I Learned How to Save A Life Today

After a potentially fatal drug overdose, a person can live up to 3 hours before his or her heart stops.

Today, I completed a training at Zucker Hill Hospital to learn how to save the life of someone after an overdose. In the case of opioids and heroin, this is done by administering Naloxone a/k/a Narcon. Narcon is a proven drug that reverses the effects of an overdose. In combination with "rescue breathing" technique, a single dose of Narcon can turn someone who is not breathing and turning blue into someone who lives to see another day. It is literally a life saving medication.

The training was headed by Dr. Belinda Greenfield, who is a national expert on drug rehab and recovery. She gave a presentation regarding MAT (Medication Assisted Treatment) options on behalf of the NYS Opioid Treatment Authority. Opioid use is on the rise in communities across America, notwithstanding socioeconomics, gender, class or race. In fact, in my own community of Great Neck, on the North Shore of Long Island, there have been a growing number of fatal opioid drug overdoses in recent years.

Opioid Treatment

Nearly, 80% of individuals with opioid addiction do not receive treatment. There are many reasons for this, including lack of access to resources, lack of awareness, lack of family support, shame and stigma. There are different paths of recovery and options for care for those that do seek help. In all cases, there is screening, brief intervention and then a referral to long term treatment. (See samhsa.gov/sbirt for referral resources.)

Psychotherapy in combination with MAT saves lives. Individuals receiving treatment often demonstrate dramatic improvement in addiction-related behaviors and psychosocial functioning. Increasingly, experts in the field are recognizing that opioid addiction is a chronic disease which must be treated with a similar approach is in treatment for other diseases, such as diabetes and asthma. Medication treats withdrawal, helps individuals to stay in treatment and stave off cravings, and prevents relapse. Without treatment, many opioid addicts will die, just like any other chronic disease sufferer.

Drugs and alcohol alter brain chemistry and structure. Addiction irreversibly alters neurotransmitters in the brain (receptors). Even when an individual stops using drugs, their brain has been affected permanently. This is especially the case with opioids.

Since the 1960s, methadone has been the "gold standard" to treat opioid addiction. It is highly regulated by the government, but is deemed extremely safe, even for pregnant women and their newborns. The blocking dose for methadone varies for each individual, and the treatment takes into account many different factors affecting the individual. Other medications used to treat opioid addiction include Buphrenorphine and Naltrexone. These medications are not as highly regulated, and may be prescribed by experienced doctors.

Shame and Stigma are Barriers to Treatment

The anti-drug message of "Just Say No" promotes the idea that drug use is simply a matter of will power. It makes the individual's relapse a moral failure of wrongful behavior, rather than a medical disease due to altered brain chemistry.

Abstinence language and a lack of understanding about what triggers relapse also increases shame and blame. A noncompliant addict should not be denied medical treatment.

In our society, there is significant stigma for addicts (and their families) even when they seek long term treatment. This stigma extends to the use of methadone for treatment. There is a growing realization that addicts need to have continuing care and extended oversight (the same way that we would expect for a chronic asthmatic or diabetic), and this should not be a judgment against the addict.

The goal is to keep the individual alive, and to reduce the risk of a fatal overdose. Methadone and other medications can provide relief and actually alter brain chemistry so that the addict has no cravings to go back to using drugs. Of course, therapy and lifestyle changes are critical too. (The same way that a diabetic needs to alter diet and lifestyle, or someone suffering from anxiety may need to go to counseling.)

For a young person who is an addict, there should be no embarrassment or shame for the individual or the family if treatment is needed. A daily dose of methadone could help that young person stay alive and move forward to a healthy and successful future. Parent need to be aware that medication exists that can save their child's life. Ongoing counseling, psychosocial therapy and 12 step groups are also important.

It is normal for parents, and society at large to react punitively when an addict falls off the wagon. However symptoms of ongoing drug use are a normal challenge to treatment. They are not a reason to deny treatment. What is needed is patient centered care. The goal is stability and improved health. In society at large, there are individuals that unabashedly smoke cigarettes and marijuana, or drink to excess. These habits may be harmful to their health, and may even be life threatening. However, these are not reasons for a doctor to deny medical care to these individuals. The same standard should be applied to those dealing with opioid addiction.

How You Can Save A Life:

If you encounter someone who has overdosed and that person is not breathing, call 911 immediately. You have 1 to 3 hours before it is too late. First responders are trained to administer Narcon. According to a new NYS law, pharmacies must offer Narcon over the counter.

FYI: September is "Recovery Month", and many hospital and clinics are offering training and education regarding recovery from drug and alcohol abuse. Currently, New York State has 41,000 individuals enrolled in methadone treatment programs.

To find out about Narcon training in your area, visit 1800-LifeNet.