Observed during the third full week of March (March 16-22), National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week aims to inspire dialogue and offer education about the science of drug use and addiction. A number of surprising facts illustrate the seriousness of the issue today.

• Alcohol is the most commonly abused substance and the third most common cause of death in the U.S. Although legal, alcohol kills over 95,150 Americans each year.
• Thirteen is the average age at which children experiment with drugs.
• An estimated 60% of poor work performance can be tied to drug or alcohol use.
• 138 million Americans age 12 and over drink alcohol, and 20.4% of them have an alcohol use disorder.
• Common reactions to substance use include needing to consume more to get the same effect; substance dependency; painful withdrawal symptoms; high blood pressure and stroke; problems with the liver and pancreas; development of certain cancers; loss of motivation; depression and anxiety.

Visit MagellanHealthcare.com/about/bh-resources/mymh or call your program for confidential mental health resources.

Physical wellbeing: tips for maintaining a health body.

• Keep your physical wellbeing high on your priority list—it’s a foundation for thriving in all areas of life!
• Pay attention to how you feel and make adjustments as needed—rest when you’re tired and move when you’re restless.

Drug overdose not only affects those who have died—it also affects family members and loved ones left behind.

Around 42% of U.S. adults know someone who has died from a drug overdose. Overdose-related deaths are often sudden and cause extreme grief for the deceased’s family and friends.

Individuals struggling with drug misuse are more likely to keep their habit and whereabouts a secret from family and friends. Those left behind are often unaware their loved one was using drugs or had challenges with addiction. This can lead to feelings of distress and guilt for not noticing signs or intervening to prevent the person’s death.

How to cope with loss after someone overdoses

Death caused by an overdose, whether the person meant to or not, is a distressing situation that requires care, compassion and support for those left behind. Here are some helpful ways to cope with the trauma of losing someone to a drug overdose.

• Think about getting therapy. Loss of a loved one to a drug overdose can have a lasting impact on you and your family. The effects may vary from person to person. Therapy can help everyone address and process emotions.
• Check for and join in self-help activities. Practices, such as mindfulness meditation, journaling and exercise, can help with managing the stress and grief you may feel. These wellness practices are helpful tools for building emotional strength and personal development.
• Practice self-compassion. Drug overdose is often perceived as being preventable, even though addiction and substance use disorders are recognized as mental illnesses. Remember to be patient and compassionate with yourself. The process of grieving and healing takes time.
• Join support groups. Connecting with individuals who have experienced a similar situation may help you feel understood. You can support each other and share real-life stories that promote hopefulness and strength to get through this challenging time.
• Find meaningful ways to honor your loved one’s memory. You can cherish and remember good times shared with your loved one by supporting a cause they were passionate about, going through photographs, remembering happier times, or keeping something of theirs close to you.

Allowing yourself time and space to process your emotions is essential for coping with grief. There may be times when you feel guilty for not recognizing your loved one’s struggles with drug misuse or being unable to help them. However, this tragedy is not your fault. While you can’t bring your loved one back, you can make a difference by being alert and noticing the signs of drug misuse and overdose in others, potentially saving another life.

Drug misuse warning signs

People who misuse drugs frequently try to hide their symptoms. Here are some warning signs:

Physical

• Red/ bloodshot eyes or pupils larger or smaller than normal
• Slurred speech and/or impaired coordination
• Unusual odors from their body or clothes
• Change in weight

Behavioral

• Demonstrating conduct changes and mood swings (e.g., arguing, fighting or conflicts with authority)
• Avoiding once-pleasurable activities
• Appearing anxious or fearful for no reason
• Struggling financially (e.g., unexplained need for and willingness to steal money)
• Making changes in friends
• Fluctuating sleep patterns or appetite
• Behaving secretively
• Neglecting home, work or school duties

What to do if you think someone has overdosed

• Call 911 right away!
• Check for overdose symptoms:
  • Unresponsive or appears lifeless
  • Absence of breathing or shallow/slow breaths
  • Gasping for air or snoring
  • Blue lips and fingertips
  • Clammy skin
• Turn the person over to their side to help avoid choking.
• Check for any visible drugs or bottles that may have caused the overdose.
• Stay with the person until emergency responders arrive.
• Perform chest compressions if there’s no sign of breathing or pulse.

