West Los Angeles Handbook 2023 - 53

have similar problems. Counseling groups may also
explore spirituality and its role in recovery.
Education groups help people learn about their illness
and how to manage it. People learn about the effects
of drug misuse on their brains and bodies. Training
can include learning and practicing employment skills,
leisure activities, communication skills, social skills,
anger management, stress management, goal setting,
and money and time management.
Medication-assisted therapy
Medications, in combination with counseling and
other behavioral therapies, are an important element of
treatment for many patients. Medications that can help
individuals addicted to heroin or other opioids stabilize
their lives and reduce illicit drug use include:
* Buprenorphine
* Methadone
* Naltrexone
Because methadone and buprenorphine are themselves
opioids, some people view these treatments for opioid
dependence as substitutions of one addictive drug
for another. However, this is not the case when they
are taken as prescribed. These are extremely effective
medications that save lives, keep people abstinent
and provide the foundation for life change. Patients
stabilized on these medications can also engage more
readily in counseling and other behavioral interventions
essential to recovery.
Mental health groups
Emotional problems are common among those with
substance use disorders, such as depression, anxiety,
or posttraumatic stress disorder. By treating both the
substance use and mental disorders at the same time,
the odds of recovery increase. Programs may provide
mental health care within the program or may refer
people to other sites for this care. Mental health care
may include the use of medications, such as antidepressants.
Programs
provide mental health education through
lectures, discussions activities and group meetings.
Some programs provide counseling for families or
couples, which can be especially helpful. Parents need
to be involved in treatment planning and follow-up care
decisions for adolescents.
52
Opiate overdose
Opiate overdoses interfere with a person's ability to
distribute oxygen throughout the body. Signs and
symptoms of an opiate overdose include:
* Unconsciousness
* Irregular or stopped breathing
* Turning blue
Overdose risk factors and prevention
techniques
There are several things that increase a person's risk for
overdosing and ways to prevent them. These include:
* Changes in the quality or purity of opioids or
substitution with another, more powerful opioid such
as fentanyl.
* Lowered tolerance to opioids, especially after a
period of abstinence.
* Mixing opioids with sedatives like benzodiazepines,
alcohol or other opioids.
* Using alone.
Naloxone (Narcan)
For anyone who is in recovery or with a loved one
in recovery, the thought of return to use can be very
frightening. For people with an opioid use disorder,
this risk of return to use is especially dangerous.
Returning to use or using a substance that is laced
with fentanyl has led to the dramatic increase in drug
overdoses due to opioids. The intent of this document
is to provide some brief information and guide you to
resources where you can learn why over-doses are on
the rise, who is at risk, and how you can prepare for
the unfortunate experience of finding a friend, family
member, or even a stranger unresponsive.
If you or a loved one has a history of opioid or
opiate use, we think you should know of the lifesaving
medication Naloxone Nasal Spray. Naloxone
temporarily reverses the effects of an opioid related
overdose and has little to no side effects, making it safe
to administer even if you are unsure whether or not
the person has experienced an overdose. In addition,
you don't have to be a trained medical professional to
administer this medication.
If you are interested in learning more about Naloxone
and it's availability, go to stopoverdose.org and review
the following:
http://stopoverdose.org
West Los Angeles Handbook 2023

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