Hackensack Meridian Health Mental Health Experts and Patients in Recovery Available to Separate Fact from Fiction about Addiction and Discuss How Patients Go From Rock Bottom to Sobriety
National Recovery Month is in September, and more than 1 in 6 Americans aged 12 or older have a substance use disorder, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In New Jersey, alcohol accounted for 37 percent (nearly 32,000) of substance use treatment admissions in 2022, heroin was second, accounting for 36 percent (nearly 31,000), according to state data. In 2021 there were 2,672 opioid overdose deaths in New Jersey, which accounted for 87 percent of all drug overdose deaths in the state. Across the U.S., opioid overdose deaths accounted for 75 percent of all drug overdose deaths in the country in 2021, says the Kaiser Family Foundation.
And yet, while addiction is a public health crisis, it remains misunderstood and stigmatized.
Addiction psychiatry experts at Hackensack Meridian Health, the largest and most comprehensive behavioral health and addiction treatment provider in New Jersey and the region, are available to shed light on important aspects of substance use disorder. We also can arrange interviews with patients who have been treated at Hackensack Meridian Health and are in recovery and eager to share their stories in order to dispel myths and inspire others who are currently struggling.
Our experts can discuss such issues as:
1. How the road to recovery looks different for everyone
2. How to support someone in recovery
3. How to cope and respond when a loved one has substance use disorder
4. The risk factors for addiction, and how addiction changes brain chemistry
5. What to do when someone with addiction is reluctant to seek treatment
6. How to distinguish between recreational drinking and a possible substance use disorder
7. The danger of going “cold turkey” or attempting to detox on your own
8. Alcohol is one of the leading preventable causes of death in the United States, behind tobacco, poor diet and physical inactivity, and illegal drugs
“Addiction is a disease that affects millions of people worldwide, and it can have devastating consequences for individuals, families, and communities,” said Michele Scasserra, a licensed clinical social worker and Director of Substance Use Counseling Services at Blake Recovery Center at Carrier Clinic. “However, recovery is possible, and there are many resources available to help people on their journey. Addiction not only affects the individual struggling with the disease but also their families. When a loved one enters recovery, it can bring hope, healing, and renewed relationships. Recovery Month is a time to celebrate the strength and resilience of those who have overcome addiction.”
Patients available to share their stories about addiction and their recovery include:
Stephanie, a school speech pathologist who secretly battled alcohol addiction in recent years until a medical emergency at her job landed her in the hospital, and on the road to getting treatment. Stephanie is in recovery and thriving in her job at school, which has stood by her in her journey.
Mike, a business owner who became addicted to opioids in high school after he hurt his knee and was prescribed percocet after surgery. Mike later turned to OxyContin, then heroin. After being faced with losing custody of his young daughter, Mike reached out for help. He has been sober for several years. [See video of Mike’s story]
Jaime, a mother of a young adult who spent years in and out of rehab for her heroin addiction. A serious car accident and overdose–in the bathroom of the hospital where she was taken following the accident–in 2022 forced Jaime to confront her substance use disorder and commit to sobriety. She now speaks to those currently in addiction.
Delvoris, who will mark 12 years of sobriety on September 26. Delvoris battled a heroin addiction until she was arrested on an outstanding warrant in 2012, an experience that pushed her to seek help. Now Delvoris is among the most beloved addiction counselors at the Carrier Clinic, inspiring and mentoring patients with her lived experience, and helping loved ones of people with substance use disorder. Delvoris is an example of the many people who come from the depths of addiction to find their passion in helping others in recovery. She now leads an alumni group of former detox/rehab patients and is studying to become a CADC (certified alcohol and drug counselor) next year, fulfilling a dream she did not think was possible.
SOURCE; Hackensack Meridian Health
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