Heroin Crisis in Rural America | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Arts Entertainment

Understanding the Heroin Crisis in Rural America

The big city isn't the only place addiction looms. It can happen anywhere.

84
Understanding the Heroin Crisis in Rural America

Heroin addiction recovery centers play a vital role in reversing the negative impact substance abuse has on our nation's rural and small communities. While families from coast to coast are suffering, small towns in the heartland are especially hard hit. Some states report a sharp uptick in the number of minor children being placed in foster care because both parents are battling addiction. Families are overwhelmed. According to the most recent statistics available, more than 2.6 million grandparents have assumed the role of raising one or more grandchildren as parents enter rehab or, sadly, die as a result of opioid use.

In Pennsylvania, "103,000 children are in the care of grandparents or other relatives. Experts point to opioids as a major driver of the growth of that number"

Sen. Bob Casey, Special Committee on Aging.

While the crisis is real, there is hope for recovery. Heroin addiction recovery centers implementing evidence-based detoxification and behavioral modification programs offer people struggling to overcome addiction a path to a healthier, drug-free lifestyle. Rural communities often have fewer resources and medical personnel with experience treating substance abuse and other mental disorders. This shortage of available help exacerbates the problem, and frustrates people who want to leave the lifestyle, but have no idea how to even get started.

Sometimes, the best solution is finding a treatment facility in another town or state. A thoughtfully-designed recovery treatment plan considers extenuating circumstances, such as socioeconomic status, ethnic, cultural and racial influences, and community-level factors that lead to substance misuse. Poverty seems to be a common denominator. Many experts agree that rural prosperity and heroin use are inextricably linked.

Reversing the Rural Decline: The Innovative Heroin Addiction Recovery Centers Approach

Approaching the opioid crisis, including heroin addiction, as a collaborative commitment, includes prevention, treatment, and long-term recovery strategies. Rehabilitation centers committed to developing strong aftercare programs work with a wide range of community partners to boost rural prosperity, often connecting the recovering addict with employers willing to give them a fresh start with a new job.

When poverty declines, small towns should see a return to economic opportunity and a higher quality of life for residents in farming communities, and other non-metropolitan settings.

Non-12-step treatment programs customize every aspect of the recovery journey from detoxification through the inpatient recovery plan and post-facility aftercare that continues as a lifetime support network.

The goal of every treatment facility is helping patients achieve permanent freedom from drug addiction. Achieving success looks different for every client; however, all programs include individual and group therapy, nutritional counseling, physical exercise, expressive therapy opportunities and behavioral modification support to help patients develop coping mechanisms for stressful real-world situations.

In 2017, for the first in our nation's history, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported the mortality rates for working-age adults are increasing because of opioid (and heroin) overdoses. Non-traditional rehabilitation facilities have an opportunity to proactively partner with rural communities across America to overcome recovery barriers.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
high school girls
Tori Horne

Friendship. It's defined as the state of being attached to another person by feelings of affection or personal regard, but what really is friendship? Is it that occasional hallway talk with that one person who always manages to cheer you up? Is it that relationship you have with someone where they can be gone for a long period of time, but when they come back, it's like they never left? Is it spending every waking hour with someone, and knowing every detail about their life? Is it the relationship that's filled with fighting, but filled with even more resolution? I've learned that it's all of these things, and every friendship is different. It's a beautifully dysfunctional mess that should always be cherished and never be taken for granted.

Keep Reading...Show less
cousins
Bailey Totten

I've known you your entire life. More than likely I held you in the first three days of it and at least one of us cried. Cousins are truly one of the best things in the world and while sometimes I complain about how many people crowd Grandma's living room on Christmas Eve, I wouldn't trade you all anything.

You are my best friends, the only people who can understand what it's like on Thanksgiving, and you are the spunkiest people I have ever met. But you as so so young, most of you are just now starting your adventures in the public education system. I mean, I'm so very young too. I'm not married, I don't have children, heck, I just started my adult life, but I do want to give you what little advice I have. My dears, these are the things I want you to know.

Keep Reading...Show less
ORHS Graduation
Kristen Sack, ORHS Graduation

You are a senior in high school, you have made it to the final year that you have been looking forward to since the first day of freshman year. Whether this has been the worst or best four years of your life, appreciate it. You will never have these times back, you will never be in high school again. It is hard for someone still in high school to wrap their brain around, but there will be a day when you wish you could be in the shoes you're in right now. Here are 15 things I have learned being in college that I wish I knew as a high school senior:

Keep Reading...Show less
one tree hill
Wikimedia

Everyone, and I mean everyone has heard of the show "One Tree Hill". Many people think that this show is the best thing they've ever watched and others won't bother watching it because they know they'll get hooked. And yes, I know many people have written about this show before, but I couldn't resist. I could re-watch every season multiple times to the point where I can almost quote an entire scene. Trust me, once you start "One Tree Hill", you will be hooked. There's way too many reasons to list as to why you'll love this show, and these are just a few.

Keep Reading...Show less
Health and Wellness

5 Ways To Bring Positivity Into Your Life When All You Want To Do Is Drown In Self-Pity

It seems like life has been serving up more bad than good and in all honesty, the only thing you want to do is crawl under your covers and hide from the rest of the world.

2464
5 Ways To Bring Positivity Into Your Life When All You Want To Do Is Drown In Self-Pity
Photo by Kinga Howard on Unsplash

The first two weeks of classes have come to an end and they have been anything BUT easy. It seems like life has been serving up more bad than good and in all honesty, the only thing you want to do is crawl under your covers and hide from the rest of the world.

Although this seems like the best solution, it is also the easy way out. Take it from the girl who took basically a whole week off from her life because she just could not handle everything that was being thrown at her. This caused her to feel extremely lonely and even more stressed out for being behind in classes that JUST began.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments