A guest post by my Mother on a difficult but real topic.
Naloxone is a medication that rapidly and temporarily reverses the effects of opioid poisoning. Anyone can carry Naloxone, administer it and potentially save a life.
I just completed St John Ambulance’s Opioid Poisoning Response Training Program. The training consisted of a virtual nearly 2 hour meeting where we learned about
•stigma & harm reduction
•how to respond to an opioid poisoning
•how to administer nasal Naloxone
•self care after a traumatic event
I wish i could remember everything that was said but here is some of what remains with me:
*Language - rather than calling someone an addict, we can say someone who uses drugs. Drug misuse or just drug use instead of abuse. And this one really made an impression on me: drug poisoning instead of overdose. Almost all people who suffer drug poisoning have not done it intentionally. They have not deliberately taken more than they can handle. One reason for poisoning could be that they have bought a drug that has been mixed with something else they weren’t aware of. For example, pure heroin that is actually 100% heroin is rare so the person thinking that they’re taking heroin may also be unwittingly using other drugs.
*Destigmatizing. Being judgemental as a society of drug users does in no way help them. It can rather prevent them, because of, for example, shame or lack of services, from getting any help they need. For me, this seems obvious. I, who long to show the love of Christ, cannot in anyway treat anyone as if they are worth less than others. In God’s sight or in mine.
*Naloxone. We learned how to administer nasal Naloxone and the steps leading up to treatment. And also afterwards. If the person is responsive, you need to obtain their consent before administering Naloxone. Some will not consent due to their (legitimate) fear of “dope sickness” or withdrawal symptoms brought on by Naloxone treatment. These can be horrible- pain deep in your bones, the sensation of bugs crawling under your skin, nausea and so on. Also, Naloxone is only effective for 20-40 minutes so you need to continue watch carefully for returning signs of poisoning. More doses of Naloxone may be necessary.
The last part of our education was on self care. We learned how to figure out who and what can help us feel positive after a traumatic event such as assisting someone suffering from opiod poisoning. I feel i will always have the support of family and friends and I am thankful for that.
I’m very happy I took Naloxone training although I wish there was no reason to ever need it. And because I took the training through Siloam Mission, Siloam gets 2 free nasal Naloxone kits. I feel like i have done a tiny bit to help our community.
