Addiction: There is a Way Out
Drug and alcohol use has for a long time been associated with mental health concerns such as anxiety and depression. While there are certainly factors that increase vulnerability to drug and alcohol abuse, this is a problem that touches people regardless of gender, economic status, etc. Feelings of social isolation, a driving force behind depression and anxiety, have been exacerbated by the Covd-19 pandemic.
As of May 2021, alcohol can be delivered to your doorstep here in Texas by law. Substance use and abuse, particularly opiates and crystal meth, are particularly problematic here in the Austin area.. An estimated 100,000 individuals have passed away from a drug overdose in the US since March 2020. Accidental drug overdose is the second leading cause of accidental death in Travis County, and at least 246 people died this way in Travis County alone in 2020.
What can be done:
12 step groups: One positive outcome from the pandemic is that zoom meetings for every 12 step fellowship have taken off; you can find a peer based self help meeting online any time of day or night in addition to local meetings beginning to resume in person as well. For further information on 12 step groups:
Sober Living: Changing your living environment to being with others who are also trying to adjust to life without drugs or alcohol. You can find a list of Austin-based sober living facilities here.
Day Treatment: Attending a 3 day (Intensive Outpatient or IOP) or 5 day (Partial Hospitalization or PHP) program for increased support with professionals. Many substance abuse treatment centers in the city offer IOP and each psychiatric facility in the city offers a PHP.
Residential or Detox: If you require medical oversight as you are separating from alcohol or a drug, you may go to an inpatient program lasting from 3-90 days. We are very blessed that Austin has a number of treatment centers with their doors open ready to help.
Fentanyl is a high powered pain killer that is 100 times more potent than heroin; it is generally used in hospital settings for surgery, after accidents, or for severe chronic pain. Over the past year fentanyl has moved into the drug market in the southern US. It is pressed into pills such as benzodiazepines (Xanax, Ativan), crushed and cut with other powdered drugs (i.e. heroin, cocaine), or even mixed into the ingredients with crystal methamphetamine prior to crystallization.
If you are still using illicit drugs and feel you are unable to stop, there are also resources available for you.
Narcan (an opiate reversal agent) is available at most pharmacies. Carry it with you and, to the extent possible, don't use it alone.
There are providers such as Lifepoint here in Austin which provides clean needles to those who are using intravenously.
Fentanyl test strips may be available at harm reduction centers and in pharmacies. These may be used to assess whether the drug you have is adulterated. Of note, please be aware of local laws as some communities treat test strips as paraphernalia.
Only take medication that is prescribed to you by a licensed physician. With the advent of telehealth, doctors are more accessible than ever.
Communicate honestly with your doctor, and all providers, about drugs you are taking.
If you are reading this and considering reducing your drug/alcohol use or stopping entirely, remember you are not alone. Ever. Sometimes the anxiety and depression that come with either using/drinking or in the immediate days that follow can be incredibly overwhelming. They feel like they’ll never end. They do, though. It gets better.
(Please consult your physician or a medical professional prior to taking any medications/treatments. Enteave Counseling does not prescribe medications for the treatment of substance abuse or other issues.)
