Treating Opiate Addiction in New York: How Fusion Recovery and Medicaid are Making a Difference

Opioid dependency in New York is highly prevalent, and its alarming rate calls for attention. Due to this, treating Opiate Addiction in New York is seemingly inevitable.

Let’s explore the symptoms of this dependency, the roadblocks to treatment, and treatments like therapy, medication-assisted treatment, and other end-to-end support and care.

Signs and Symptoms of Opioid Addiction

Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) is an illness whereby a person indulges in excessive consumption of opioid substances. They form consumption habits that are difficult to abandon despite repeated commitments. Opioids are substances that are derived from the opium poppy plant. They provide pain relief and a euphoric feeling to the users. Hence, people tend to get accustomed to the euphoric feeling that they bring and form a habit of consuming substances in amounts that can be dangerous.

Some many different signs and symptoms indicate if you have developed opiate dependency:

• A constant urge to consume the substance.
• Failure to abandon the habit of taking in opiates in large amounts despite efforts to do so.
• The use of substances is getting in the way of your everyday personal and work life, and their effects make you incur losses of various forms.
• In addition, there can be signs that are visible to other people or can be felt by you, like tiredness, change in sleep habits, small pupils, loss in appetite, isolation of family members, and a preference to stay alone most of the time.
• You may develop tolerance to the substances and might need to take the dose in larger amounts than before to achieve a similar feeling.

Due to these factors and others you will face withdrawal symptoms if you suddenly decide to abandon the usage on your own, and hence credible opioid treatment programs must be consulted.

The Opiate Crisis in New York City

It is interesting to see the spread of the crisis in New York City. It is estimated that a fatal opioid overdose occurs every three hours in New York City, with most coming from the Bronx suburb of the city. In addition to this, the number of overdose deaths is also at an all-time high. There are about 2,650 overdose deaths every year, which translates to about 8 deaths per day. Certain patterns can be observed while studying the crisis regarding the use of opiates, with some communities being more prone to drug overdoses than others.

Factors Contributing to the Crisis in New York City

There are many factors that tend to contribute to this crisis in NYC. For starters, the over-prescription of opium-based medicines for pain relief in New York City has been on the rise. It was further fueled by false advertising by pharmaceutical companies selling these medicines. Many medical practitioners then began to sell fake prescriptions for these substances, which were misused by people. Drug cartels and distribution rings, too, capitalized on the opportunity and started to use these fake prescriptions. All this continues while people keep on dying from drug overdoses.

Now, New York City is the major hub of production and supply of opiate drugs like heroin to the whole of the Northeast region. Local distribution gangs and networks build partnerships with Mexican production cartels and take advantage of the increasing demand, profiting from the trade and making it a billion-dollar industry.

The presence of substances like Fentanyl has provided fuel to this fire. Fentanyl is an illicitly produced substance that is often supplied as an alternative to heroin. It is much cheaper to make and has grown popular among users due to it being 50 times stronger than heroin and about a hundred times stronger than morphine. In recent times, multi-colored fentanyl pills called “rainbow fentanyl” have been seized by the DEA and NYPD. The absence of a good treatment program has also led to the worsening of the crisis.

Challenges Associated With Addiction Treatment

A range of barriers can impact a person’s willingness and/or ability to seek effective treatment. A large number of people in New York suffering from substance abuse problems refuse to enter into an opioid addiction treatment program due to this topic being seen as taboo in many communities. Surveys revealed that about 3-5 % of people who refuse treatment cite this as the reason for not joining treatment facilities. A further 5% even refused to accept that they had a problem with substance abuse. Instead of acknowledging their substance abuse problem, they prefer risking an overdose.

Geographical restrictions and the lack of proper treatment facilities are other difficulties faced by people. Most of such facilities are concentrated in bigger states like New York, California, Florida, etc. The rest of the smaller states have a lesser share of these centers despite being spread over a larger area, making it difficult for people in countryside areas to access them.

Perhaps the most important challenge faced by people is the lack of financial resources. The procedures for the cure of dependency can be expensive and burdensome for most people considering the long-term commitment it requires. About 17% of the people from the survey mentioned above cited financial restraints as their reason to leave their programs midway.

What can be done to overcome these barriers?

The stigma attached to the treatment of substance abuse, and opiate abuse in particular, must be removed so people can be more accepting of their conditions and provide nonjudgmental support to their friends and family that suffer from these problems. Steps like spreading awareness regarding overdose and substance abuse must be taken to achieve this purpose.

Efforts are needed to reduce the geographical constraints that people face. This can be done by promotion of telehealth, allowing patients to receive care via online platforms. These care facilities can be made available in rural areas and can be made more accessible to people of all states and not just people of states with high populations.

