66- Addicted to Opioids

Amy, one can bring many difficult situations domestic violence addictions, poverty and even sexual abuse by your loved ones welcome Amy, and the Q good afternoon and welcome radius. I'm your host Amy Calvo drainpipe Laurent might have any ice show is available live on the radio that are called to care our life on our website. Amy's purpose.com.

We are broadcasting from Miami the night and later it becomes a podcast show deals with suffering and the tenacity of the human spirit. The lots survive in the carriage to keep moving forward despite any obstacle with the help of God and each other. We do provide testimonials to let people know they're not alone in this show. The testimony started with me having been a survivor from child abuse well young adult. We also have experts in the medical field and inspirational speakers that are willing to help and give valuable information. Knowing that awareness is vital. Transparency is needed and I believe we all suffer or have suffered from something as for me, myself and came from God, but other forms of suffering are presented as well to service everyone life can be very challenging. Of course that always know that there's always someone who cares that was living. By Camilo Cabello. Sometimes I wonder where my husband came from that he drop out of the sky and Lessie sent to say to me, but the one who is guiding my every move is God and I'm living proof with Hansen soft to touch like a baby.

God's loving ourselves help me find my way and today right discussing the destructive nature of drug addiction Tyler Skaggs. The picture of the Angels major leak of baseball died of an obit overdose this past July opiate addiction has become an epidemic, and someone who has lived the opiate crisis and the devastating effects of addiction is Dr. Donald Gibson Dr. Donald Gibson is a trained physician graduated from the Colborne medical school, a writer, patient advocate and addiction studies professional, Dr. Gibson, thank you for being with us.

Welcome to the Keer air lowered.

Sure. That's again seeing if he can just give us an overlay of what addiction is in the prevalence in the United States where it stands today.

Currently our understanding of the verse from "short overall.

The brain reward disorder and looked at me is that we have. The deeper structural portable blame called once or branches out reward center is vital for survival for instinct fly where we seek pleasure from eating drinking at all basic human drives with very powerful goes bald over your system Bible report of drugs of abuse and certain types behaviors. So what happens is when you abuse this report and the compulsive behavior, drug fiction takes over the system and essentially essentially drives our behavior towards continued drug abuse, or the behavior until it overtakes our lives and one of the reasons why this is successful is because this reward system in our brain eventually comes to dominate the portable blame, which is basically our cortical function or higher functioning or prefrontal cortex in the form of blades where we have our judgment, decision-making, impulse control, where we determine what wall will be rationalized and this part of our brain normally functions to kind of put a stop gap reports business to make a decision to do something to kickstand and we eat because it's pleasurable and stopping because our are other parts of our brain we are satisfied with time to start over eat too much leisure complexes that were thinking bring. So what happens is the disease of addiction is about portable blame essentially cut off from our board system. We don't respond to the normal cues for more thinking bring to stop the behavior and the behavior I'm talking about all alcohol abuse and so that's essentially what happens in drug abuse and because of several factors is very common in the United States 21. Help me to understand you say it's sees this as an illness and wanted to know what exactly is the difference because the between disease and illness.

If you say that it affects the rational part of the brain so the rational part of the brain is compromised and whether it be by trauma or abuse by drug addiction. But what makes the difference between somebody that can try a drug and good a few times and never touched again to someone who becomes terribly addicted because, for example, for me, I'm a recovering addict and I know what drugs are very scary for me by pills never did anything for me so why would somebody so what yes please explain why when well obviously.

Got right to be out with most (use alcohol or drugs do not become a good in fact, we know that people that use opiates, only about 15 or 20% of the potential become the other people will therefore people for can take the medicine user is directed and stop and never have a problem, one that proceeded forward in the addicted process or those that are number one genetically susceptible genetics plays a role in that 50% of people with substance use disorders have a genetic predisposition and are beginning to understand these genes and how they translate into hijacking the awards. Also, environmental factors are very important including documentary past history of, which somehow sensitizes the blame towards drug abuse, whether it be physical, sexual, emotional, then we have peer influences what our friends are doing well our family when we grow up there certain mental depression, anxiety, attention deficit disorder, PTSD, these are underlying little coworker and increased ability to people with addiction so if you have some of these underlying abilities and uses a lot of us. I suppose a lot of that's why you 21 million Americans, at least addiction and so a lot of people was only about 320 million so that's almost 10% of the population and the majority of the alcohol but we know over the last 20 years.

