this process.
Overall, being mindful of your health while in treatment and after treatment is important. If you have gained weight after rehab, do not fret. Simple changes can turn it all around.
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by Sher Delva | May 22, 2017 | Addiction, Addiction Medicine, Addiction Stigma, Mental Health, Stigma, Therapy, Uncategorized, Withdrawal
A recent article in Psychology Today explores the topic of chronic stress and how stress can increase vulnerability to addiction.
Have you dealt with a lot of stress lately? If so, it might be time to take care of it. Stress is a major risk factor in addiction recovery. Stress may increase the chance of a relapse. Stress is a normal part of everyday life and while it may not be possible to eliminate stress completely, there are ways to manage it better.
What is Stress?
Most of us have been stressed before, but how exactly do you define stress? Stress is defined as adversity or hardship that a person experiences. Biologically speaking, stress causes a rise in our blood levels and increases stress hormones, like cortisol. Fight-or-flight is the normal response to stress. In this state, all the blood goes to the muscles so that you are ready to take off when necessary.
There is a difference between chronic and normal stress. Moderate stressors in life are perceived to be pleasant. In fact, some people love a challenging stressful situation that promotes the release of stress hormones. However, intense and prolonged stress due to unfortunate situations can produce feelings of helplessness and depression.
Chronic stress increases the risk for developing:
- Depression
- The Common Cold
- Influenza
- Tension Headaches
- Clenching of the Jaw
- Teeth Grinding
- Tension of neck and shoulders
Stress stems from a multitude of sources. Trauma in early childhood can make people more vulnerable to stress later in life. There are studies that suggest stress in early life can cause methylation of key genes that control the stress system When this happens, we remain in a constant state of emergency.
The workplace is another environment prone to chronic stress.
If your job is very demanding, stress is a likely result. On the same note, those who feel unappreciated at work or unimportant are susceptible to developing clinical anxiety and depression, as well as stress-related medical conditions like ulcers and diabetes.
For some, a common remedy is abusing addictive substances. Research in human studies reveals that adversity during childhood and early life can increase the risk for addiction. Furthermore, people with an unhappy marriage, dissatisfaction with employment or harassment also report increased rates of addiction.
The more stressors a person is exposed to, the greater risk of substance abuse. Economist Deaton (2015) shows that less educated white Americans who struggle in the job market during early adulthood are more likely to experience “cumulative disadvantage” over time, with health and personal problems that lead to drug overdoses, alcohol-related liver disease, and suicide.
Why is this?
One explanation is the self-medication theory. This theory suggests that a person uses drugs to cope with stressors or relieve themselves of anxiety and depression resulting from a traumatic event. Thus, drug use acts as a mean to soothe the psychological distress.
High emotional stress is linked to loss of impulse control and an inability to delay gratification. Chronic stress decreases gray matter volume in the brain. This area is associated with cognitive control and stress regulation.
Essentially, stressed people are prone to give into their impulses as a way of coping with daily stress. In sum, people who are more stressed lack the ability to make rational decisions.
In conclusion, learning to manage stress is crucial to success in recovery. if you are struggling, reach out for help. There are a variety of treatment options available to manage stress. We are a phone call away. Please take care of your health. Call now.
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by Sher Delva | May 22, 2017 | Addiction, Addiction Medicine, Addiction Stigma, Mental Health, Stigma, Therapy, Uncategorized
A needle exchange program in the Bronx, New York is stepping up to combat the ongoing opioid crisis and rising overdose death rates. Their latest tactic is handing out fentanyl test strips to heroin users.
The reasoning behind the test strips is to lower overdoses due to fentanyl-laced heroin.
Staff member Van Asher explains that the test strips will help addicts determine whether or not there is fentanyl is the drugs they’re using. The strips are usually used to drug test urine, but people can put a little of the mixture that’s in their syringe onto the strip to test whether or not what they are injecting contains fentanyl. This will help them make a more informed decision about what they are putting in their bodies, Asher explained to NPR.
Studies conducted by the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention revealed that most people do not know whether the heroin they’re using contains fentanyl. Asher told NPR that he started handing the strips out of desperation to curb the overdose rates among his clientele.
With each strip, Asher gives a survey to fill and report back. Unfortunately, Ashley admits getting clients to follow through is a difficult task.
Still, Asher is now working with programs around the country to try to replicate his idea. The idea originated at Inside in Vancouver Canada, North America’s only safe injection facility.
However, the major difference is that if someone is choosing to use their fentanyl-laced heroin at Inside, they can be medically monitored and an overdose is more likely to be reversed by staff, preventing death.
In the United States, safe injection facilities do not exist yet. While there are few areas testing the concept, none have yet to become established. Furthermore, harm reduction strategies remain a controversial topic. Therefore, it is up to the drug user to monitor how they use the drugs.
