Recovering from drug addiction is more intense than ever before

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As a treatment director with Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge (MnTC), I oversee a 44-bed women’s addiction treatment facility in Minneapolis. Our center offers 3.5 level of care, which is high-intensity care designed for folks needing 24-hour supervision. As part of my role, I lead our staff, teach classes, and offer treatment and support to the women in our program. And as a former addict myself, I relate to what my patients endure each day.

As I reflect on my 14 years of recovery, it is astonishing to think about how much addiction has changed during that time.

The environment for addicts is different. The pandemic rocked our world, placing unprecedented pressures on our state’s most vulnerable people. Many struggled to pay bills and fell into homelessness and addiction as social services and interventions stalled. Amid the 2020 unrest in Minneapolis, law enforcement and other essential services were stretched even thinner. Meanwhile, benefits and stimulus checks unfortunately enabled addiction for some, leaving many of the people I work with today in dangerous situations.

Fast-forward to today, and too many of the women I serve arrive at our treatment center more broken than ever. I’m consistently seeing more severe and unique trauma than I’ve seen in my entire career. Addiction — coupled with challenges many women face like motherhood and trauma from domestic violence, homelessness and sex trafficking — has simply broken them. Women, often facing severe stigma to seeking help, come to us stripped of love, trust and often even the ability to speak to others. This makes recovery extremely challenging.

The drugs are different, too. They’re stronger, more damaging and more deadly. Not many people realize that even one dose can cause an overdose and kill — nor do they realize these overdoses can’t always be reversed with Narcan. In recent months, we’ve been forced to administer three or more doses of Narcan to reverse an overdose. Withdrawal symptoms from fentanyl are worse than any drug I’ve seen. And besides the opioid crisis, we’re seeing non-opioid drugs like xylazine (often known as tranq) cause flesh-eating illnesses that are not reversible.

I want Minnesotans to be more aware of the evolving challenges we face in treatment. Addiction impacts all of us — not just those facing it themselves. But there are solutions for those suffering. We emphasize separating out our opioid support groups, pairing new clients with other women further along in their recovery. These buddies give our clients, many coming to us from correctional facilities or homelessness, a partner to help guide their journey of hope.

Another solution we’re deploying to fight overdose and relapse has been naltrexone and Vivitrol. This type of drug binds to and blocks opioid receptors to reduce opioid cravings and cause those using or relapsing to not feel a high. By placing patients on these medications before they leave treatment, we can strongly reduce relapses and increase sobriety, and the results are speaking for themselves.

Take it from a former addict in recovery: Addiction is ever-changing. It’s our job as a community to understand these challenges we all face and destigmatize recovery — especially for women.

Alyssa Cunningham is an addiction treatment director for Minnesota Adult & Teen Challenge in Minneapolis.