Opiate addiction has has risen a lot as well and so a lot of it also is due to availability.

Alcohol is legal to be available by prescription drugs are illegal if there prescribed and are readily available and then obviously a lot of drugs that are illegal or readily available so we have this huge availability was someone at risk and that how you form an addict is obviously where are you ready know what the mix, and we know that marijuana addiction is also growing US, especially if it's disguised as something that can help you or something that you need likely that case you didn't even have to have a predisposition factor or eating out that the genetics will what will in my case.

In my case my individual case. My mother was a prescription alcohol realized this unrealized younger because back in the 70s and 80s. People who abuse alcohol and pills were these they were so educated English three yeah, it was even more readily available to you then. How easy and so well so so anyway so my mother would not never used any drugs when I was younger I really need to go into that about your life, you let the opiate crisis I Mimi Couto next year.

Please name and life can bring many difficult situations domestic violence addiction is poverty and even sexual abuse by your loved ones. The issue is not stay there, but to overcome all obstacles and show that with the love of God, your husband and your family. You can succeed in love is the answer. God is the key word reveals Amy Carbo's life warrior who didn't give up and achieve the dream of her life. You can get to know more about her enter story on God is the key word.com or buying her book on Amazon.com and got another dollar in my pocket and it looks just like you miss back. This is a care and thanks for teaming I Mimi Just joined we are discussing the effects of drug addiction. We live radio. Also, social media like Facebook for this purpose later show will be available.

Focus. Please search for the cure, and or download our cure and we would really love your feedback on our show. Please proclaim his purpose.com for the radio stop and feel the server. Please think Alice tonight tonight my hot Salome, having seen ourselves standing on the ads and maybe not share. If you make any that how many times to be thinking Until we wake up at this strange tattoo knowing how it got there they can go broke, but we think whatever, it doesn't matter it's all fun and games at least for that night talking to Dr. Gibbs, Donald Gibson, I the opiate addiction crisis Dr. Gibson.

I understand that you lost a lot to that drug addiction and right before winter break wanted to hear your story. If you would like to share with you.I will 1995 I was basically living the dream.

I believe it was God's dream. I always want to be a doctor that was very young child I finally was able to achieve in the late 80s, 1990 I graduated in Texas with the practice of internal medicine, Houston, Texas. I met my future wife and she got pregnant with our first child that we were living in Houston and I can remember laying in bed at night thinking God and wondering how the someone deserves this much happiness, how does it happen that are married or have our first child coming position. Great life. Everything you can imagine and fast forward 20 years and it's all gone and the way this happened. I went out and played flag football one day I was on the life and I blew out my right shoulder went to a friend of mine went to school with and so much pain. He gave me opiate and I took my thinking there would be any issues at all.

The pain was so severe I couldn't sleep or work so I took and the bottom line is I never stop and even though the use of the pills early on wasn't a lot the nature of addiction is that it progresses.

The longer you use a substance more effective house on changing the brain as well. Those with the pain go away. Never stop my pain subsided when my pain. I still talk like one Vicodin at night just in case. Okay, one one and I at that time in the mid-90s I was in so the opioid manufacturers would bring samples of pills to my office and I will help Tom's a bottle opiate pills just laying around and so may artificially use them I would take it one night and after a couple years it became 191 the morning and then it became too night three of my men. It kind of progress until like 2000 2001 I started to feel the effects of the actually take other medications like so much muscle relaxing and Xanax and things like that and which were also available. I am my mother passed away in 2001, which is why bankruptcy was a prescription pill addict and alcoholic and I was unable to help her because I was dealing with my own addiction and I didn't understand what was wrong with me. I understand what was wrong with her and so she passes away from a drug overdose.

I kind of block that blocked out of my mind. I don't even think I cried, and so I go back to Houston 2001, just continued use of drugs and the bottom line is that drug use systematically destroyed every research report. My life there wasn't any part of my life. I became emotionally detached from my family stop engaging in activities with them.

I would go all isolate myself.