Some simply are not convinced.
Drug users like Vincente Estema explain that knowing there is fentanyl in his heroin is not going to stop him from using.
“It’s stronger! If it makes me feel the euphoria, I’m going to go for it,” he told NPR.
When an addict is at the point of wanting to use drugs, it is unlikely that the fentanyl test strips would deter them from using. However, it would at least inform them of the risk they are taking, and could potentially reduce the amount of the drug they take.
In 2015, the spike in fentanyl-laced overdose deaths led the Drug Enforcement Administration to issue a nationwide warning about the drug.
“Drug incidents and overdoses related to fentanyl are occurring at an alarming rate,” said DEA Administrator at the time, Michele Leonhart, calling it a “significant threat to public health and safety.”
During a three-month period in 2016, 74% of opioid overdoses in Massachusetts were caused by fentanyl! Fentanyl is up to 100 times stronger than morphine and is the strongest opioid available to doctors; even worse, different variations of fentanyl are hitting the streets like carfentanil and acryl fentanyl.
The numbers from Massachusetts indicate that heroin overdoses are dropping, but opioid-related overdose deaths continue to increase. Authorities agree that fentanyl is to blame. In a press release, Massachusetts Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders called the data, “a sobering reminder of why the opioid crisis is so complex.”
Do you believe these strips could help combat the opioid epidemic? Would it affect how an addict uses? Regardless, any addict continues to use needs to seek help instead. The next time you use could be your last. Recovery is possible. We want to help you. Call now.
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by Sher Delva | May 16, 2017 | Addiction, Addiction Stigma, Mental Health, Stigma, Therapy
When Frank McKinney graduated high school, he earned his diploma with a less-than-stellar 1.8 GPA. With $50 in his pocket, McKinney left his native state of Indiana and headed to Florida in search of his life’s highest calling. Despite all odds, he managed to become successful.
McKinney is an accomplished author, real-estate artist, and philanthropist. In real estate, McKinney started with a $50,000 fixer upper and worked his way to a $50 million oceanfront mansion. He is a 5-time International Bestselling Author (in 4 genres), and an ultramarathon runner.
The Real Deal On… Reinvention
Recently, McKinney was a guest on The Real Deal On… with Dug McGuirk. The conversation occurred in one of McKinney’s stunning micro mansions where he discussed the theme of reinvention and rediscovery.
In the first 25 years of his real-estate journey, McKinney focused on building huge mansion-like homes for the ultra-wealthy, but later he discovered a shift in the mindset of the rich. McKinney talks about his decision to develop “micro mansions.” He says the experience was a valuable life lesson.
“We realized there was a shift. You can become complacent, you can become in denial, but there’s been a big shift in that the ultra-wealthy are not wanting houses that are as big as they used to. So we took the opulence, the grandeur, the artistry, the beauty [and] shrunk it down to a more manageable size.”
“That was huge— I’ve built bedrooms bigger than this house!” McKinney says. “4,100 sq. ft. is the biggest bedroom I’ve ever built. This [home] is 4,087, so it’s 13 sq. ft. smaller than the bedroom I built.”
“But part of the beauty of reinvention is a reigniting of the soul after you’ve done something for so long…” he explains.
On Running Ultra Marathons
Along with his professional accomplishments, McKinney has run several ultramarathons. An ultra-marathon is a marathon “of any distance longer than a regular marathon” which means it can be a marathon of 35, 50 or 100 miles. The ultra-marathon McKinney runs is an astounding 135 miles.
Known as The Badwater Ultramarathon, it is considered the “world’s toughest footrace” according to National Geographic. It takes place in the Badwater Basin in California’s Death Valley.
Initially, McKinney says the idea of completing the ultramarathon was “unfathomable.”
“It’s 135 miles nonstop through the desert in July where the daytime temperatures are 125 and the pavement temperature, because you’re running on a road, is over 200 degrees,” he says. “You can fry an egg on it. I’ve seen people fry an egg on it.”
“I learned about this race, and I had it—insurmountable, incomprehensible, impossible— lay itself on my heart. I had two choices, to believe that it was those three things…but others had done it?” He says.
“So I hired a coach.”
Although McKinney did not consider himself to be a “coachable” person, he knew it was what he needed to get on the starting line. He explains how runners must be selected to participate in the Badwater Ultramarathon and to apply to the race “is like applying to Harvard or Yale.”
In total, McKinney has run the race ten times and completed the race seven times.
“When I’m in that race, it is a metaphor for life. There are extreme highs, euphoric highs, and then ten miles later, I could be bawling my eyes out because I feel like you-know-what, and I’ve got another 70 miles to go, and I already have blisters on the bottom my feet,” he says.
“What I’ve learned though is with faith, patience and the passage of time, those low points pass. Unfortunately, so does the high points!”
