GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina) – The opioid epidemic has wreaked havoc across the country and here in South Carolina. The number of overdoses due to abuse of prescription and synthetic drugs is steadily increasing.
Prisma Health opens a new Addiction Medicine Center to expand clinical services.
Drug addiction has been described as a chronic brain disease.
Dr. Alan Litwin, Executive Director of the Addiction Center, said: “This is not a moral failure, it is not a matter of judgment. It is a disease such as hypertension, asthma, or cancer. And like those diseases it is treatable.”
Many people battling opioid addiction are battling addiction.
“Getting high on drugs may feel fun at first, but it quickly becomes a way of life and a more normal feeling. You can get out of bed and do your job,” Dr. Litwin explained.
“It was all I cared about. Everything. I worked to get drug money,” Ashton Hunt said.
She has been sober for three years. But it’s been hard to get here. Drug use was part of Hunt’s daily routine for 15 years. A lot of pain was inflicted not only on her life but also on the life of her family. Her mother who lost custody of her daughter who was alone at the time. We asked her if she felt like a bad mother to her.
Hunt replied “yes”.
The reality of drug addiction is even harsher. Soon, it was constant substance abuse that led to serious consequences.
“I had a blood disease called endocarditis and had to have my spleen removed, then an aortic valve replacement,” says Hunt.
Chances are, the opioid crisis has affected you in some way, shape, or way.directly or indirectly. Drug addiction is considered a disease, but it is also a choice a person makes. Clear-minded or perverted?
“Addiction has nothing to do with who you are, how much money you make, or the color of your skin,” Hunt said. “You just chose a different path.”
“Sometimes people really hit rock bottom,” Dr. Litwin said. “They may overdose and almost die. Then I had heart surgery, got a new valve, and was told that even if I got reinfected, I wouldn’t be a candidate for another valve.”
This was a pivotal moment in her life, as more than 60 days were spent recovering in the hospital. Choosing the next step on this journey was critical to her successful recovery. Taking positive action on these steps is what Hunt describes as a life-changing result for her: deciding to listen instead of pretending to know everything is what she does It will help bring about the change you desperately wanted.
Hunt explained that doing the right thing filled her soul, spirit and community. The road to sobriety was not easy. She believes that she was able to remain steadfast because of her faith in God.
AMC is primarily focused on outpatients, but also provides inpatient care when needed. The center is based in Greenville on the Memorial Campus.
“Many people are using heroin and are suing meth. Cocaine, methamphetamine,” Dr. Litwin explained.
He called fentanyl the unifying drug for many patients. It appears in multiple substances.
September is National Recovery Month. If you or someone you know needs help fighting the opioid epidemic, AMC he can call at 864-455-5994.
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