Every year, statistics about drug overdoses seem to get worse and more desire. And those suffering from opiate or opioid addictions may, in particular, find themselves unable to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
However, this opioid pandemic doesn’t have to seem hopeless or impossible. That’s because treatment may help many people avoid becoming a statistic on a government sheet and regain their sobriety.
Statistics on Overdose Deaths
The National Institute on Drug Abuse publishes various statistics every year outlining the dangers of drug addiction. Their most recent statistics are centered around 2019, as the 2020 pandemic complicated data gathering. These statistics include shocking information like:
- Drug Overdose Deaths Among All Genders – Around 70,000 Americans died of overdoses in 2019, including illegal drugs and prescription medications.
- Drug Overdose Deaths Involving Any Opioid – About 50,000 people died in 2019 due to opioid overdoses, 70 percent of whom were men.
- Drug Overdose Involving Prescription Opioids – This number peaked in 2017 with 17,029 but remains high in 2019 with a total of 14,139 deaths.
- Drug Overdose Involving Heroin – Though this number did see a decrease of nearly 1,000 people, it remains high at 14,019 people in 2019.
- Drug Overdose Deaths Involving Psychostimulants – Over the last 10 years, this number has skyrocketed from just over 500 people to over 16,000 people in 2019.
- Drug Overdose Deaths Involving Cocaine – Once an unpopular drug in the early 2000s, cocaine rose in impact to cause nearly 16,000 deaths in 2019.
- Drug Overdose Deaths Involving Benzodiazepines – Benzos have declined in popularity in recent years, still causing nearly 9,800 deaths in 2019.
- Drug Overdose Deaths Involving Anti-Depressants – This number remains consistent throughout the years, with around 5,100 deaths annually, including in 2019.
People who abuse drugs may worry about finding themselves in one of these depressing statistical categories. Thankfully, there is hope for this problematic situation. Drug treatment can walk you through this health issue and ensure that you don’t experience long-term health dangers.
What Can Be Done to Help?
Fighting drug addiction and avoiding becoming a statistic requires the help of high-quality therapy that minimizes the impact of this concern. Thankfully, drug addiction recovery provides many tiers of treatment that make it the best way to prevent overdose deaths. Just a few different ways that they will help include:
- Withdrawal management to cut back on the impact of physical pain
- Emotional therapy to help manage any psychological concerns
- Behavioral adjustments to avoid the dangers of addictive patterns of action
- Nutritional care that helps walk you back from the brink of severe health problems
- In-depth treatments that help manage persistent health problems that may impact you
- Family-oriented therapy makes it easier for you to recover properly
- Adventure or activity therapy that takes you out of your comfort zone for unique experiences
This type of therapy can be done in a handful of different care facilities. For example, outpatient therapy allows you to come and go from a center after each treatment session. However, inpatient care gives you the chance to recover in a 24/7/365 care facility that ensures you get the best chance of beating addiction. So make sure you research options near you.
Fighting Addiction for Good
The best way to get over the potential dangers of addiction is to commit to a therapy program and walk through it with professionals who understand its potential impact. Doing so will help decrease the threat of this condition may cause and avoid severe complications as a result.
Helpful Links
National Institute On Drug Abuse