Still, McKinney says he learns from his failures as much as his successes. There were three consecutive races that he did not finish.
“I’ve failed three times in a row. I’m aging out; I’m getting too old,” he admits.
“Last year, […] I wanted to quit so many times, and I had all my meltdowns, problems and issues, but I never let my mind cross over. It wanted to, and it was ready to. I take my shoes off and throw my glasses down… but I never made that cross over,” he says.
“So maybe for somebody who’s going through recovery, you’ve crossed over, you’re sober now; don’t ever allow your mind to cross back over.”
Pushing Through the Internal Dialogue
Later in the interview, Frank McKinney answers how he overcomes the monsters in his head considering all of the risks he’s taken to be successful. Ultimately, he says outside criticism can be a source of motivation. He learned this lesson when he was building a 30 million dollar spec house a while back.
“I was told when we built that house…a guy from M.I.T was quoted in this article in the USA Today saying, ‘There’s no market for a $30 million spec house, there’s no buyer for it. That young man (at the time I was younger), will be dumpster diving in a year.”
“I’m like, ‘Oh my god! What if he’s right!’” he remembers.
“I went out and busted even harder, and I ended up selling that house in a relatively short period of time, and I took the article that was written about that house. I remember cutting it out, and I took a picture of me sitting in a dumpster, and I sent it to the dude at M.I.T.”
The lesson learned, McKinney says, is to take it from the source. Sometimes that inner dialogue can be a tool of productivity, he explains.
“I will always consider the source, and it’s really important to allow the little monster in. It’s okay! I allow some of that in. I want the feedback from the marketplace,” McKinney says.
“It gets back to that creation of your own reality,” he says.
“People that go through recovery […] they’re wired a little bit differently. They’ve got a synapse or two that are different than the rest of us. I think it’s a gift. I think that the person who enters those doors, they struggle. They can be tortured at times with that gift. But if you can turn that into a true gift, as I mentioned before, you’re not going to change, but redirect into something constructive instead of destructive, you can set the world on fire. “
“I have not changed. I still have that addictive personality. I’m addicted to excitement, but I’ve found a constructive outlet.”
The Difference between Motivation, Inspiration, and Aspiration
Whether it’s in recovery or everyday life, many dig for motivation or inspiration to push them along hardships. Looking back, Frank McKinney says an important lesson he learned in life was understanding motivation does not last.
Motivation “washes down the body and goes down the drain with the soap at night,” he says.
“You can read a motivational quote on Facebook, how long does that last? About three seconds?” he says.
“There’s a little bit of relief to know that we are not, as a species, meant to stay motivated.”
As for inspiration, that does not last either.
“Inspiration lasts about as long as a bad sunburn,” he says. “You can read an inspirational book, and it will last for a while. I’ve had some that lasted for a while. Or you watch an inspirational movie. Eventually, it wears off.”
So if motivation does not last and inspiration does not last, what does last? What is it?
“It’s aspiration. When you identify something that really is greater than you can comprehend now,” McKinney says.
Ask Yourself:
- What legacy do you aspire to leave behind for your family?
“If you answer that every single day of your life, you may lose motivation or inspiration, but that aspiration, endeavor or undertaking, you’ll never lose sight of that,” McKinney affirms.
- Who do you aspire to emulate?
- “I aspire to _blank_ which is higher than I can comprehend ”
Overall, love is at the basis of everything, he says. Everyone wants to be happy, but beneath all of that is the want to be loved. Peel all the layers and love is beneath it all.
“Being in love and living in love and having that beautiful word in your life is magic,” McKinney says.
Throughout the 40-minute interview, McKinney discusses taking and embracing risks, the importance of creating a creative space and other powerful lessons learned through his real estate journey. When asked about his greatest accomplishment, he credits his philanthropy work in Haiti, building homes for the less fortunate. Furthermore, he also shares lessons learned in his 27-year marriage. Please watch the full interview to hear more about his incredible journey!
Frank McKinney’s journey shows the importance of recreating your reality and the importance of reinvention. Regardless of the cards handed to you in life; you still have the ability to move forward. If you or someone you know is struggling in recovery, know there is help out there. It is never too late to change. Call now.
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by Sher Delva | May 11, 2017 | Addiction, Addiction Medicine, Addiction Stigma, Drug Abuse, Heroin, Mental Health, Stigma, Therapy
Public bathrooms are ground zero in the opioid epidemic, according to a recent report. Addicts like Eddie* know all about this. In an interview with NPR, Eddie declares every single bathroom in Cambridge, Massachusetts that he among many others uses to get high.
“I know all the bathrooms that I can and can’t get high in,” says Eddie, 39, in the interview.
“With these bathrooms here, you don’t need a key. If it’s vacant, you go in. And then the staff just leaves you alone,” Eddie says. “I know so many people who get high here.”
