For more information, read about overcoming addiction. A drug overdose is taking too much of a substance, whether it’s prescription, over-the-counter, legal, or illegal. If you’ve taken more than the recommended amount of a drug or enough to have a harmful effect on your body’s functions, you have overdosed. For some people, coming so close to death can expose the harsh consequences of continuing to abuse drugs. However, if someone dear to you has survived a drug overdose and is still hesitant to seek treatment, you may need to hold a substance abuse intervention to convince them to get sober.
Lifestyle Quizzes
While it may seem like an agonizingly long wait for emergency personnel to arrive on the scene, they will likely arrive quickly and will take over. It is important to stay with the person until help arrives. If you misuse drugs, quitting is the best way for you to prevent a drug overdose. Know that certain ways of taking drugs can be riskier than others. Inhaling or injecting drugs may cause them to get to your brain more quickly and also increases your chance of using an amount that can severely harm you.
An overdose can occur if you swallow, snort, or inject fentanyl. Naloxone will not do any harm if given to someone who does not have opioids in their system. If how to help someone that has overdosed the person improves, place them on their stomach with their face and head turned to the side. Put their hand under their head and bend their knees for support. In Baltimore City alone, it’s saved more than 2800 lives.
- Signs and symptoms of an overdose will vary depending on the type and amount of drug that has been taken, as well as the person’s overall health at the time of taking the drug.
- East Point Recovery Center offers a clinical approach to drug addiction treamtent.
- Misusing prescription stimulants, such as Adderall, also increases the risk of overdose.
- They are constantly worried about the addict and worried about an overdose.
Recognizing Signs Of An Overdose
Drinking too much alcohol and too quickly is dangerous. Ignoring these symptoms and signs can lead to alcohol overdose.1 Abusing alcohol, in general, has certain short-term and long-term effects. When a person is suffering from an overdose, time is of the essence. Once you’ve recognized their symptoms and realize they are in grave danger, you must call for emergency help. The sooner you can make that call means the sooner they’ll get the emergency services they desperately need. While waiting for emergency services to arrive, stay with the person and put them on their side to prevent choking.
How You Can Help Save A Life With Naloxone
Intervening during an overdose is crucial, but it is equally important to address the underlying addiction that led to the overdose. Comprehensive treatment for substance abuse offers numerous benefits that can help prevent future overdoses and promote long-term recovery. In other words, the more alcohol in your system, the harder the body works to get rid of it to prevent alcohol poisoning. Alcohol is metabolized by the liver, whose main job is to detoxify chemicals and metabolize drugs. If you have consumed food before drinking, this will reduce the absorption of the alcohol and prevent overdosing on alcohol and other harmful effects. During a drug overdose, providing first aid before the ambulance gets to the scene could make a life-or-death difference.
You’re not protected if you witness the emergency and do not help the person. Law enforcement can also conduct investigations and gather evidence as it does not apply to drug felonies or other crimes not listed. The goal is to help someone experiencing an emergency overdose. If you witness a medical emergency caused by an overdose, call immediately. You’ll need to watch a 4-minute training video, answer a short quiz, and provide information to receive naloxone. If you don’t want the information texted to you through MDHope, there are other ways to find the closest naloxone provider in your area.
The Benefits of Treatment for Substance Abuse
- The severity of a drug overdose depends on the drug, the amount taken, and the physical and medical history of the person who overdosed.
- It’s easy to use and available without a prescription.
- If you have consumed food before drinking, this will reduce the absorption of the alcohol and prevent overdosing on alcohol and other harmful effects.
- During a drug overdose, providing first aid before the ambulance gets to the scene could make a life-or-death difference.
- If you aren’t sure, treat it like an overdose—you could save a life.
Illegal fentanyl is often mixed into street drugs like heroin, cocaine, and meth. Or it may be added to fake pills made to look like prescription medicines. There are free ways to dispose of old medications so you’re preventing substance use and protecting the environment. If you use prescription drugs, be sure to use them only as directed by your doctor. Do not combine any medications without first asking your doctor if it’s safe.
And, with drug use, there is always the risk of a deadly overdose. At Water Gap Wellness, we are dedicated to guiding you and your loved ones through the recovery process with compassion and professionalism. Our individualized treatment plans, expert staff, and holistic approach provide the support needed for lasting recovery.
Substance Use Disorder Signs
Here are some red flags that someone is experiencing a drug overdose. That’s why it’s often used as a filler in fake prescription pills or street drugs. If you use street drugs or fake pills, you may take fentanyl without knowing it. Fentanyl is a powerful pain medicine made in a lab (synthetic opioid).
However, if you do happen to have access to it, you should administer it to the individual as it will temporarily reverse the effects of the drug overdose. This drug will only work if opiods are present in the person’s system. This drug blocks the effects of the opiod on the brain which allows the person to stay conscious and breathing. Anyone with access to naloxone can administer the life-saving drug to someone who is overdosing.
The appearance of one or more of these symptoms means that the person is in serious trouble. When you notice any of these symptoms, it’s imperative to get help right away. The person’s life depends on your ability to act quickly. By calling the helpline you agree to the terms of use.
Families should have the life-saving medication on hand if they know someone struggling with opioid use disorder. It’s often added to other drugs because it’s so potent. Stigmas often prevent individuals from getting the help they need.
Anyone in need of assistance with mental health or substance use-related needs can call 988. If you have NARCAN® available, you can use it to provide immediate aid while waiting for medical personnel to arrive. Next Harm Reduction and the Baltimore Harm Reduction Coalition will also mail the life-saving medication to Maryland residents for free.
It is marked by an inability to stop using a substance despite the negative consequences that follow. When addiction takes hold, the risks of adverse effects, including overdose, increase significantly. Witnessing someone suffering from drug overdose can be very traumatizing. According to the Centers for Disease Control, overdose deaths have topped 100,000 annually. With such high statistics, it is important to know how to respond if you think you’re witnessing a drug overdose. Knowing what to do if you do observe a drug overdose will help you remain calm so you can help the person experiencing the overdose and get them the help they need.
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