The Pandemic Has Worsened the Opioid Epidemic—Here’s How Resources Are Adapting To Save Lives

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“When it comes to alcohol and substance [misuse], isolation, broadly speaking, is the most savage symptom [people] struggle with psychologically,” says Kevin Gilliland, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist and the executive director of Innovation360, an outpatient counseling service that works with people living with substance use disorder. This is one major reason he says there’s been such a spike in opioid use and opioid-related deaths during the pandemic. “Isolation is terrible for humans, for our mood, for anxiety, and for substance [misuse] or dependence.”

Dr. Gilliland says that for those in recovery, human interaction is vital for maintaining sobriety. “[During the pandemic,] so many people have become disconnected to things in their life that were just good medicine, such as seeing familiar faces in their neighborhoods at the store, going to the gym, and attending religious services,” he says.

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Why Talking About Drug and Alcohol Addiction is Crucial During the Pandemic

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Drug and alcohol-related overdoses have been on the rise since the onset of the pandemic. Addiction specialist Dr. Kevin Gilliland joins LX News to explain why talking about addiction is so important to help understand the root of the problem.

Watch the video here.

Many Americans Aren’t Quite Sure What an Opioid Is—Here’s What You Should Know

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Despite being in the midst of an opioid epidemic that continues to get worse, many Americans, it turns out, aren’t quite sure what the most common opioids actually are, as highlighted in a new survey of 1,000 people.

Conducted by health technology company DrFirst, which includes a network of over 300,000 health-care providers, the survey found that only one in five participants could name five of the seven most commonly prescribed opioids. (For the record, they are: Tramadol, Hydromorphone, Morphine sulfate, Methadone, Hydrocodone, Fentanyl, and Oxycodone.)

The reason why being able to identify opioids is a big deal is because if you don’t know you’re being prescribed one, you won’t be aware of the side effects or risk factors. “[The health repercussions of not knowing if you’re being prescribed an opioid or not] are quite serious as opioids are associated with opioid-induced respiratory depression which can lead to overdose and death,”  says family medicine physician and pain management expert Robert Agnello, DO. “Overdose is not difficult. A patient could also take these with alcohol unaware and heighten the risk.”

“It’s important for people to understand the effects that opiates have on the body as well as the impact they can have on judgment and insight,” says Kevin Gilliland, Psy.D, a licensed clinical psychologist and the executive director of Innovation360, an outpatient counseling service that works with people struggling with substance abuse. Here, Dr. Gilliland and Dr. Agnello detail what it’s important to know about opioid medications.

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How to quit vaping for good: 8 tips from addiction experts

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While this can definitely be an effective tactic, it’s often easier said than done, said Dr. Kevin Gilliland, PsyD, executive director of the Innovation360 addiction clinic. Exactly how well this tactic works for you depends on how badly you want to quit.

If you are determined to quit, do your best to engage with friends, coworkers and family members that don’t smoke. For instance, instead of taking lunch with a friend who vapes or smokes, take lunch with a friend who usually walks outside after eating.

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How to Quit Vaping: Strategies from Experts and People Trying to Quit

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If you’re a vape user, you know how good it feels to get your vape fix.

But if you want to quit e-cigarettes, especially after a wave of vaping-related lung injuries, it’s often a difficult road.[1] Whether you’re an adult who wants to stop vaping or a student trying to quit JUUL amidst peer pressure, it’s important to research how you can quit for good.

But how does one quit vaping? At the moment, there is a major research gap for effective vaping cessation methods. In a WebMD interview with Linda Richter, director of policy research and analysis at the Center on Addiction, she states…

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Demi Lovato Hospitalized: How Narcan Saved the Singer’s Life

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“Narcan is a very simple and very safe drug,” she said. “It is very similar to an EpiPen, it presses pause on the opioid overdose and allows the person to keep breathing.”

Narcan can also be administered through a nasal spray.

The drug can be purchased in just about any pharmacy across the country. Most states permit the drug to be sold over the counter, so no prescription is necessary and you don’t need to be a medical professional to use it.

But Dr. Kevin Gilliland, an addiction specialist, said, “You can only use Narcan in an emergency.”

“If you’re a loved one or a friend of someone who’s struggling with opiates, pain meds, or heroin or if they’ve been clean for a while, you should have it just in case something happens,” he said.

Lovato’s friends reportedly “had Narcan on hand in case something like this happened,” according to a source, adding, “It saved her life.”

 

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How to Stop a Heroin Overdose

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So what happens when a community member, friend, peer, or sibling overdoses on a lethal opioid, specifically heroin? Because unfortunately, the opioid crisis can hit home unexpectedly. Teen Vogue chatted with psychologist Dr. Kevin Gilliland and overdose response strategist Eliza Wheeler to better understand how to prevent heroin overdoses.