Even at fast food places, Eddie has his technique for gaining access.
“You don’t need a key, but they have a security guard that sits at the little table by the door, directly in front of the bathroom,” Eddie says.
“Some guards require a receipt for admission to the bathroom,” he says, “but you can always grab one from the trash.”
*Name Changed
Managing Public Bathrooms is ‘Tricky.’
Businesses in the area struggle to come up with solutions to the problem. Some have installed low lighting, blue in particular, to make it difficult for users to find a vein.
The city of Cambridge plans to install “Portland Loos” in the heart of Central Square by the end of the summer. The “Portland Loo” public bathrooms originated in the city of Portland, Organ. These toilets reduce privacy and ensure police can see in if they suspect illegal activity.
Furthermore, the Loos have:
- No running water inside: Prevents people from using the water to clean themselves.
- No mirror: People tend to smash mirrors.
- Bars at the top and bottom of the structure: This reduces privacy. Cops can peep in near the ground to make sure there’s no more than one set of feet inside. Furthermore, you hear sounds inside and outside of the bathrooms. Nobody wants to stick around these toilets for long.
- A graffiti-proof coating: No one will be tagging these bathrooms.
- Walls and doors made from heavy-gauge stainless steel
Business owners hope that these bathrooms will relieve pressure on their bathrooms. However, others worry they will become a haven for drug use.
The bathrooms at 1369 Coffee House in Central Square are open for customers who request the code from staff at the counter. Owner Joshua Gerber required this step to make the bathrooms safer. He also installed metal boxes in the mall next to his toilet for needles and other things that clog pipes.
“We’d find needles or people’s drugs,” Gerber says to NPR. “It’s a tricky thing, managing a public restroom in a big, busy square like Central Square where there’s a lot of drug use.”
In recent years, Geber and his staff have found several people lying on the bathroom floor unconscious.
“It’s very scary,” Gerber says. “In an ideal world, users would have safe places to go that it didn’t become the job of a business to manage that and to look after them and make sure that they were OK.”
Safe Needle Exchange Programs?
In the past, we have mentioned areas in Canada and some European Countries that offer safe areas to do drugs. The United States is slowly coming around to providing these facilities as well. Though controversial, these safe needle injection sites offer a place for addicts to use drugs and reduce overdose fatalities. They also reduce crime and will hopefully reduce drugs done in public restrooms.
The city of Las Vegas plans to decrease the risk of sharing contaminated needles by installing vending machines throughout the city. These vending machines would provide clean needles to addicts reducing infectious diseases. They would also offer disposal containers to dispose of needles safely. This would prevent needles from being disposed of improperly.
Officials in several states in America have proposed the implementation of supervised injection facilities, including:
- New York
- California
- Washington D.C.
Supervised injection facilities (SIFs) are legally sanctioned locations where people who use intravenous drugs can inject pre-obtained drugs under medical supervision. There are pros and cons to these facilities, however, they are likely to reduce drug sue on the streets and reduce infections from needle sharing. Furthermore, they reduce overdose fatalities.
Limits on Discussion and Direction
Overall, discussions on safety practices for bathrooms remain sparse. There is a reason why:
“It’s against federal and state law to provide a space where people can use knowingly, so that is a big deterrent from people talking about this problem,” says Dr. Alex Walley, director of the addiction medicine fellowship at Boston Medical Center.
Still, without guidance, many libraries, town halls, and businesses are shutting their bathrooms down to the public. Closing down public restrooms leads to more drug use, injuries and discarded needles on the streets and in parks with children playing.
There are a variety of methods that could make bathrooms safer for the public and drug users.
- A model restroom would be clean and well-lit and have very few cracks and crevices for hiding drug paraphernalia.
- Bathrooms should also contain a biohazard box for needles and bloodied swabs.
- These bathrooms would also need naloxone and perhaps sterile water.
- The door with open out so a collapsed body would not block entry.
- It would need to be easy for EMTS and authorizes to unlock from the outside in the case of an emergency.
Very few bathrooms meet these standards in the United States. Sadly, as the opioid epidemic continues to take lives each and every day, these issues must be addressed. How can cities improve the safety of their public bathrooms?
Doctors, nurses and public health workers who help addiction patients every day argue the solution will have to include safe injection sites.
If communities like Boston start to reach a breaking point with bathrooms, “having dedicated facilities like safer drug consumption spaces is the best bet for a long-term structural solution that I think a lot of business owners could buy into, “ says Daniel Raymond. Raymond is deputy director of policy and planning at the New York-based Harm Reduction Coalition.
No business groups in Massachusetts have come out for such spaces yet. Time will tell what changes occur. Getting the right kind of treatment for drug addiction is paramount to progress. If you or someone you love is struggling, don’t wait. Please call toll-free now.
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