Getting through life when suffering through addiction is no easy feat, so try to imagine how hard it can be when a natural disaster like Hurricane Harvey or Hurricane Irma hits.
As one researcher told ABC News, during a natural disaster, the problems of addiction can become more public. “It becomes harder to hide and cope with one’s addiction in private.”
Researchers who studied previous storms noted that a disaster can “interrupt treatment and that certain programs, like methadone maintenance, are supposed to have emergency plans in case of a natural disaster.”
With the current opioid crisis, some were given a week’s worth of Narcan, the overdose antidote, so that people lives could be saved by first responders to a storm.
A natural disaster can be one of the toughest tests to many suffering from addiction, and as one woman who worked at a Florida recovery home advised those suffering from addiction to “have faith in the foundation you’ve built. If you get into fear, reach out and speak to somebody.”
For more information and to get the help you need now, contact The Detox Center of Los Angeles for a free assessment of your symptoms as well as your insurance benefits and coverage.
