Fentanyl Now Leading Cause of Overdose Deaths

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has recently released its data for the cause of deaths in the US for the year 2020. Drug overdose still remains a leading cause of death in the US, with nearly 100,000 deaths occurring during this year. These figures do not include overdose occurrences that did not result in death.

The leading drugs associated with overdose are opiates, including Fentanyl. Fentanyl is a synthetic opiate-based drug that is considered to be 100 times stronger than morphine and at least 50 times more potent than heroin.

What is Fentanyl used for

Fentanyl was developed to use in emergency situations like natural disasters or on the battleground to help injured soldiers. The effects of this drug are instant, and it helps medical professionals ease the suffering of their patients until they can get them to safety.

As this drug became more mainstream in the medical community, it was used to help cancer patients and those who were suffering significant injuries manage their pain. It was also being used to help relieve after-surgery pain on the day of surgery.

The problem with Fentanyl

Sadly, the drug also entered into the street class because of its high potency and accessibility compared to heroin and other opiates.

What is even scarier about this drug is that the ingredients to create it are easy to obtain overseas. Much of the drug entering the street market is “homemade,” meaning that it could be toxic, more potent than the medical version making it deadly, or weaker than the medical version causing people to use more for a high.

All of these factors have led to the increased use and high addiction rate to Fentanyl. It has also led to a significant increase in overdose deaths related to this drug.

Breaking A Fentanyl Addiction

Can you overcome a fentanyl addiction? Yes. Can you do it on your own? No. The strength of this drug makes it nearly impossible to face the withdrawal symptoms on your own. Most people will require medical assistance to break their addiction to this potent drug.

The great news is that substance recovery centers specialize in this type of addiction that can make the process so much easier. These drug rehab facilities understand opiate addiction, especially to heroin and Fentanyl, and have the resources necessary to help anyone overcome their addiction.

Entering Rehab for Fentanyl

When you enter into a rehabilitation program, you will go through a multi-step process to help you overcome the addiction. These steps include the physical detox from the substance followed by the mental and emotional detox from the addiction. The final step will be learning how to live in a state of recovery.

You will work closely with a substance abuse counselor that will help you discover the base cause of your addiction and get the help you need to overcome this issue. It may be a physical issue such as pain management or a mental health issue such as anxiety or depression that has led to the addiction.

Fentanyl treatment

During your treatment program, you will learn more about yourself, what triggers these emotions and needs to use the drugs, and how to overcome the problem. It is a process that helps you take control of your life physically, mentally, and emotionally.

As you get ready to leave the treatment program, your counselor will help you establish a network of support systems so that you can remain in recovery. They will help you find the tools that you need to stay sober once you leave the program and help you build the confidence you need to use these tools.

When you leave the recovery center, you will be able to live a substance-free lifestyle.

Don’t Become A Statistic For The CDC

The use of Fentanyl should be severely restricted to medical care in emergency situations. It should not be used for pain management or for any other personal use reason. This is a highly addictive substance that causes both physical and mental dependency and has a very high risk for overdose when used.

The Fentanyl being sold on the streets is most likely not a medical-grade substance, leading to even higher risks and more potential for overdose and death. Don’t become a statistic and avoid this drug. If you have an addiction to Fentanyl, look for help. You can overcome this addiction and lead a substance-free life.