Asana Recovery

EDUCATING CHILDREN BORN FROM THE OPIOID CRISIS

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT 4-H HEALTHY LIVING AMBASSADORS

How do you properly describe the nationwide epidemic called the Opioid Crisis? Do you call it the worst health scare since the AIDS outbreak in the 1970s? Should we add that it has killed over 300,000 people since 2000 (and counting)? Perhaps we should also add that this epidemic has potentially ruined the lives of hundreds of thousands of children, especially those who were exposed to the drug in utero. In the wake of this crisis, the number of incarcerated moms has skyrocketed, leaving children to fend for themselves or be placed in the system. While we cannot fully provide detailed information about the current predicaments these children face, we can provide you with a window into their tormented world. Let’s take a look at how some teachers are educating children born from the Opioid Crisis.

Education and Supervision

For many educators across the Midwest, school is not simply a learning environment but also serves as a safe place for supervision. Earlier, the NEA spoke with 10 educators from West Virginia and Ohio, two states which have suffered the brunt of the Opioid Epidemic in recent years. Besides these teachers, a lineup of school officials including nurses, administrators, and counselors must attempt to help children who they are not prepared (or trained) to help. In one interview, a teacher described how one child was so violent that he has injured adults. Another interview mentions a boy who is elated to hear his baby sister (who was withdrawing from opioids) would be released from the hospital. Schools have become an epicenter of madness.

More than ABCs

According to Julie Sturgill (a 3rd-grade teacher in the Dawson-Bryant School District in the Appalachian region of Ohio), some school days are tests of survival, not times for learning. As part of her work, she has cleaned smelly, unwashed clothes, texted her colleagues about emergencies involving students, and let one tormented child sleep during the entire class. In part, Ms. Sturgill never could have predicted how her role as teacher would also include the duties of a primary caregiver.

Seeking Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder   

Opioids are extremely potent and dangerous drugs that have a high risk for abuse and addiction. Although these substances can provide relief for patients suffering from chronic pain, a painful disease, or post-surgery discomfort, opioids can still trigger dependency and subsequent addiction if patients are left unchecked by doctors.

If you are suffering from a severe case of opioid use disorder or have a friend or loved one who is coping with this illness, get in touch with Asana Recovery today. Our professional team of counselors and healthcare experts will help you endure the painful process detox and withdrawal and guide you through each step of the rehabilitation process to help you separate yourself from these deadly painkillers.

If you want to find out more about our residential treatment or supervised detoxification/withdrawal programs or enroll in one of these programs today, we are ready and waiting to speak with you at your leisure and your disclosure. Call Asana now at (949) 438-4504 to learn how you can overcome your attachment to opioids and take an essential step against the Opioid Crisis.