LAS VEGAS – It’s been nearly 10 years since Bridgett Peterson checked into the Las Vegas Recovery Center for opioid addiction.
“It’s weird because like entering [and] being able to leave whenever you want,” Peterson laughed as she strolled through the campus grounds.
But the temptations still linger in the back of her mind.
“I still to this day talk about like sometimes my head convinces me that that’s what the solution is,” Peterson said. “But to this day, I’ve never got to that other option — going to the doctor to try and find that that fix, you know, has not been the choice that I’ve made. But thinking about it, yes, absolutely, is still something that runs through my head to this day.”
With limited access to treatment, suspected overdoses rising, and no clear end in sight to the pandemic, doctors and addiction specialist fear the worst is yet to come.
“When there is any sort of blockade, it tends to slow things down and the COVID-19 crisis is the perfect storm of troubles in the world of addiction care in the United States,” Dr. Earley said.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders: 1-800-662-4357
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