Constructive Act # 209 – “MAKE A PLAN TODAY” – I know I have said this before, but I don’t think people understand how vital it is to that moment in time when decisions have to be made and the life of a child, sibling, parent, friend or spouse hangs in the balance. Last night I had a panicked message to call a sweet grandmother who had been dealing with her precious grandson for months related to heroin addiction. Her grandson had been doing better than in the past, but he was still an addict. This morning I awakened to a text message from the sweet relative of an addict whose cousin had just given birth to a precious baby and the daddy was apparently shooting heroin. These people now need answers and they need them now. Just as a cancer patient who comes out of remission goes immediately back to the doctor for treatment, and addict has to have the same kind of plan. There’s no time to start the research now – Now is the time for action. I certainly don’t have the answers for these people, but I can give them options, which is what I did. The options that are right for some people are not necessarily right for others, but you need to know what your choices are and then put them in some kind of order to be able to use them. I would suggest keeping a notebook of options and add to them as you see something added to the DDF or any other sites that you keep up with. First and foremost as I have always said….. Get a Doctor! Ask your doctor if your addict gets to a point where they need medical care, will they be able to treat them and could they allow them to detox in a hospital? When your addict is at the end of the line and out of control…..Where will you take them? You have to know the answer to this question. You have to know what the rules and laws are regarding these places as well. For the most part, an addict over the age of 18 has the right to check in and out of places at will. You will have no control over this and you need to know this now. You won’t even be able to get any information unless your addict will sign a release for the doctor or facility allowing them to speak with you. Have a plan for the following questions: If you find your loved one has overdosed, who is your first phone call to? Of course the answer to this one is 911. Hopefully, you have a Narcan kit in your possession that you know how to use. Still call 911 first, have them in route and then use the kit. Which hospital do you want your loved one transported to? This is your choice and you only have 30 – 90 minutes to work with here. Know where you are going. Where do you want your loved one to detox? This is the period of withdrawal that each addict must go through before they can enter Rehabilitation facilities. Some rehabs offer this process on site, other do not. What Rehab will you use – or will you even use a rehab facility? Some have specific opiate/heroin protocols that are in place and others do not. Know how the facility you are using treats opiate addiction. It must be treated differently than other addictions and it must be treated long-term. If I had decisions to make over again, I would look for a facility with a minimum stay of 6 months to a year. This is active treatment – NOT a halfway house. Understand why opiate/heroin addiction is a more severe form of addiction and why it needs to be treated differently. Do you have the name of an individual counselor? Know the credentials of your counselor. People who have 6 weeks of training can get an addiction counseling certificate and frame it just like an addiction counselor with a Master’s degree from a respected college or university. Beware of Addiction Counselors – do your homework in this area. What will your insurance cover? If you don’t have insurance, know where you can take your loved one that will take them anyway. These places are out there – I posted one yesterday on the DDF. Lastly, and certainly most painful, pick a funeral home or crematory. Sometimes, unfortunately, you have to bypass all of the above questions and this is the only one you get to answer – as in my case. Loved ones are dying in record numbers due to opiate/heroin addiction. This is a fact! More people are dying of addiction now than are dying in car accidents in our country. Every 19 minutes an addict dies. These are the FACTS! You must have a PLAN. If you are not dealing with an active addict, start now to understand the disease of opiate/heroin addiction. It is the fastest growing epidemic in our country today. Quit worrying about EBOLA and the scare it has created and begin worrying about something that is much more likely to affect your family in some way. Prevention is the greatest cure – do your teaching and preparation now to protect your loved ones and your friends. INVEST IN A PLAN FOR PREVENTION AND A PLAN OF ACTION! YOUR LOVED ONE’S LIFE MAY DEPEND ON IT
Posted on: Wed, 15 Oct 2014 11:29:50 +0000
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