Drug addiction is not a lifestyle, it’s not a choice, it’s not a character flaw and it’s not a weakness – it’s a disease. It’s a disease like so many other damaging and terrifying diseases, especially given that the consequences of trying to carry on with the disease of drug addiction can not only lead to tangible, physical harm, but it can also lead to someone paying the ultimate price for not getting this disease treated: the loss of life.
There’s nothing worse than someone losing a life early because he or she did not get the needed help to fight this drug addiction such that it ultimately led to a drug overdose. For the first time in decades, fatal drug overdoses dropped in the United States in 2018 as compared to 2017. That was an encouraging sign, but sadly it did not turn out to be a trend.
According to a recent release of data, fatal drug overdoses rose once again in 2019 when compared to the previous year. The data was put out by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the CDC, which compiled, organized and published the information. According to the report:
- Nearly 71,000 projected deaths occurred due to drug overdoses in the United States in 2019.
- That represented an increase of nearly five percent as compared to 2018.
- It also eclipsed the previous record of 70,699, set in 2017.
- 37 states saw fatal drug overdoses rise in 2019.
- Only 13 states saw fatal drug overdoses decline during the same timeframe.
The term “projected” is being used by the CDC because there is a small percentage of deaths that are still being investigated and recorded with local authorities. Of all of the fatal drug overdoses, opioids was the substance involved in more than half of all fatalities. However, nearly ever drug or substance that appeared in the data saw its usage deaths increase when compared to the previous year.
In addition, most experts agree that the number of fatal drug overdoses is likely to rise in 2020 given the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic and all the resulting challenges associated with lockdowns and other restrictions on daily life. These reactive measures have already been shown, according to studies, to have had a deleterious effect on the overall state of mental health in the United States, which in turn has led to more substance use and misuse.
It’s Not Just Opioids
One of the obvious factors in the steady rise in fatal drug overdoses in the United States over the past 30 years – 2018 aside – is the prevalence of prescription medications such as opioids. Millions of opioid prescriptions are filled across the country every year, and millions of people have become addicted to them after initially using them as pain medication following some sort of medical situation. Opioids are highly addictive and extremely dangerous when the addiction takes hold, but according to the data, they were hardly the only culprit in this public health emergency.
The CDC report specifically cited synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, in its report. Experts from across the professional spectrum have stated that there is a troubling tendency for people to either use fentanyl on its own or to mix it with other medications to provide more of an immediate and powerful narcotic effect. Still others have passed away because they ingested fentanyl unknowingly, and this is a substance that is extremely toxic and extremely powerful.
In addition to “laboratory” drugs, as they are often called, fatal drug overdoses from “street drugs” also rose in 2019 as compared to the previous year. Substances such as heroin and mixed cocaine claimed more lives last year than previously, and that’s also a trend that seems to be continuing during the first half of 2020. In short, drug overdoses are becoming more of a problem on a daily basis, as basic math reveals that more than 194 people die every day because of this problem. That further equates to more than 8 people every hour, or one person every 7 – 8 minutes. That’s also nearly twice as many deaths as compared to car accidents in the United States in 2019.
It’s Not Just Fatal Overdoses
As terrible and dangerous a problem as fatal drug overdoses is in the United States, this is not the only concern that should be addressed. For every fatal drug overdose, there are thousands of others who are struggling with substance abuse on some level. They may not be facing death per se, but they are facing other serious problems that are a result of their disease. These troubles include:
- Loss of a job
- Alienation from friends
- Estranged family members
- Behavioral problems
- Mental health problems
- Depression
- Anxiety
Unfortunately, every person is different, which means that everyone who struggles with substance abuse is going to react differently to it and likely face different specific challenges that arise as a result. This is not a disease that reveals itself by way of bruises, cuts or casts, and like mental health difficulties it’s one that may need to be perceived by others as opposed to merely seen.
Swift Recovery Solutions Can Help
What this also means is that every person who struggles with drug addiction needs an individualized form of help. There is no one-size-fits-all cure, and drug addiction is a disease that can be defeated but also one that needs to be fought on an ongoing basis. Swift Recovery Solutions is a team of drug addiction professionals who understand the realities of this individual battle. If you decide to take the brave step of getting help so you can avoid becoming a tragic statistic, understand that we will do what’s necessary to identify the foundation of your disease and fight it with you until you’re ready to get back into living the life that you deserve. Contact us today if you’re ready to get your life back on track and treat the disease that’s been harming you.
