San Diego-Based Shoreline Recovery Center Addresses the Opioid Epidemic Among Young Adult Males With Education, Treatment and Comprehensive Programming
SAN DIEGO, March 18, 2023 (Newswire.com) - Shoreline Recovery Center is addressing the opioid crisis through a process that involves giving patients medication if they've relapsed or overdosed, providing programming that addresses the family system, teaching them skills to get jobs and how to handle money. In addition, the facility addresses each patient's mental health.
The majority of overdose deaths in the U.S. involve opioids, including fentanyl, which have increased and heightened during the pandemic, with people who've had one overdose often leading to another. Unfortunately, this is due to its prevalence and access, based on how inexpensive it is to make.
In addition to rising addiction rates, Shoreline staff are also seeing that the majority of opioid addicts are less than 23 years old, some even younger. "They're getting hooked at a younger age because the fentanyl hits them so much faster, and they OD," said Licensed and Marriage Family Therapist Max Kubota. "People think they're getting heroin, but it's fentanyl and it's the same with Xanax and meth."
This is because the amount of fentanyl cut into drugs has gone up significantly. Many clients at Shoreline aren't seasoned users, meaning they're experimenting to cope with hardships they're experiencing, often with dire consequences.
"In sessions, these men talk about their concern with not having an ability to control or even know what they're taking in," Kubota said. Roughly 60 percent of the patients at Shoreline are opioid addicts.
"The issue is the drugs are getting stronger and insurance authorizations are getting shorter," said Kubota. "For clients, the journey is a lot longer now, so we need to plant seeds that support them on their journey to a full recovery."
"There's nothing new treatment-wise that's out there," said Craig Burson, Director of Business Development for Shoreline Recovery Center. "The number of people we know who have died in the past year is insane." More than 100,000 people in the U.S. died from drug-involved overdose in 2022.
"In terms of trying to stay ahead of the next crisis, it's a constant battle on the front line," Kubota said. "Addiction is directly connected with unprocessed childhood trauma, intergenerational trauma and adverse child experiences—all experiences tied to extreme emotions driving their desire to use."
Certified Substance Abuse Counselor Chris Stewart is the main group facilitator at Shoreline Recovery Center. Nicknamed "the hope dealer," he's an advocate for men fighting their demons with addictions.
"Addiction doesn't define you, it's a decision you've made during a season of your life," he said.
Outside of the facility, Stewart focuses on addiction prevention through education to nonaddicts. In addition to working with local churches, schools, fire departments and rotary clubs on crisis intervention, he's also designed curriculum around substance abuse and mental health.
SHORELINE Recovery Center is a San Diego rehab facility that specializes in mental health rehab, individual drug and alcohol treatment plans as well as strategic aftercare.
Source: Shoreline Recovery Center