Each speaker shared their personal experience working with patients who struggle with opioid use disorders. One speaker presented an interesting statistic that the recurrence rates for substance use disorders are identical to the recurrence rates for diabetes. It is crucial that we pay attention to the issues occurring in our state.
Addiction is a complex issue that can be caused by various factors including social isolation, financial difficulties, underlying mental health problems, lack of healthcare access, cultural differences, and poor diet. Opioids are increasingly becoming more accessible in our society, not necessarily because doctors are prescribing them, but because of illicit drug use.
Those who struggle with substance use disorders are often deeply wounded individuals who seek to numb their pain. Trauma, which can be defined as a concentrated lack of love, is best treated with love. If you want to support someone with substance use disorder, you can encourage them to seek help from a treatment center, try medicated assisted treatment, or receive trauma-informed therapy.
SDAHO’s quality team works closely with the South Dakota Department of Health to help educate hospitals and clinics across our state. We can provide education on stigma, resources, medicated assisted treatment, motivational interviewing, and so much more. This project is grant funded and is FREE to our facilities. Please contact us: Loretta Bryan, BSN, RN, CPHQ at loretta.bryan@sdaho.org or Michelle Hofer, BSN, RN, CPHQ at michelle.hofer@sdaho.org.
