In honor of Overdose Awareness Week, David Van Der Velde wrote an article on Thrive Global about what concrete actions can be taken to fight against this public health epidemic. The article, entitled Overdose Awareness Involves More Than Just Thoughts and Prayers, discusses some of the challenges and possible solutions, citing Rahul Gupta, Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, among others, as a resource.
Some of the solutions mentioned include:
- Providing 'at-risk' individuals access to Narcan®, a medication that can reverse opioid overdose.
- Providing substance-addicted individuals access to high-quality, and evidence-based, treatment.
- Providing recovery support through activities like support groups and communities like Awakening's structured recovery homes.
David also discusses the importance of preventing the substance used disorders in the first place, and how the funds from the numerous opioid settlements can be used towards this end.
Read the entire article on Thrive Global here.
In David Van Der Velde's latest post to to Thrive Global, he warned about a very serious danger that opioid-using people face - fentanyl. The hyper-potent drug is increasingly found in the illicit drug supply and has resulted in thousands of fatal overdoses.
As for a solution, David recommends a variety of interventions, with the goal seeming to be for an at-risk individual to build a recovery support network. This network may include mental health support groups, enrollment in medication-assisted treatment programs, and participation in peer support groups like 12-Step meetings (or the many non 12-Step alternatives). The opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone (commonly known as Narcan) is also a potential weapon in the battle against fentanyl overdose.
Read the entire article on Thrive Global's website here: https://community.thriveglobal.com/fentanyl-has-upped-the-stakes-of-substance-addiction-relapse/.
David Van Der Velde shared a post to Thrive Global about how to approach the holidays this year for both those in recovery and their families. David, as the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Awakening Recovery, definitely has his finger on the pulse of the substance recovery community in Los Angeles as he discusses how the drugs that are being abused this year have evolved to include: hyper-potent THC dabs, fentanyl, and polysubstance abuse combining methamphetamines with opioids. David shares in the article that more than 107,000 lives were lost to drug overdose deaths in the past year driven by illicit fentanyl and other opioids.
However, there is much reason for hope, as more people are in recovery from substance abuse than ever. David provides some great advice both for those in recovery and their families about how to approach holiday get togethers without undue stress and tempting a relapse. He also advocates for some proactive steps we can take for the good of all, which include expanding the availability of naloxone (most commonly known as brand-name Narcan®), the nasal spray that reverses opioid overdoses.
Read the article here on Thrive Global.