August 31st is recognized as International Overdose Awareness Day. In September, at this year's 3rd Annual Mobilize Recovery Conference in Las Vegas, I heard a speaker reference those who we have lost to the battle of addiction by overdose as accidental advocates of Recovery Reform. When we hear of our brothers and sisters succumbing to the disease of addiction, it hurts because we know that many addicts do not want to use and they certainly don't intend to use drugs laced with fentanyl!!
Q: What do we want?!
A: Recovery Reform!!
Q: When do we want it!?
A: NOW!!!
Recovery Reform in the form of: Recovery, Prevention and Mental Health & Substance Use Disorder Parity. Let's begin by eliminating (or atleast reducing) the stigma associated with mental health, addiction, admitting a problem and seeking treatment!
On April 9, 2021, we lost DMX and there were drugs involved. DMX was a talented, successful brother (with 15 children) who was adored in the hip-hop community. *His hit are bangas!!* He was using drugs in April of 2021...during a pandemic. He definitely had a relationship with the Heavenly Father because it was obvious in his songs...make it make sense, please.
Q: How could he not defeat that demon?!
A: Substance Use Disorder is a disease of the brain and must be treated as such (and oh by the way, addiction is insidious).
A few other 2021 OD-related celebrity deaths:
DMX (rapper)
Michael K. Williams (actor)
Keith McCants (prof football)
Fuquan Johnson (comic)
We have and have had a long-standing problem with this "war on drugs" which, in my opinion, has always been a "war on people" (heroin in the 60s, cocaine in the 70s, crack in the 80s, pills in the 90s and fentanyl currently) and enough is enough!!! Provide the RESOURCES, as routinely and with as much care and concern as we screen & treat diabetes or cancer. This is not hard: TREAT ADDICTION ---> SAVE LIVES. #recoveryreform #recoveryispossible #mobilizerecovery #overdoseawareness #notanotherone
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