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Breaking News: Women Also Suffer From Alcoholism

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I have a love-hate relationship with the 24-hour news cycle. I mean, we get the best and worst of humanity delivered “live and as it’s happening” all day, every day. Don’t get me wrong – I realize I’m part of the problem. As a consumer of knowledge, I have a genuine desire to know what’s going on in the world. I guess I just don’t want every dirty detail. Don’t tell me how the clock works, just tell me what time it is.

But I think a casualty of our “breaking news” obsession are the journalists who deliver it to us. There’s  a lot of pressure on those folks. I think it’s particularly tough for broadcast journalists. For some reason, possibly out of oddly placed respect, we place them on a pedestal. Not only is their hair supposed to stay in place while reporting on the beach during a hurricane, we expect them to maintain a certain level of ethical and moral standards off camera. So when they’re on camera, they’re more trustworthy.

And when their private lives don’t jive with our expectations – they suffer the wrath of public scrutiny. Such is the case with national TV journalist Elizabeth Vargas. On camera she’s perfect.  Poised. Eloquent. Respected. Off camera she’s a recovering alcoholic.

In a recent interview with Diane Sawyer, Ms. Vargas talked candidly about her long struggle with alcoholism and anxiety. You can catch that interview here.

But I love her honesty when she said, “When you’re in the cycle of this disease though, it doesn’t matter how much you have or how little you have, I—it didn’t matter,” she continued. “It leveled me. It knocked me flat on my butt. I lost sight of everything.”

According to the article, “nearly 63 percent of women in trouble with alcohol say they are also fighting anxiety.” I think we can look at Ms. Vargas at this point in her recovery and understand that alcoholism usually has trigger – in her case it was anxiety. It’s rarely, if ever, an independent disease. And alcoholism is no respecter of fame, fortune or social status. Just ask Ms. Vargas. The key is to identify the trigger.

If you are struggling with alcoholism, especially if you are a woman, we understand that you face very different struggles, pressures and expectations. We can help you. Watch our video, “Women & Addiction” to learn more, then give us a call at (214) 733-9565 to start the discussion.

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Give me liberty, or give me death.

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I don’t know if there’s a more fervent statement in our nation’s history than Patrick Henry’s impassioned declaration at the 1775 Virginia Convention, when he asserted: “Give me liberty, or give me death!”

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying our country’s liberty was that easy to win. Henry didn’t just say it and “POOF!” we’re free! Oh no. King George III wasn’t about to hand over his “new world” to the colonists. It took strength, bravery, resolve and courage for the early colonists to fight for liberty. It took making a stand and then acting on it.

Our country’s liberty and the courage of those early Americans has so many parallels to our addictions. That’s because there’s a common thread with freedom – sometimes, you just have to fight for it.

Freedom from addiction is worth the cost, the risk, the challenge to achieve a life liberated from harmful behavior. The road to liberty is not easy – but once you make the first move, we promise, you won’t regret it. Here are some steps that you can take to get started:

DECLARE YOUR INDEPENDENCE – In 1776 the Continental Congress declared that the original 13 colonials were done with the British Empire. British rule (like an addiction) was just too much of a burden. So just like Patrick Henry, you have to say it out loud. You have to say it with resolution. Whether its drugs and alcohol, pornography or shop lifting, admitting that “enough is enough” is the first step in declaring your independence from addiction.

ASK FOR HELP – The colonists didn’t fight for their freedom alone. Independence was a battle that was too big for their scant resources and experience. They brought in allies, like the French, to help them be strategic in their approach. Our team is your ally. We can help you defeat your addiction, and through our Life Development program, help you achieve enduring freedom from destructive habits.

FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT – The colonists wanted their independence more than the British wanted their afternoon tea. They didn’t win every battle. But because they kept fighting, they won the war. Fighting addiction can be a long, engaging war. It can feel overwhelming on a day-to-day basis. Don’t give up. FIGHT for it!

CELEBRATE YOUR WINS – Fireworks. Picnics. Hot Dogs. Hamburgers. Family. Close friends. July 4th is a day of celebration. Every win over an addiction deserves a celebration. Maybe you resisted the urge to drink at the party. Maybe you decided to turn off the computer rather than look at porn. Celebrate those wins. Tell someone who knows you’re struggling that you won today. Share your successes and revel in them – those celebrations will become the motivation that pushes you through the next time your addiction resurfaces.

Today is the day to declare your independence from addiction. And we can help you stand resolute in that declaration. Please call us if you’re struggling with addiction. We’ve seen and heard it all. You won’t embarrass us. You won’t offend us. You won’t surprise us. We can help. Please call us today.

 

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Read Kevin Gilliland’s Dallas Morning News OpEd

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Dr. Kevin Gilliland’s recent OpEd: “Facing the Cunning, Baffling, Power Nature of Substances and Addiction” was published in the Dallas Morning News on May 27th. Read the full article here to understand how prescription drugs are holding our society captive.