Many reforms for this problem are being carried out to make these facilities more affordable to people from all walks of life. Organizations like Medicaid and private insurance providers have in-house financial arrangements with treatment providers to make the treatment more affordable. Moreover, for those who don’t have insurance and don’t qualify for Medicaid, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has developed a Behavioral Treatment Services Locator that allows people to search for cheap plans specific to their area.

Fusion Recovery and Treating Opiate Addiction in New York

Fusion Recovery is an establishment that specializes in providing treatments for substance and alcohol abuse. A wide range of services, like personalized individual therapy, group therapy, medication-based treatment (MAT), family therapy, and aftercare support, is offered. To add to this, Fusion Recovery is a Medicaid-affiliated facility that can help you finance your treatment. They provide treatment services in New York City and Long Island, and some telemedicine support services are available around the whole state of New York.

Medicaid and Its Role in Financing

Medicaid is a public medical insurance provider that is managed by both state and federal entities. It provides coverage plans for people who are unable to fund their medical bills.

Medicaid offers a range of services while dealing with the financing of opiate abuse treatments. It offers detoxification that is medically supervised to ensure that any attempts at withdrawal are smooth and effortless. Moreover, it can provide counseling and therapy that ensures that you don’t feel overwhelmed by the whole process of the cure. Furthermore, it offers cover for a necessary part of the procedure called medication-assisted treatment (MAT), which includes the use of medication for your recovery. Outpatient and inpatient services are an important part of their service, which ensures that you don’t feel burdened or bound due to the process and can continue it within your own comfort zone.

In addition to this, Medicaid also provides other resources like referrals to external medical professionals, online guides, and other guidance that you may be in need of. They also ensure that you are given proper follow-up care and counseling so that the chance of relapse is minimized.

How to Avail Medicaid Services at Fusion Recovery

Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is an important part of the procedure to treat opioid abuse. It intermixes the use of FDA-approved medicines with other modes of treatment like therapy and counseling to achieve the best results. The medicines involved include methadone, Suboxone, naltrexone, and buprenorphine.

They act as an imitator of the opiate being abused and ensure that you don’t suffer from any withdrawal symptoms during the procedure. They can also help you minimize your cravings for the substance. Plus, they can help restore the chemical balance in your brain that was disrupted due to an uneven flow of chemicals resulting from the excessive intake of opiates.

MAT helps to reduce the risk of overdose, whether accidental or deliberate. Medicines like Suboxone have something called the ceiling effect. This helps to prevent any overdose, even in an outpatient setting like homes where you are without any medical supervision.

Therapy and Counseling Services Offered by Fusion Recovery

Like MAT, therapeutic services of different natures are an integral part of your journey to recovery. Fusion Recovery closely observes your personal needs for the treatment and offers a mix of different therapies and counseling.

Individual therapy at Fusion Recovery takes place on a one-to-one level with a qualified therapist. You delve deep into your emotional link to substance abuse and the strategy for a journey to recovery and personal growth.

Family therapy is another form of counseling available at Fusion Recovery. It helps you to regain your connection with your family. This makes you realize the effect of your opiate abuse habits on your family and their struggles. It is vital that you develop your trust with them.

Group or collaborative therapy is also an option. It brings a group of patients suffering from similar conditions together and encourages them to interact with one another. They share their experience and struggles with opiate or other substance dependency and promote a sense of community and belonging.

In addition to these conventional methods, Fusion Recovery makes use of cognitive and stress-release therapies and techniques to help its residents. These therapies bring about a change in the patient from within and help them self-evaluate their past decisions and future goals.

How to Avail Medicaid Services at Fusion Recovery

Here’s how you can try to gain Medicaid benefits at a treatment facility like Fusion Recovery:

• • The first step is to determine the status of your eligibility for Medicaid. This may vary depending on your state. Next, you need to be assigned a Medicaid provider. It is better if it is an in-house facility like Fusion Recovery, as you can get better rates due to the prior agreement between them and Medicaid.
  • A detailed case assessment based on your medical history and body preferences will occur. After verification of Medicaid coverage, your treatment will start. Moreover, there may be some follow-up checks after the treatment to see your progress.
  • It is important to benefit from any extra services provided by the facility for a smooth process.

• Conclusion

Opiate addiction is a serious issue leading to disastrous outcomes for the people of New York. It’s true that getting sober is a tough task, but leaving substances for the sake of health is considerably worth it .

Fusion Recovery and Medicaid have come together to benefit the people of New York to ensure a safe lifestyle. If you know anyone who has an opiate addiction, consider referring them to Fusion Recovery for a comprehensive recovery plan. Fight addictions and while leading a healthy life, because after all, health is wealth.