#accidental opioid overdose

[whumpinaheartbeat]

I Am Not Alone (I have all of you) Mediwhump May 2023 Day 5 No Response

This fic contains accidental overdose, unconsciousness and shock, please read with discretion.

If Gordon was going to ignore him then he could have at least give Alan a reason as to why.

It wasn’t like Alan had set up any pranks against him recently, unless Gordon had finally found the stash of rubber ducks in his cupboard, so surely this couldn’t be because of a prank gone wrong and as far as Alan knew, he hadn’t made any big mistakes during missions recently so it wasn’t that either.

Alan could not think of a single reason for Gordon to ignore him and yet no matter how many texts he sent and how many times he called out for him, Alan got no response.

Alan had gotten so bored waiting for Gordon to join him to start their monthly Bad Movie Marathon that he had even checked the repair schedule just to see if Gordon had simply been distracted with working on his Thunderbird but apparently all the maintenance and repairs had already been completed. Alan checked the maintenance bay anyway just in case but Gordon wasn’t there.

Gordon wasn’t swimming laps either, another activity he could get lost in for hours, and Alan couldn’t even find him on the beach when he went all the way down there. Alan tried to hail Gordon on his comm again as he trudged back up to the house but once again there was absolutely no response.

Honestly Alan would have become a little worried if he wasn’t outright pissed. They had already missed the last three months of Bad Movie Marathons and Gordon had promised him multiple times that they would actually get around to it this time around. Alan had been stupid to believe him, he should have known that Gordon would find something more interesting to do than spend time with him.

Alan threw himself onto the couch with a huff, lying there for all of three seconds before he got bored. Alan flipped over, crossed his arms, huffed again for good measure and finally sat up fully.

“John,” Alan called. 

Within a second a blue projection of John Tracy appeared and Alan was glad to see at least one of his brothers had time for him.

“Alan, I’d love to talk but I’ve got both Virgil and Scott on pretty intense rescues.”

Maybe not then.

“All good.” Alan mumbled. “See ya later.”

“Actually, Alan wa-“

Alan was already on his way towards the kitchen. Kayo was on a secret mission so Alan couldn’t contact her either so apparently and with Grandma on a much needed holiday, he was going to enjoy this Bad Movie Marathon all by himself so he may as well get the popcorn started. 

It wasn’t that Alan didn’t understand that his family had very important work to do that made it that they couldn’t always hang out with him, Alan himself has had to rain check on plans before when missions went for longer than expected. But at the end of the day, he did sometimes get frustrated. 

He didn’t like being alone, not for more than a couple hours at a time. Being one of five brothers had helped that, there was always someone for him to annoy when all the others were busy. It was hard to be lonely surrounded by not only the other Tracy boys but also Grandma and Kayo and Brains and all the other important people in their lives like Lady Penelope and Parker. 

But with Gordon apparently ignoring his entire existence and not answering any of his calls and being no where to be found on the island and all of the others busy, Alan found himself dragging his feet towards the pantry to find the popcorn, undeniably lonely and hating every minute of it.

If anything, the acknowledgment just made him all the more grumpy feeling like some kid lost in a supermarket aisle looking for their family. He wasn’t some kid, he was nearly a full blown adult and yet here he was stupidly feeling lonely and left out just because there was no one to talk to. 

Alan considered trying to contact Gordon one more time but decided that Gordon could get fucked and Alan was going to enjoy having an entire bag of popcorn to himself while he watched whatever he felt like. In fact, he might as well have two bags of popcorn to himself because Alan felt like having two packets.

Alan was so pleased with his plan, he hadn’t noticed the body in the pantry until he was already tripping over it, barely keeping himself from landing right on them.

As soon as Alan regained his balance he threw himself on his knees, his heart racing as he flipped the body onto their back. Except it wasn’t just some body, it was Gordon. He was unconscious, his eyes closed and his arm falling limply to the side from how Alan had moved him. 

The first priority was making sure that Gordon was breathing and even as Alan leant down over him to feel Gordon’s breath on his cheek and watch Gordon’s chest rise and fall steadily, Alan’s mind hadn’t quite absorbed what he was seeing. 

Gordon hadn’t been ignoring his calls because he was being annoying, he had been laying here unconscious the entire time Alan had been home and yet Alan had not once noticed that something was wrong. 

It must have been hours, Alan realised, when mere minutes unconscious could have devastating effects on a person’s brain function. Alan didn’t even know why his brother was on the ground like this in the first place, he had no outward sign of injury and while he was breathing deeply and evenly Gordon did not stir when Alan tapped him on the cheek.

There could be a million reasons as to why Gordon could be unresponsive like this and Alan hated every single one of them.

“Gordon?” Alan said loudly. “Gordon, can you hear me?”

Gordon gave no response, not so much as twitching.

Alan was defiantly panicking now, his hands shaking a little as he set two fingers on Gordon’s neck. Like his breathing, Gordon’s pulse was strong and consistent. Even so, something must be wrong with him to be limp on the ground like this. 

“Gordon?” Alan tried again.

Not wanting to move Gordon more than he had to, Alan carefully set him onto his side into the recovery position to keep his airway clear. Alan forced his hands to steady as he reached for his phone from his pocket, knowing that any one of his other brothers would know what to do and how to help.

Alan found nothing in his pocket and he cursed, realising that his phone must have fallen out when he thew himself onto the couch earlier. Alan hated the idea of leaving Gordon here, especially since Gordon had already been alone for god knows how long, but Alan was out of his depths. He had first aid training, sure, but not knowing what caused Gordon to be like this meant that he did not know how to fix it.

