Indianapolis Holds Symposium To Discuss Opioid Addiction and Treatment at Rehab Centers in Indiana
Indiana’s seventh annual Prescription Drug Abuse Symposium recently took place in Indianapolis to address the country’s current opioid epidemic. The event focused primarily on heroin addiction, and involved discussion on how Indiana officials can help reduce heroin addiction rates and supply.
Many state officials agree that education and prevention are key to addressing the opioid epidemic, which can also be curbed by increasing access to opioid addiction treatments at rehab centers in Indiana.
If you’re struggling with opioid addiction, understand there are several local rehab centers in your area that can help. Call our confidential helpline at 888-414-2380 to learn more about Indiana rehab centers that can successfully help you overcome opioid addiction.
Highlights From the Indianapolis Drug Abuse Symposium
The symposium addressed the need for more opioid addiction education and prevention resources.
The event was attended by over 900 people and officials invested in helping Indiana and the country address its opioid epidemic. Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller pointed out that opioid addiction begins with prescription painkillers, and is affecting teens and young adults on a mass scale.
Congresswoman Susan Brooks says medical educators need to have more discussions about safe and ethical prescribing practices during the first year of medical school.
Indiana officials also pointed out that too many resources are being exhausted on efforts to address opioid addiction after it begins, and that millions of dollars could be saved by preventing individuals from becoming addicts in the first place. Research from the DEA says four in every five new heroin users begin their addictions by abusing opioid painkillers, which is why many lawmakers are pushing for improved education and prevention methods.
Jasynda Radanovich, program manager of education and training at the Indiana Prevention Resource Center, says older prevention campaigns such as the “This is your brain on drugs” video use scare tactics that are no longer effective in today’s society. Radanovich says many of these campaigns are either not understood or not taken seriously, and are falling on deaf ears. She mentions that more comprehensive prevention strategies are needed, but that these tactics could require extra funding and resources that aren’t readily available.
Education and Prevention at Drug Rehab Centers
Until Indiana develops more education and prevention strategies that can effectively reduce the state’s opioid crisis, struggling addicts can receive the education they need at opioid rehab centers. At rehab, addicts who overcome opioid dependence learn how to combat addiction and relapses through a series of behavioral counseling and therapy sessions that address underlying causes of addiction. As a result, recovering addicts leave rehab more informed about addiction, and with the skills needed to avoid using even when in the presence of substances.
Indiana rehab centers offer several addiction treatments that can be tailored to an individual’s lifestyle, addiction status, and personal needs. For instance, patients can overcome opioid dependence in safe, controlled residential rehab centers free of distractions and outside influences, or maintain their work and family lives by seeking treatment from outpatient rehab centers. Both treatment styles have been proven effective at helping opioid addicts achieve lifelong sobriety.
Opioid addicts who go to rehab centers can also benefit from medication-assisted treatment, which combines the use of prescribed medication with counseling and therapy. Medications such as buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone minimize opioid cravings and withdrawal symptoms, allowing patients to focus more on recovery and less on physical pain and discomfort. Following the opioid detox stage, patients learn how to lead normal, daily lives without turning to opioid use.
If you or someone you care about is facing opioid addiction, get help now before it’s too late. Call our confidential helpline at 888-414-2380 to speak with a trusted addiction counselor who can listen to your needs. We’ll help you find rehab centers in Indiana that can help you overcome opioid addiction and get you back to living a happy, fulfilling life free of opioids and other substances.
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