If you have a loved one using opioids, learn more about Naloxone, a medication that reverses opioid overdose. The National Institute on Drug Abuse has a drug facts page and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) offers an Opioid Overdose Prevention Toolkit that can be downloaded.

Resources for bereaved families and loved ones

Mental health and substance misuse support:

• Crisis Call Center: 800-273-8255 or 988
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) provides resources and free, confidential, 24/7 treatment referral and information services, including a National Helpline:

– Phone: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)

– Website: samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline

Support for grieving individuals and families:

• Griefshare is a worldwide directory of support groups for people grieving the death of a family member or friend.
• National Alliance for Children’s Grief provides a directory of programs and support groups for children dealing with grief and loss.
• National Funeral Directors Association provides resources from community experts.
• The Compassionate Friends provides support for people who have experienced the death of a child.
• What’s Your Grief is a website devoted to families who are going through grief and loss.

For more mental health resources, visit magellanhealthcare.com/about/bh-resources.

This article is for your information only. It is not meant to give medical advice. It should not be used to replace a visit with a provider. Magellan Health does not endorse other resources that may be mentioned here.

SOURCES:

• https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/21/health/us-adults-overdose-survey/index.html
• https://www.ihs.gov/asap/familyfriends/warningsignsdrug/
• https://mountainside.com/blog/secrecy-in-addiction/
• https://sadod.org/sites/default/files/2021-02/How-to-Help-Newly-Bereaved.pdf

According to the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, alcohol contributes to more than 200 health conditions and about 99,000 deaths in the U.S. each year.[1] According to the CDC, one in six adults in the U.S. binge drinks with 25% doing so at least weekly.[2]

April is National Alcohol Awareness Month, which is a time to increase your personal awareness about alcohol abuse and alcoholism and to recognize these disorders, which can be treated.

Magellan Federal’s Senior Manager in the Adolescent Support & Counseling Services (ASACS), Allison Welliver, LMHC, MCAP, shares her insights on why this month is important. Welliver is a licensed mental health counselor and a master’s level certified addiction professional.

Q: Why is National Alcohol Awareness Month important?

Allison Welliver: National Alcohol Awareness Month is important because it brings awareness to alcohol abuse and dependency and allows people to be screened to see where their use of alcohol falls (low, moderate, or high risk for alcohol abuse or dependence). It also allows people to see how their use of alcohol compares to alcohol use by other people of the same age and sex.

Since alcohol is a legal drug, and so often used in social situations and celebrations, it can be difficult to see when alcohol abuse is happening.

Q: What are signs that someone is addicted to alcohol?

AW: Signs of dependence on alcohol can be behavioral/social or physical. Behavioral/social signs include secretive use, heavy drinking, drinking alone, drinking at inappropriate times of the day (in the morning), and continuing to drink despite the negative impact it has on your relationships, job, and health. Physical signs may include developing a tolerance, developing the “shakes” when not drinking alcohol, disrupted sleep, lethargy, or headaches, and needing a drink to alleviate negative symptoms.

Q: What is the connection between this addiction and mental health?

AW: Addiction and mental health problems are frequently comorbid, meaning that they often occur at the same time. It is a question of which comes first – does the mental health problem cause the addiction or vice versa? Many times, people turn to alcohol or other drugs to cope with mental health concerns that they are having. They could use alcohol to cover up depression or other pain underneath.

Q: What are some steps someone should take if they recognize they need help and what does Magellan offer to support someone who is dealing with alcohol addiction?

