This infographic was originally published by the University of West Alabama Online. Read the original infographic here.
In 2016, almost 64,000 Americans died of drug overdoses, the majority of which were from opioids like heroin and fentanyl. That’s nearly seven deaths every hour — more people than car crashes, gun violence, or HIV/AIDS have ever killed in a year. In October 2017, President Donald Trump declared the opioid epidemic — undoubtedly the deadliest in U.S. history — a national public health emergency.
The urgency of the situation has brought substance addiction treatment to the front and center of national attention. Congress is currently considering 57 different opioid-related bills. Addiction, as with many other diseases, is not purely a medical condition, but often entangled with socio-economic factors such as access to healthcare.
For people battling addiction, especially those without robust social and financial safety nets, the road to recovery can be fraught. There are often legal repercussions for relapsing and social stigma for undergoing treatment. Addiction is also, for many, a lifelong condition; 40 to 60 percent of people struggling with substance abuse will relapse more than once.
The below infographic is a helpful way to identify the signs of a relapse, such as isolation and declining hygiene, and a concrete way to help people living with the effects of a crisis that can often seem hopeless.
