Read. Talk. Grow. Podcast: 4. We need everyone's help to end the opioid crisis

Episode Summary

Ending the opioid crisis may seem like a hopeless or even impossible task. But authors Beth Macy and Dr. Holly Geyer are full of hope for evidence-based practices to treat opioid use disorder. They argue that everyone is touched by opioid addiction, and that we all have a role to play in combatting it.

Episode Notes

We talked with:

• Beth Macy is a Virginia-based journalist with three decades of experience and an award-winning author of three New York Times bestselling books: "Factory Man," "Truevine" and "Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company That Addicted America." Her newest book is "Raising Lazarus: Hope, Justice, and the Future of America's Overdose Crisis."
• Dr. Holly Geyer is an addiction medicine specialist at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. Her work focuses on care of complex patients in the hospital with a focus on quality of life and the best use of nondrug interventions for treating symptoms, including pain. She is the author of "Ending the Crisis: Mayo Clinic's Guide to Opioid Addiction and Safe Opioid Use."

We talked about:

In this episode, Dr. Millstine and her guests discuss:

• Addiction as a medical condition. Opioid use disorder (OUD) isn't a moral weakness, and it's not just a social problem or a mental health disorder. It's a health condition, and everyone is at risk.
• The need for nonjudgmental, evidence-based care. Many people with OUD think they can't get better. Beth Macy argues this is partially because they've never been able to access evidence-based care. Holly argues it's time to stop battling against opioids and start battling for the people impacted by them.
• Hope for healing. Ending the opioid crisis may seem like an impossible task, but both of these books offer ideas and solutions for battling and preventing opioid addiction. Beth Macy's book looks at the heroes on the front lines — sometimes in unexpected locations like a McDonald's parking lot. They say that ultimately, we all have a role to play.

Can't get enough?

• Purchase Dr. Geyer's book "Ending the Crisis: Mayo Clinic's Guide to Opioid Addiction and Safe Opioid Use."
• Purchase Beth Macy's book "Raising Lazarus: Hope, Justice, and the Future of America's Overdose Crisis."
  • From Bookshop.org
  • From Barnes & Noble
  • From Amazon
• Want to read more on the topic? Check out our blog:
  • Opioids aren’t the only effective treatment for pain management
  • What exactly are opioids?
  • What does fentanyl do and how is it misused?

Got feedback?

• If you've got ideas or book suggestions, email us at readtalkgrow@mayo.edu.
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