Media guide helps families break the ice on addiction
As hundreds of people die each year from overdoses — a vast majority being men dying in their homes — Fraser Health has launched a media campaign to urge loved ones to try to help.
When Words Matter is a fourpage guide, video and poster campaign that offers pointers to friends and family concerned about someone else’s substance use, including how to prepare for and begin a conversation, how to remain calm and focused, how to recover when it doesn’t go well and how to care for themselves in a relationship with a user.
Health officials consulted with 50 men who were in or had completed drug treatment and their support networks during focus groups for the campaign called “Overdose is closer than you think,” which launched today.
“What we heard from the focus groups was that what was having an influence (on those who entered treatment) was having someone who loves them just to say to them they really care about them,” said Dr. Aamir Bharmal, medical health officer.
Family support “was one of those really big drivers of getting treatment,” he said.
As of the end of August 2017 there were 1,013 drug overdose deaths in B.C. (compared to 982 deaths for all of 2016) and 91 per cent of those were people aged 19 to 59, according to the B.C. Coroners Service. Eight of the 10 deaths were men.
And Bharmal said 70 per cent of overdose deaths happened in private residences, indicating people may be isolated.
“It’s important to have those conversations and (the campaign) gives you tools to have that conversation,” he said.
“It’s not a bad initial step,” said drug addiction counsellor Cory Wint of Intervention Services Canada. “It’s got to be done in a non-judgmental and non-threatening way.”
He said it’s normal for families to ask if one of its members is OK if they notice signs of substance abuse.
“That’s what families are supposed to do,” he said.
And “sticking your head in the sand and expecting it to go away” won’t work.
But such a conversation has to be handled with “genuine care and concern” for the user and warned the user will likely respond with anger, tears or denial and “a lot of families don’t have the skills to deal with the subject.”
“You raise it once or twice and you don’t keep pushing because you could cause more harm than good,” he said.
At that point, it’s time to call a professional.
“I wouldn’t expect someone to call us off the top,” said Wint. “They usually try talking to them on their own before they call us.”
Counsellor Candace Plattor, who works almost exclusively with families of addicts, said getting help only for the user is flawed because addiction is a family disease and other family members may be enabling the drug abuse.
“It doesn’t work to just treat the addict,” she said. “Not everybody is going to go for help but if the family member comes in and starts changing, (the user) starts seeing the changes in the people who are coming in for help.”
The campaign will run on social media and posters will remain on transit shelters and in bars and restaurants through to December.