AW: First, reach out to a therapist. A therapist can evaluate your use and determine what setting is best to treat your alcohol use. Surround yourself with a positive, supportive network who understands that you need help. You may identify support through connecting with your company’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP), if one is available to you. When contracted with an employer, Magellan offers EAP services to employees and their household members who may question if their use is abnormal, or if they have been having problems related to drinking. EAP services, including counseling, are free and confidential.

Q: Is there anything you would like to add or any resources you want to provide?

AW: There is a free online screening tool that anyone can use to gauge their level of alcohol use. https://alcoholscreening.org/

Additional Resources

• NIH Rethinking Drinking
• Work Stress and Drinking: A Vicious Cycle?
• How to say no to drugs and alcohol
• Maintain Your Recovery During the Pandemic

[1] Helping Your Patients with Alcohol-Related Problems: https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/health-professionals-communities/core-resource-on-alcohol?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=jul-2022

[2] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/binge-drinking.htm

With the number of opioid-related overdose deaths in the U.S. reaching a record high last year, it’s time for our nation to fully embrace evidence-based treatment options that best support our communities, loved ones, friends and families in their recovery efforts.

One growing approach—often considered as the gold standard of treatment—is medication-assisted treatment (MAT). MAT is the use of FDA-approved medications in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies to provide a holistic, person-centered approach to the treatment of substance use disorders (SUDs). The use of this treatment approach has grown to nearly 40 percent in residential facilities and is increasingly leveraged by primary care providers nationwide—but more still must be done for widespread adoption.

The most pervasive stigma surrounding MAT is that it merely enables patients to replace one addiction with another. It’s a belief held not only by some groups of doctors and clinicians, but also family members and peer support groups—those whose support is critical to successful recovery. When a patient’s core support system of family members and peers doubts the legitimacy of an evidence-based form of treatment, the likelihood that the patient will follow through long-term is diminished.

Pair that with a lack of understanding and comfort from the medical community around how to administer MAT, limited numbers of physicians who are certified to prescribe this treatment that actually do prescribe the treatment, as well as the number of residential facilities that offer MAT, and we get low adoption rates as a result of these barriers.

There’s a better way to treat opioid use disorder

Although abstinence-based therapy works for a small percentage of those suffering from OUD, MAT offers a successful way for people to fight their addictions in an outpatient environment, in the community in which they live, and avoid hospitalization or institutionalization. It helps those struggling with OUD and other SUDs address underlying conditions that may have contributed to substance abuse—significantly improving the chances of recovery. In one study, more than half of patients utilizing MAT reported opioid abstinence 18 months after beginning treatment.

Today, while 900,000 U.S. physicians prescribe opioids, fewer than 35,000 physicians are certified to prescribe buprenorphine, one of three medications approved to treat opioid addiction. And even fewer actually prescribe buprenorphine to patients. MAT prescribing is not limited to psychiatrists. In fact, primary care providers provide more access to MAT than any other type of provider.

The impact of limited access to MAT on health outcomes cannot be overlooked. One analysis found only one-third of individuals who experienced a nonfatal opioid overdose received access to MAT. Those who received methadone were linked to a 59 percent decrease in mortality rates after one year, according to the analysis. Additionally, individuals who were treated with buprenorphine were associated with a 38 percent decrease in mortality after a year.

Increasing Access to MAT

The SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, signed in October 2018, expands the ability to prescribe MAT by increasing clinician eligibility for certification. This provision is a solid and necessary step toward broadening access to treatment; however to make a true impact on the opioid epidemic, we must break the stigma surrounding MAT.

When it comes to recovery, the potential for relapse is high, especially in the early stages when resolve is fragile. It is important to note that for individuals with co-occurring mental health conditions, chronic pain or other addictions, MAT should be supplemented by treatment for those conditions, such as cognitive behavioral therapy. Building in care management support to assist in navigating the treatment process may reduce the possibility of relapse and/or readmission to a substance abuse inpatient or residential rehabilitation program. It also helps provide individuals with the tools needed to live addiction-free.

