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In Natick, MA – Addiction Can Be A Lonely Place
In Natick, Massachusetts, residents are slowly addressing the opioid crisis using a variety of public health approaches rather than simply stigmatizing users and their families.
As reported in the Natick Wicked Local, author Peter Golden provided a clear-sighted overview of how the opioid crisis has been impacting Natick, and offered solutions for towns everywhere to move forward:
“Among the many problems associated with addictive substances, especially the most pernicious and deadly of them all – opioids– is the confusion and lack of understanding surrounding what by any other name is an illness. Dependency, whether on alcohol or any of an ever-growing list of narcotic drugs, can fairly be called a medical issue, not a moral failing.
Yet among large segments of the general public, addiction lies beyond the pale. To use such drugs as heroin or even therapeutic medications like Methadone is to place one in the realm of non-persons outside the boundaries of daily life and civil society.
Addiction, in short, is a very lonely place.”
After surveying the long history of opioid addiction in America, Golden offers steps for moving forward:
“To put it more simply, this is a public health problem and it can be solved. The cops now understand this; our selectmen and town meeting members get it; the medical community gets it and even the pharmaceutical industry has begun to get it…
In effect, the battle with opioids addiction has been joined. What constitutes a “win” may not be fully clear as of yet, but we are gaining ground. The challenge now is to hold it.
“No one brings a casserole when your child is an addict,” has become a widely voiced refrain among the families of addicts. Yet, ever so slowly, local community action is leading to positive change.”
Are you or a loved one struggling with addiction, lying to yourself and others? Don’t wait any longer to ask for help. In today’s environment, you never know when your next dose will be your last!
Our Neuro Rehabilitation approach helps address the root causes of addiction once and for all.
To read more about how Natick Massachusetts is battling the opioid crisis, please visit Wicked Local.