I became a doctor. All I would go to work. Sometimes I engage in risky behaviors, and eventually I just gave up my practice because I didn't want to be more practical even know what this day and then I got some jobs in the interim. In 2005 seven and I finally got a job in the clinic, but there worse people bear that basically did want to practice medicine. We began engaging in activities that will not medically necessary and I got in trouble with the law and I lost my life and my belief, practice medicine and eventually my wife divorced I lost my wife my home, my family was eventually arrested for the jail I detoxed suicide, though almost died when the kidney failure had to be in the hospital and then finally to thousand 12 a federal judge Stephanie three so from your looking 1995 to 2012. Even though I was a physician, even though I kind of knew that I had a problem. I didn't know how to fix it.

And so this was the first time that someone actually you know you're an addict you to go to rehab you need help with the rehab and I got clean and formal four month everything was out of my system. My brain clear up and I was finally free of the drug dominated my life but that's when the real problems because as you are in your addiction and you're in this mindset all the consequences of your addiction to your life, your family, your children, your job, your career, almost consequences that occur during that life of addiction that you understand that there actually happened there there but you don't understand the impact. The implication until you finally get off the drugs. Your brain goes, what will you just send your life what have you just gone.

You have to deal with the psychological impact of all those consequent so when I finally woke up and rehab. I felt great. I have no job I have no money.

I have homeless jail so that dealing with the psychological impact of that in recovery is probably more important or as important as getting off the drugs or alcohol themselves because you're not realizing all of the damage you've done for years. The people live decades that you have and that's what I want to talk about because the choices are moral failing, I'm about thinking will be right you like 1866. See you said you say you say to me just doing everything I log in daycare with Amy and Lori listen to us live on your radio every Saturday at 1 PM to Take care our website in his purpose.com with GE that are #9 guests. When I listen to this song I liking here is hiking cheap and he can yes I can. GE patter in the capital can momentarily happiness that comes easy and it's from the enemy only leads to crying it's only wasted time when we see previous guidance that it would stop time for us if we ask him to and provides the length that were missing Tickets before he went to break. We are talking about your story how you lost everything here entire life actually you lost your love for life and replaced with love of addiction and I know what that's like I know what it's like to turn family away and not to care about anything and only the trunk that becomes your love always the outcome after you are able to recover. Did you get a second chance to people believing you like how well you know I after I went to rehab. I was therefore month and it was a very difficult because in the beginning I didn't even believe I was you know I was an addict and even all of the position you have to remember that when I trained the position in the early 90s we really know anything about addiction compared to now.

We just thought addiction was the choice you made because you took drugs.

Joseph took week and met with my feelings of addiction and mental actually in general and I couldn't obtain I don't think more bald about it and I didn't know what I became under the influence of drugs. I was the last person understand what the illness was and so well. So when I got out of rehab I had to face the charge of cloth from the federal government I would judge in and I was honest for probably the first time in 20 years of your I was wrong. You know I did this, you know you strode make excuses. My drug addiction.

I was wrong. I dessert be, shall not accept whatever punishment did you give me and so you know they were not for me to rehab but there also. You know they have to serve the law so I had to go to prison so they sent me to a place in Georgia where they actually have a residential drug abuse program in prison camp area and so I was in that another year and that recovery was a little different because they don't just focus on cleaner. Essentially, but they focus on rehabilitating your life how to appreciate life learning new skills ships as to exactly letting him so yeah so you know, behavioral techniques, cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, essentially, they essentially help you change you are, you know, ever since the direction you get to be any creature. I'm learning a lot correct that correct.

Even though you it's very good for a person who suffered from addiction or any other problems that they have and but when you're in a prison environment to be the same impact very stressful environment.

You know I was away from my family and I still have all the other problems that I was no career, no job, no money, no home and all those were still lingering and so the program successfully after year, I was released from Houston but like nothing. I went to a halfway house that I had no will deplete it was three years I might buy my ex-wife bought them to a halfway house and talk about difficult reunion. Looking at your children that were your whole life knowing that you were an addict you neglected them and you feel like you did a good new and wondering what the implication is that going to be on the rest of their lives. Once that's when you started when you started to list for your family correct and so this is part of recovery. How do you build yourself back up regain your self-confidence self acceptance or self-assurance and rebuild those relationships that you destroy now you know and I know that some relationships can never be built about my ex-wife is better. No matter what, but I have a chance of my children and I think I did a pretty good job rebuilding that relation trust you, but it always is in the back of my mind I really really feel. Have they told me yet forgiving know this is about children.

