Turning Back The Tide Of The Opioid Epidemic

The people I start to help the poor talk about it that is family policy with NC family Pres. John Preston thanks for joining us this week for family policy matters.

It's no secret that a drug addiction crisis is plaguing our state and our nation overdose on opioids and other drugs is now the leading cause of accidental deaths in North Carolina, even above automobile accidents and gun related homicides. Needless to say many of our states. Families have been impacted in some way by the opioid epidemic. Our guest today has dedicated himself to turning back the tide on this trend after losing his best friend to addiction. Board certified in psychiatry, addiction medicine and medical management or guest is Dr. Omar Moniz Walla.

He's the chief medical officer at CAD assistant Charlotte North Carolina and one of the leading experts on addiction Dr. manage Walla. Welcome to family policy matters.

It's great to have you on the show started really good could be.

Thank you in North Carolina that would talk accountable for focusing on critically important issue, not Dr. manage all as we begin our conversation get some perspective on the scope of the opioid epidemic today, both nationally and here in North Carolina sure nationally and permit data are little bit old to pull it together but naturally had about 4000 deaths in 2015 all the effort that 2017 and day in early 2008 that in perspective that more American… Gun violence or vehicle accident more than die from eight more deaths than Vietnam and Iraq wars combined, and which is staggering and a good look at North Carolina over the last year, we estimate that it out about 12,000 diaper from the recent data network losing about four N. Turley per day and the death John because you look at all the other cost challenges got at 16 Miller Carolinian were visiting ERs every day for the overdose is almost $2 billion in medical expenses. Figures have quadrupled over the last 15 years is really no evidence in getting any better yet, most of the deaths or from combinations of drug and even though prescription overdoses are more common than say your heroin overdoses to continue for long because the rate at which the heroine over to I almost. It's over 800% over the last five years so you know that this is not heading in a good direction we are trying to phone you guys are legislators and others are trying to solve this, but still pretty far behind you in North Carolina that one of the lowest rates of doctors who are certified to prescribe effective treatments for this and so it's it's not the worst grade but were were among the lowest in terms of providers able to help people with this crisis so that, in context, and the fixtures problem is not getting better. Sure is a serious problem because increases the rate of increase in deaths and addictions are really staggering, who is based on your research and experience who is most acceptable to falling victim to an opioid addiction so that the ability and I think is really important. Anybody can develop addiction and willpower with very strong constitutions even very strong statement, develop condition, so many addictions about risk of developing the addiction appears to be genetic. It affects any rights culture at the city's economic group.

They can affect many women there are. There are some risk factors are some risk factors and are slightly more risk than women.

The highest risk we see are between 80 16th and 45 and then took really strong factors are having sexual abuse as a preadolescent beauty work. Having a personal history of some other addiction, or even a family history of addiction is a risk factor and then really really strong risk factors are depression, anxiety and other mental illnesses and ended both in North Carolina and the United States right now whites are more likely to become a good other races followed by Native American and indigenous peoples.

But again really can affect anybody. Well, one of the most troubling aspects of this epidemic is how easily someone can move from using opioids legitimately for pain relief after surgery.

For example, to getting hooked and falling into an addiction. Talk to us a little bit about the progression of this problem among someone who you know may initially use opioids for pain relief but then gets hooked and lose into these other more problematic stages of drug use.

Well your question, I think that that addiction is a chronic progressive left untreated mental illness does progressive doesn't get better it gets worse unless we intervene. I think one of the key point to note here, this is true, North Carolina.

By the way as well.

Even though people reduce opioid prescribing overdose rates keep going up and part of that is because of the supply medicine cabinets and on the street twitching like you describe heroin and solicit fentanyl and and even though we've made progress on prescribing.

We haven't talked or causes the epidemic is not by people with chronic pain.

Switching to illicit drugs but on the other hand, there's a lot of evidence that suggests that there's a problem related to how much the Clive opioids. We have 40 grounded medicine cabinets on the street and available to people and you look at people who overdose and do some research and kind of what their lives were like before they start the overdose what you find that in many cases it was addiction to other food that occurred before they started using opioids or they had mental illness or other history of trauma or other risk factors filled you're good to wonder what life a lot of respect for so bottom line we have to be sensible you doctors and others have to be sensible only prescribe these drugs because somebody half with these risk factors and that this is not the best person to be receiving necessarily opioids and in all these cases, we should have access to reversing the overdose by a medication called naloxone which is like the difficult labor opioid addiction in the sense that someone overdoses you can use that to reverse that the people should have access to that yet you dance your question your progress to the list and if we don't intervene on what department I was listening to policy matters resource to listen to our radio show online resources have a place of persuasion in your community to our website and see family.org so what kind of warning signs should families look for. That could indicate that a loved one may be falling into an opioid addiction or other drug addiction, for that matter. Not one of the most common questions that I know how I know my daughter, my wife, husband and so one important point there is that using drugs not addiction for some people do use drugs recreationally without talking about something to recommend to face the rational way that clearly answer that means there is no test for addiction.