By taking the time to dispel the myths about non-traditional addiction treatment like MAT, we create an environment that more fully supports a return to complete health—physical, mental and emotional. Fighting the stigmas around MAT is an important step toward enabling those suffering from OUD to recover from their addiction and live healthy, vibrant lives.

Alcohol is part of many traditions and is often served at parties and other functions. And although many drugs are illegal or legal only with a prescription, people may offer them to you.

If you’re in a situation where someone is offering you alcohol or drugs, try this:

• Look the person in the eye. In a firm voice, tell the person you don’t want to drink or use Say something like:
  • “No, I’m sorry, but I don’t use….”
  • “No, I’m really trying to stay “
  • “No, I’m trying to cut “

• Give a reason why you don’t want to drink or use Say something like:
  • “It’s bad for my “
  • “I could lose my housing.”
  • “I have trouble when I use….”

• Ask the person not to ask you to drink or use drugs Say something like:
  • “Hey, I said I’m trying to stay clean, so don’t ask me again.”
  • “I told you I don’t use anymore, so stop asking.”
  • “I’m trying really hard to stay clean, so please don’t ask me to use anymore.”

• If you notice that someone does have drugs, leave the area.

Help is available. For additional information, visit MagellanHealth.com/MYMH

Source: Healthwise

There is no mistaking that opioid addiction is a major social issue in the United States but there is also a lot of confusion and misinformation. We’ve included seven frequently asked questions about opioid addiction below.

1) What are opioid medications?

Opioids are medications prescribed to relieve physical pain. Opioid medications bind to the areas of the brain that control pain and emotions, driving up levels of the feel-good hormone dopamine in the brain’s reward areas, and producing intense feelings of euphoria. As the brain becomes used to the feelings, it often takes more and more of the drug to produce the same levels of pain relief and well-being, leading to dangerously high tolerance levels, dependence, and later, addiction.

2) What are the names of some common opioid medications?

• Codeine

• Fentanyl citrate

• Hydrocodone (e.g., Vicodin)

• Hydromorphone (e.g., Dilaudid)

• Mepedridine (e.g., Demerol)

• Morphine (e.g., Kadian, Avinza)

• Oxycodone (e.g., OxyContin, Percocet)

3) What are opioid medications used for?

Opioids are used to treat moderate to severe pain that may not respond well to other pain medications. They provide relief from an array of symptoms associated with respiratory illnesses, severe coughing, injuries, trauma, surgery, dental procedures and chronic pain.

4) How do people become addicted?

Taken as prescribed, opioids can be used to manage pain safely and effectively. However, since these drugs also affect the brain regions involved in reward, some people experience a euphoric response. Those who abuse opioids may seek to intensify their experience by taking the drug in ways other than those prescribed.

5) What is the difference between opioid dependence and opioid addiction?

Physical dependence on opioids means that the body relies on an external source of opioids to prevent withdrawal. Normally the body is able to produce enough endogenous opioids (i.e., endorphins) to prevent withdrawal. However, as tolerance increases over time, eventually the body’s ability to maintain its equilibrium is exceeded and the body becomes dependent on the outside source of opioids. Physical dependence is predictable, easily managed with medication, and is ultimately resolved with a slow tapering off of the opioid.

Unlike physical dependence, addiction is a change in behavior caused by biochemical changes to the brain after continued substance abuse and it is classified as a disease. Addiction takes the form of uncontrollable cravings, the inability to control drug use, compulsive drug use, and continued use despite doing harm to oneself or others. Strong cravings are common to all addictions. These cravings are rooted in altered brain biology. Recovery is the process of reversing, to the extent possible, these brain changes. This is accomplished through therapy and replacing the addictive behaviors with healthy alternative behaviors.

6)  What are the signs of an opioid addiction?

• Constricted pupils

• Nausea

• Itchiness

• Drowsiness

• Reduced social interaction

• Anxiety

• Poor memory and concentration

• Slowed breathing, movement and reactions

• Mood swings

• Apathy and depression

7) What does treatment involve?