They love their parents no matter what I don't get that from a spouse that you get that from the kids usually do not get anything espoused that I can get together and from those cans that I now anyway. I harbor on that is the right so so that the report rebuild their love. Now the other part of my life were still ongoing plot by Dr. Mehta. Probably not possible.

My record past and overcoming that challenging, but not the only thing I could do. I love to teach people and helping others and helping people with addiction people this this no one chooses this this choice are all failing argument I think is a little doing a little disturbed know we all choose drinking drugs, you know, initially, and you don't understand the risks or risks, but no one chooses to be a full-blown addict's life and career serve their families why Gina would have suffered all his consequences which you have exactly what you value fast 15 years and realize the implication of what's going to happen well with you that you know Tony sentences about education yeah exactly.

We were learning a lot in neuroscience about addiction were beginning to understand why addicts make the decisions they do and you know no one chooses to take drugs over those of die.

I can imagine you know me you know we have suicide 8180 90 every single day from drug abuse of those people did choose to overdose of die, that's crazy now, if you really like the fact that when Sierra by chance we have everyone has a purpose and a reason. Reason for letting and to decide exactly what the bottom line is so we can actually change the video companies were pushing the.co.do you trials against them.

Yes, I believe believe they they do have a role in this. Like I mentioned earlier, when I was in the office in the mid-90. The drug companies would bring.

By free samples and stock models of opiate just giving them out and I was there for the testimonial for the lecturer, saying they were safe and I believe I believe and I do believe it shows the new they were risking and they couldn't inform the public so roaches know my understanding if you refuse prescription.

There is was drugs like heroin that is even confined addiction of these people actually worse pain med I alone I am Amy L and they care landlord back will continue talking with Dr. Donald Gibson about drug addiction is a strong need back and thanks for being with that.

I am Amy Calvo and his neck. Here you can take care line every Saturday at 1 PM Eastern radio happy care on social media also are available just for the pure worship can please go to Amy's purpose.co and fill out the server under the cure. Think Alice Lee Knight pentatonic's faith is strong, that sometimes we need proof God shows this in his own ways that we cannot in 18 months.

Otherwise life the plaintiff having faith which is believing blindly the things he cannot scientifically prove so hallelujah does he discover their faith tend to guide any Windows he didn't that he still saved we are talking about drug addiction.

Dr. Donald Gibson so that Bobby had a question for the doctor what we were talking about the how to address the problem. So I guess I don't know nobody probably more importantly the problem is present there is a general crisis and we are aware of the problem.

What kind of treatments available. One thing these people are sick. How you want to look at it. They are sick. Anyone mental illness and physical pain. The brain is a physical structure and when something goes wrong with respect person behavior that's how the brain works absolutely absolutely so we should say a fiction is a choice, just like we don't think depression is the choice you know you don't necessarily just sit down and think yourself and the depression will still I realize that fundamentally we have to we have to people have to realize that addicts are sick alcoholics or sick okay now understand there is a spectrum of disorder mild, moderate, severe, talking about people on the superior in spectrum that are destroying your life.

These people are sick.

What happened okay. They need the same thing that anybody with cancer or diabetes or heart. These they have to see a professional okay of the majority of people with severe substance you people with mild disorder as defined alike. People can heal on their own, they can go to AA go to groups as they can get better on their own, but the people with severe substance use disorder which a lot of people have. They need professional evaluation and help. And so this is accomplished by either going through your doctor going through websites, organizations, even places like the show, and direct people towards recovery centers substance abuse professionals and have a plot medical and psychological evaluation to determine the severity of their substitute for and then pick the appropriate treatment. Whether they need to be in the hospital inpatient residential place intensive outpatient program or just an outpatient program, but they need medical a lot of medical and psychological treatment and they needed for long time.

People with diabetes and cancer.

They don't just going to take the treatment go home and forget about the ongoing follow-up ongoing treatment because we know they don't those conditions going to relapse.

