There has been a second kid from my high school that has died from a heroin overdose. I didn’t know him very well. In the midst of this sadness and shock, I also feel a great deal of concern. This epidemic is so real. We hear about it in classes and clinics, we see the statistics but these two deaths of kids in their early 20s so close to home is just…. tragic. I went to a small, rural high school and would have never guessed that this would be a problem in that area.
But heroin doesn’t discriminate, I guess. Rich, poor, urban, rural, male, female. It doesn’t matter. I could go on about how we in healthcare can tackle this problem and various approaches that could be taken to stop this epidemic… but all I really have to say right now is this: if you or someone you know is abusing opioid pain medication or heroin, please please seek help. This isn’t a harmless habit that you can kick at any time, this isn’t just for fun or at parties, this is not the way to escape from your pain.
And if you’re in healthcare, please be compassionate and nonjudgemental. I have seen the jaded ER doctors and heard the jokes made at the patient’s expense once they’re gone- whatever. But while you’re there with them, just remember this isn’t a junkie for you to dismiss. You have the opportunity to change this person’s course, truly. And nine times out of ten, that person will probably storm off, sign out AMA, and/or go to another ER. Been there, seen it. A few sincere, compassionate words expressing your concern for them as a person regardless of their past decisions can’t hurt.
I personally know several recovering heroin addicts. Both of them have expressed to me that in their darkest moments, they felt like no one really cared about them, they were no longer a person… just a junkie. Because they chose to take an unprescribed pain killer that escalated to snorting the pills, to snorting heroin at a party… they weren’t worthy of help. They made a series of decisions that erased the person they were prior and were now simply a “drug addict.” When they thought about trying to get clean they also thought “what’s the point?” And they were treated as such.
This post was a lot longer than I originally intended. I don’t have any real solutions and I’m not saying anything new. This is just scary and I hope that this doesn’t happen to your hometowns and to your people.
