Former Chicago Public School teacher Claudette Radford can remember teaching an 8th grade student who was dealing with a parent who had a drug addiction. She recalls not only the stress of the student, but the trauma it caused the young girl. This young 8th girl was trying to keep everything together, but it was taking a lot out of her and her entire family. The family wanted to help and support the parent with the addiction because they saw it as a disease and mental health issue.
The current opioid crisis in America reminds this former teacher of this single student and how not only the ones suffering from addiction need help, but also family and friends. “Keeping quiet like this young girl tried to do is not helping, there are so many suffering in silence”, said Radford. The opioid crisis hits home for a lot of people. Even though you may believe it isn’t your problem doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be educated about it and help others.
Opioid medications are used to reduce acute and terminal pain. Opioids are drugs made to replicate the pain reducing properties of opium. They can include legal pain killers such as morphine, oxycodone, or hydrocodone. Illegal drugs include heroin, or illicitly. It has been said that over two million Americans have become dependent on or abused prescription pills or street drugs. During 2015, there were over 52,404 overdose death in the United States and about 63 percent involved an opioid. Users need to take increasingly larger doses to have the same effects as when they first started taking the medication. Some people soon switch to heroin because it is much cheaper.
KIDS ARE AFFECTED TOO
Keida Owens recalls having a friend at school that father was addicted to pain medication and how she thought it was such a scary thing to have to go through while her childhood friend treated it as if it was normal to have a family member with an addiction. She never forgot this girl and wonders what happen to her.
It is also effecting those the foster care system. More funding has been requested in Ohio to go into the foster care system. More and more children have been take out of homes because of parents suffering from drug addictions. Children are also staying in foster care longer because of the length of time it takes for the user to beat their addiction. As a result of their parent’s health issue the children might need to be treated for their own mental health issues after having to live in environment with someone who has an addiction. The money will help with the deficit the foster care system already has due to growing number of children needing foster care.
ARE WE DOING ENOUGH ?
USA Today opinion contributor Connor Goddard explains that Trumps opioid emergency declaration is destined to fail because he has rhetoric without resources. Goddard brother lost his fight with heroin and he wishes for nothing to have even one more day with him. Everything he is doing with TV campaigns and increasing states flexibility with funding are steps forward but in the end, will mean nothing without the support of the communities attacking the problem from the root. Goddard says, that surrounding yourself with positive role models can help. He remembers before his brother’s relapse, when he was excelling, it was because he surrounded himself with supportive friends and even the rehabilitation program he went through was successful.
The opioid crisis is not just the family, friends and the person that has the addiction problem but everyone. As human beings, it is our social reasonability. If you are not helping, your part of the problem, and just as guilty. Helping could simply being informed and having the knowledge or checking in on your friends’ metal state. You never know what could help a person.
curated by kay mckenzie 