So I so are you just say you have predisposition for sin.

Let's say you have predisposition sorry takes is that something that you have blessed forever. Well, well, as far as I know right now there's not a quote sure you can't just take a pill go shop and be free of addiction. Obviously, you need to thing you need one thing you need to get all substance or behavior that initially started the eviction you need to remove that chemical from your brain.

The brain can start the process of healing and recovery, and on top of that you need to deal with people recall co-occurring disorders that occur with addiction such as depression and PTSD trauma. Whatever other psychological problems that you might have and also all the psychosocial implications of your addiction loss of your job or career money your home or your family or support system. Everything else that collapses with this illness and I might add that no other illness like this that I know of has the ability to completely destroy your life now sure if you have cancer or heart disease you like a couple of but most people but have those you have a lot of support. Love, but the attic on the other hand :-) coping with guilt, shame, depression, loss of their career finding purpose in life. You know, nobody wants to know then the stigma that trust relationships is important.

There's a personable reason why the like I said, addiction is a brain illness, mental illness, and it affects our behavior in a negative way. I've never seen someone take drugs or alcohol that improves their behavior in a positive way.

It's always negative, and that negative behavior. What happens to it elected towards the people around us, or local or Colville again and get me to get me if I'm wrong Dr. I'm thinking if somebody has a date, diabetes, and something like that and that that we know how to cheat that genealogy thing aggressively but maybe for the person that's addictive. There's so many different aspects that need treatment and is it that could not be a possibility. Why the situation is not properly addressed.

If they pay little or if they read it because it because the applications around the addiction or the effect of the addiction. Physically, mentally, socially or so wide ranging, that taxes the abilities of people to treat effectively and so you know it's just it's almost impossible to tackle all this all at once and you know what almost and insurance companies have been slow to come around a couple treatment for mental illness and addiction. So if your insurance only pays for two weeks of rehab going for two weeks you're out okay.

Two weeks you think my situation could be cured into week I was in rehab for four months and I still had a very typical time afterwards when the family member that person that you know is because the injury and pain.

How can you help that person knowing that I know how can you know that the prescribed medication. Pain medication directly exactly so but you. I understand I understand that but you just like people with cancer related chemo.

We know chemo destroys your body, but they did it anyway because I don't die The other because it wasn't for my wife when into surgery and they declined to give pain medication is hello you know this can and I'm sure will think I'm going I will think of some. I don't think I don't like hell. I don't really posted both situations need to be approached with with understanding and care for the patient like in my case I would feel like if I broke my arm and I went and I needed a couple days of opiate that my three my understanding I could take it and stop. I don't know that for sure, but I my understanding that Michael most my self awareness I feel like I can handle that situation under the care professional. Okay, now my own elbow education is key just making theleasee know that their high risk for anybody that's been listening. Please if you know anyone anyone at all that is and how you ask get to someone and get them help. We almost finishing with today show only a few minutes left to Dr. Gibson really appreciated your story.

What was very informative. I bless you too.

Yes I still like and think each of our audio engineer Jasper for being with that.

I realized ideally not be possible. Let's pain your Jesus I surrender every child attic teeth today. You know that struggles that they're going through right now.

Others think they're living their past life that is a deception enemy free from the press enough drugs help them to know they can find pleasure and happiness and you alone save them from their distress and get them supernatural strength to fight any manner of temptation that may come their way. I pray this believing in your holy name. Amen. Like so many people are struggling with addiction out there that very few of them are ready to come out and asked for help because of the way society reacts to drug others are in church, but they cannot open up to follow church members because they will be condemned like that father lets us unconditionally.

Lord hear their cry of their hearts reveal to them the right people to go for help, and given the strength to do so. At the start the journey of recovery. Please provide them with the power to keep up tents and stay in the precise path that you have set for in Jesus name we believe and pray.

Amen nice this payment. Please check our podcasts. The cure with amicable power up the cure or our website name is purpose.com please visit Amy's purpose.com and fill out the survey. Thank you and thinking to around listeners. This is any You have been listening to the care and I'm so next week on the weekend and next week we have a very interesting topic with vendor next week. Is this Saturday before Christmas. Yet within the next week is very about combination of God's love and Christian counseling faith-based. There will think you