I grew up in southern Maryland, an area deeply affected by the opioid pandemic. While I was fortunate to thrive with the education, athletics, and community opportunities open to me, I also witnessed the tragic toll opioids, and other substance use had on the people around me.
My experience wasn’t unique, and worse, the devastation caused by drug use has only increased. And while the focus in recent years has been on opioids and fentanyl, we can’t ignore the use of other substances such as meth, alcohol, and cocaine. Case in point: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that the number of deaths due to cocaine use in Washington, D.C., grew from 181 in April 2021 to 301 in April 2022 – an increase of about 66%.
Today, I lead an addiction treatment center serving the DMV area. Throughout October, we are observing National Substance Abuse Prevention Month, a time to focus on the importance of substance use education and prevention. It is a time to reflect on addiction’s wide-reaching impact on families, friends, workplaces, and communities. We also highlight the invaluable work frontline addiction treatment professionals do every day to help patients on the journey to recovery.
At our center, we spend a lot of time celebrating and supporting all those who have achieved recovery. Even after a patient walks out of our doors, our alumni team is always there to reinforce their recovery and provide the resources they need for continued success or if they relapse.
Access is essential, as is awareness of the availability of treatment. We want everyone to know that treatment works. However, one of the biggest obstacles to treatment is the stigma associated with addiction. If there’s one message I’d like to convey this month, it’s that addiction touches all of us. Our patients come from all walks of life. They are fathers, mothers, daughters, and sons. They’re our cousins, grandparents, neighbors, and best friends.
Those in the addiction treatment field keep this fact in mind: No one is immune from addiction. The good news is that today we know more than ever about what causes addiction and the best treatment practices. We have a greater understanding of the role mental health issues like anxiety and depression play as co-occurring factors in substance use.
National Substance Abuse Prevention Month – and every month – is a time for action. I encourage anyone with a loved one struggling with substance use or struggling to seek help. Not only are there dedicated treatment professionals in your neighborhood, but there is also a remarkable, caring recovery community waiting for you with open arms.
Marcus Smith is the Recovery Centers of America Capital Region CEO based in Waldorf, Md. In this role, he oversees a team of addiction professionals dedicated to helping patients recover through evidence-based alcohol and drug addiction treatment. He is also involved in the local community, extending RCA’s support and resources to patients and families in the surrounding Washington, D.C., region and beyond. Before this role, Smith served as clinical director at the facility. He is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, a clinical member of the Association of the Treatment of Sexual Abusers, and holds affiliations with the American Counseling Association, Maryland Counseling Association, and D.C. Mental Health Counseling Association, among other clinical professional organizations. Smith received his bachelor’s degree in communications from Morgan State University and a master’s degree in counseling from Bowie State University. RCA Capital Region is accredited by the Joint Commission and the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers. It was named a “Best U.S. Addiction Treatment Facility in Maryland” by Newsweek for the third consecutive year (2020, 2021, and 2022).
Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/fatal/dashboard/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/drug-overdose-data.htm
https://wallethub.com/edu/drug-use-by-state/35150
CDC’s State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System (SUDORS)