You can test for the presence of drugs and some of them being a cop addiction so I recommend you live your listeners will be thanks number one look for the signs of intoxication number two look for the signs of withdrawal, meaning coming off the drug and number three.

Look for the signs of addiction is of intoxication looks different depending on whether it's opioid dependence or alcohol opioid will look for pinpoint pupils, sedation, constipation, slowed breathing, slurred speech, and a lot has people nodding off for withdrawal withdrawal from opioids looks a lot like the flu cc, headache, nausea, vomiting, sweating, insomnia, restlessness and agitation are the ability and the pupils will generally dilate and withdrawal and in the 13 you will look for the signs of addiction, suggesting that the behaviors for things like shopping for doctors, sudden financial problems, relationship challenges anger out in the home at odd hours and explain phone calls line shifting the blame. You could see in a really wide mood swings.

I tell people trust her, got the right would be to manage all your number one piece of advice will resource for parents who have discovered that one of their children, or someone they love may be addicted to opioids worth having a drug problem killing so many communities I see Shane stick my beer and wanting to keep this private and not get help and say the number one recommendation I would have is get help. Don't be afraid to talk about it concretely can be effective, you do need support and talking. I think the people to sign a shattered we can start to look for help to support talk about it back in second really make a difference. Where are some of the best places to seek help for the situation is an individual or someone they care about is struggling with Phil in North Carolina. There's a nice website that lists all the resources that's available what your family members to let yourself you struggling law enforcement officer treatment providers also gathered under one and that is a website you can go to sound opioid resources.and the DOJ.gov opioid resources.NC DOJ… That's a good central clearing house for us where to look to get help when needed treatment but it's the point where the work from your experience, what role can faith or spirituality have both in prevention but also in effective recovery from addiction, absolutely.

So I gave a talk on this very topic at the creation of professional chaplains meeting and then again last month rent North Carolina clergy, convocation, and there's a lot of a lot of interest to write about the role of spirituality in recovery. My book craving. The fact is that spirituality 2012 and helping some people get into and stay in recovery because addiction affects the major domains of life that is excellent. Great, very old book that the classic is called alcoholism on the Christian experience by Woodruff and what worker said he laid down he laid out for brutal dimensions, addiction, and says that it affects things like confession and forgiveness loss and recovery of hope on the variety of spiritual experiences, pride and humility, the perception of work was a loving and welcoming God is the need for harmony between your values and behavior. The role of family history, including a bunch of others and does a nice job of walking through that and it makes a lot of sense and those who are open to it, you know, exploring the role of laws in faith and hope and joy and forgiveness and compassionate and really all the dimensions of of spirituality is really critical for addressing for addressing addiction and it's a component to the appropriate component of addiction treatment and care to make important point to doubt that an assault addiction to spiritual approaches alone. In most cases just like you would solve most heart disease or cancer does approaches alone get medical care that vital but I think people sometimes swing the pendulum too far the other way and said you know what, there's no offer good quality that's just not true. We live in the spiritual world of people do we do people people who are struggling with these kinds of crises of identity of of their own values of the problems of their meanings need to be able to access support in those areas as well. Will a great resource to better understand this issue is all I know is your book craving. While we can't seem to get enough documents while working our listeners go to avail themselves of the very helpful information that you've included in this book so that book is available everywhere.

Books are sold or you can go on work or an easy place to get it is displayed in books.com craving books.com is another place they will thank you for all of your work in this arena and for helping our listeners today better understand this topic of opioid and drug addiction.

It really is a growing growing problem in our state and something that we all need to turn our attention to because there will be loved ones that we care about that are impacted by this either directly or indirectly as we ourselves may well be soaks without Dr. Omar manage while I want to thank you so much for being with us on family policy matters and or your commitment to addressing such an important issue that is impacting our culture and we really appreciate your time which, thank you for the opportunity preventable and can only listen to our radio show online, and for more valuable resources and information about issues important to families in North Carolina website family.org follow us on Twitter and Facebook