Opioid addiction is a chronic disease, like diabetes, asthma and hypertension. While it can’t be cured, it can be treated to help the person regain a healthy, productive life. Treatment programs typically include detoxification, medication for opioid withdrawal, counseling and the support of family and friends. The goal of the treatment program is to help the person get through the withdrawal successfully and learn new coping skills to address addictive behaviors over the long-term.

Additional Resources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

The CDC website features a section devoted to opioid information, data and FAQs. In addition, there are guidelines for prescribing opioids for chronic pain to help ensure patients have access to safer treatment options.

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

NIDA provides information odrugabuse.govn commonly abused drugs, the latest science and treatments, trends and statistics to improve individual and public health.

The American Society of Addiction Medicine

A society of physicians aimed at increasing access to addiction treatment. They offer a nationwide directory of addiction medicine professionals.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) or 1-800-662-HELP

Find locations for residential, outpatient, and hospital inpatient treatment programs for drug addiction and alcoholism throughout the country.

The Partnership at Drugfree.org or 1-855-378-4373

Provides information and resources on teen drug use and addiction for parents to help them prevent and intervene in their children’s drug use or find treatment for a child who needs it.

Help is available. For additional information, visit MagellanHealth.com/MYMH

Read more about opioid addiction here.

1. Those who abuse prescription opioids are 40% more likely to use heroin than those who don’t.
2. The United States consumes 80% of the world’s prescription painkiller supply, despite not even making up 5% of the world’s population.
3. It’s possible to die the first time you use cocaine, consumption quadruples the risk of sudden death.
4. An estimated 88,000 people die per year due to alcohol.
5. Only about 11% of those addicted to drugs or alcohol actually receive treatment for their substance abuse disorder.

Source: Drugabuse.com

“Strung out. Looking for the next fix. A full time job that doesn’t pay, but just takes.”

That’s how one of Magellan’s Recovery Support Navigators defined her addiction to opiates. She has since overcome the stranglehold of addiction and is now in long term recovery.  Her experiences, and those of her fellow Recovery Support Navigators, provide the credibility needed to influence their peers who are still struggling with addiction and mental illness that recovery is possible and that desperation does not have to define a life.

An estimated 20.2 million Americans live with a substance use disorder[1]. That’s the population of my home state of Florida. Of that, 2.1 million Americans live with an opioid disorder. Similar to serious mental illnesses, substance use disorders can be difficult to address. Those with the lived experience of walking the path from hopelessness to wellness are experts at engaging individuals with the services and supports that foster the recovery process. Stories of changed lives are not the only proof.

A January 2018 study of our internal recovery support navigation program at Magellan Health found statistically significant improvements for individuals living with substance use and mental health disorders. A key component of the Magellan’s internal peer support program is meeting people where they are. The first engagement with members often happens in an emergency room, inpatient setting, or on the streets. Members then choose where future meet-ups happen. Often, that choice is in the comfort of their own home.  If they are experiencing homelessness, the member chooses a safe place.

The study compared utilization of services six months prior to receiving peer support services and six months following the completion of peer support services. Seventy-five percent of the members in the study had a co-occurring mental health and substance use disorder and 50 percent had a co-occurring substance use disorder, mood disorder and psychotic disorder. The study found that members in Magellan’s internal peer support program cost the health plan significantly less in the six months following completion of the peer support program than members who only had care management or who did not receive any intervention from the health plan. The study also found that six months after completing peer services, peer support decreased emergency room and inpatient hospitalizations.

The role modeling by a peer specialist of a life lived well in recovery is evidence for the individual struggling that there can be long term sustainment of recovery. In addition, the data from this study replicates prior findings that peer support has a lasting impact on the lives of those living with substance use and mental health disorders.

[1] Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2017). Mental and substance use disorders. Retrieved from https://www.samhsa.gov/disorders