To the people who can never get around medical terms, an opioid is, in fact, drugs, prescribed or otherwise. They never posed to be a threat – until now. It had become a cause of death around the World. By now, opioid overdose has killed over 47,600 people; the numbers are of 2017 alone. If one goes on to do the math, then that is roughly 130 person every day. The rate for the demand for opioid has reduced over all these years. Yet, doctors write more than 191 million prescriptions for the patients. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have proven it with studies and researches.
The truth was horrifying to Alyssa Peckham. She is a clinical assistant professor in the Bouve College of Health Science, in the Northeastern University. Peckham wants to urge Americans to bring a change in their thoughts about the crisis. “We need to reframe our mindset in understanding addiction,” says Peckham. In her view, this crisis is not a moral failure, but prolonged, chronic illness.
Being an addiction specialist in Massachusetts General Hospital, she has shed some light on this issue with her accurate data. Peckham blames the overdose on the transition from prescribed opioids into heroin. Along with it, the synthetic opioids, called a fentanyl crisis, have become a problem. In response to Kirsten Gillibrand’s recent tweet, she shakes her head on it. She believes that limiting opioid prescriptions will not be a solution, but a band-aid. Peckham responded when asked about opioid being a proper pain treatment. She believes there may be alternatives to gain instant relief.
Peckham also urges everyone to see opioid overdose as an illness. She appeals to the families not to feel embarrassed for the victim. By plunging them into social isolation, it leads to anxiety and depression. All they need is support and proper treatment.
Pranjali Wakde