Recovery from drug addiction is more intense than ever

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As a treatment director at Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge (MnTC), I manage a 44-bed women's addiction treatment facility in Minneapolis. Our center provides Level 3.5 care, which is high-intensity care for people who require 24-hour care. As part of my role, I lead our staff, teach courses, and provide treatment and support to the women in our program. And as a former addict myself, I can understand what my patients endure every day.

When I think about my 14 years of recovery, it's amazing how much addiction has changed in that time.

The environment for addicts is different. The pandemic has rocked our world and placed unprecedented pressure on our state's most vulnerable people. Many struggled to pay bills and fell into homelessness and addiction as social services and interventions stalled. The unrest in Minneapolis in 2020 placed even greater strain on law enforcement and other essential services. Meanwhile, welfare payments and stimulus checks have unfortunately created addiction for some and placed many of the people I work with today in dangerous situations.

Today, too many of the women I care for arrive at our treatment center more broken than ever. I continually experience more severe and unique traumas than I have experienced in my entire career. Addiction — coupled with challenges many women face, like motherhood and trauma from domestic violence, homelessness and sex trafficking — simply broke her. Women, who often face strong stigma when seeking help, come to us without love, trust and often even the ability to talk to others. This makes recovery extremely difficult.

The medications are also different. They are stronger, more damaging and more deadly. Not many people realize that just one dose can cause an overdose and be fatal – nor do they realize that these overdoses cannot always be reversed with Narcan. In recent months, we have been forced to administer three or more doses of Narcan to reverse an overdose. The withdrawal symptoms from fentanyl are worse than any other drug I have seen. And alongside the opioid crisis, we see that non-opioid drugs like xylazine (often known as Tranq) cause flesh-eating diseases that are not reversible.

I want Minnesotans to be more aware of the evolving treatment challenges we face. Addiction affects us all – not just those who are confronted with it themselves. But there are solutions for those who suffer. We make it a point to separate our opioid support groups and connect new clients with other women who are further along in their recovery. These friends give our clients, many of whom come to us from correctional facilities or the homeless, a partner to accompany them on their journey of hope.