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I'm writing in support of the recent article regarding substance use in our community.
First, I think it's important to acknowledge that the opioid crisis is a real crisis. It's so much more than a bunch of people addicted to drugs. The impact it has on entire families, children, school systems, the penal system, employers, the medical field and social services is devastating and costly. The most frustrating part of the epidemic is how elusive a good solution has been for both prevention and treatment.
My personal experience has been limited, but raw. I lost a 23-year-old brother to opiate addiction. Thankfully, he didn't leave any children fatherless, but he did leave his mother, father, brother and sister heartbroken. He came from a middle-class family. He was caring, loving, funny and smart. He was loved by people who had the means and desire to help him in every way known to man. He tried the methadone clinic, inpatient rehab, outpatient rehab, moving to another town, church, changing schools, living with other family members, being constantly monitored by friends and family, jail... the list goes on. Nothing worked.
As an employer, I have experienced theft, excessive tardiness, and accidents in the workplace. As someone with a soft spot for helping people and a zero-tolerance policy on drug use... this puts me in a bad position.
After my brother lost his battle with addiction, I toiled over what more could have been done to help him. That was 20 years ago, and I still don't have an answer. It's my hope, as well as millions of others, that someone smarter than me, with more knowledge on addiction, mental health and the medical field, could hatch a brilliant plan to save communities, families, the workforce and money, all by fixing this one problem. Addicted people don't want to be addicted people. They want to be clean, loved, productive, worthwhile members of society.
If there were a more effective treatment option available, it would be truly priceless. I cannot be convinced that any treatment program currently in our area is effective enough to brag about. If someone makes it out of addiction alive today, it's by sheer grit and the grace of God.
Hope is not lost. That's all anyone has right now. Hope that their loved ones will recover. Hope that mom or dad won't go to jail. Hope that they will live to see tomorrow. Hope that someone will come up with an effective and lasting treatment for prevention, addiction and living in recovery.
Tate Summerfield
Elkins