“I’ll be right back in just one second, okay?”

Alan almost wished that Gordon would stir then and beg for Alan to stay. Maybe he would sit upright and admit that this was all just some messed up prank and that Gordon had gotten him good this time. Gordon did not stir, nor did he sit up. He just lay there, breathing but otherwise unmoving.

Hesitating for a moment longer just in case Gordon woke up, Alan forced himself to stand on shaking legs. Every step back towards the couch in the living room was jolting and Alan felt guilt tearing through his chest realising that if he had just earnestly looked for Gordon hours ago, he might have found him and gotten him help much sooner. 

Forcing himself to move faster, Alan stopped just short of the couch. His phone wasn’t there. He could contact John the same way he did just a few minutes ago but that would mean leaving Gordon all alone again and Alan simply could not do that.

Alan turned and swiftly made his way back to the pantry.

Gordon was just where Alan had left him, his eyes still closed and his body strangely still. Gordon was never still, he was always a bundle of energy and Alan had always loved that part of him and seeing him so limp brought back up memories that Alan had wanted to forget. 

“Gordon?” Alan said, shaking Gordon’s shoulder slightly. “Come on, you need to wake up.”

Even though Alan could clearly see that Gordon was still breathing, Alan checked his pulse again once more just in case. Gordon’s pulse was steady, he should easily be able to wake up if he wasn’t injured or ill. Alan set the back of his hand on Gordon’s forehead, checking for a fever that wasn’t there.

Alan didn’t understand. People don’t just become unconscious without a reason and yet here Gordon was, no sign of injury or fever with a strong pulse and steady breathing yet still unconscious no matter how many times Alan called out to him.

The only thing that Alan could think of was that maybe this was caused by an overdose. Gordon was on a few different medications to help manage his chronic pain after all, it was definitely a possibility. But Gordon had not thrown up, nor was he showing other clear symptoms that often came with an overdose like difficulty breathing, blue tinged finger tips or…

Fuck, why hadn’t Alan checked Gordon’s pupils yet?

It was such an important step in assessing an unconscious patient yet Alan had been so wrapped up in worry that his brother was lying here unresponsive that he hadn’t even thought to check if Gordon’s eyes were equal and reactive. It could be a concussion with no obvious bump on the head or it could be an overdose after all and Alan had not even checked the tell tale signs because he was an idiot. 

Carefully, Alan opened one of Gordon’s eyes. The pupil was a pinpoint and Alan’s heart dropped.

He scrambled up, rushing towards the rest of the kitchen for the med kit. He found it in the third cupboard he checked, so panicked he barely remembered where it was always kept, knowing that every single moment that passed was a moment that Gordon could be closer to death. 

Alan tore through the med kit, taking another few precious seconds to find the small bottle of narcan that was in every single one of their first aid kits stashed throughout the house and their Thunderbirds. 

Alan shot back to Gordon’s side, nearly dropping the life saving medication as he thew himself onto his knees next to Gordon. Alan administered the Narcan and sat back, his heart still racing as Gordon continued to just lay there.

Not sure if Alan should give Gordon a little bit more Narcan, Alan forced himself to wait a little longer to see if it worked. While Gordon was still currently breathing, Alan could not stand the thought that at any moment his heart could fail and his lungs give out.

Administering another dose of Narcan, Alan began questioning if he even had the right diagnosis as Gordon continued to lay there unresponsive.

“Please…” Alan mumbled, his eyes stinging. “Don’t leave me.”

Gordon jerked forward, amber eyes snapping open as he sucked in a deep breath.

“Gordon!”

“Alan.” Gordon replied.

If Alan wasn’t still incredibly concerned, he may have embraced his brother then and there but the priority was to make sure that Gordon was okay first. If Gordon had indeed had an overdose then the Narcan was just a stop gap and he would still need medical treatment if there was a high enough level of drugs in his system.

Alan placed a hand on Gordon’s chin, twisting his head and checking how Gordon’s eyes responded to both the movement and the light above them.

Gordon slapped the hand away, going so far as to roll his eyes.

“I’m fine.” Gordon said.

“You were literally just unconscious.”

“No I wasn’t.” Gordon said. “I was getting popcorn for the Bad Mov- Why am I on the ground?”

Gordon looked around himself, focus latching onto the Narcan that was still in Alan’s hand. He frowned, blinking a few more times before his shoulders sagged as if realisation at last dawned on him.

“Oh Allie,” Gordon said. “I’m so sorry.”

Alan bit his lip, not letting himself mull over Gordon’s apology. Now that Gordon was conscious, the next priority would be getting him to hospital before he had a chance to overdose again but even when Alan tried to stand up he found that his legs were shaking too badly to support his weight.

Despite what had just happened it was Gordon who stood first, helping Alan up onto his feet, Gordon’s hand not leaving Alan’s elbow even when they were both fully up.

“You overdosed.” Alan whispered, feeling numb.

“I’m okay now.” Gordon said.

“You overdosed.” Alan repeated.

“The doctor readjusted my meds last week,” Gordon explained. “I guess it was too much. Thank you, Alan I’m sorry you had to do… That.”

“I thought you were ignoring me.” Alan said. “You overdosed and I just thought you were ignoring me."

“Alan,” Gordon said. “Are you feeling okay? You’re a little pale.”

“You overdosed.” Alan said again.

Alan knew that his hands were shaking and that his words weren’t making much sense but with the world spinning around him and his brother was not dead but he could have been dead and why couldn’t he get his hands to stop shaking.

“Alan,” Gordon said, his voice oddly distant considering he was standing right there. “I think you should sit back down.”

Alan had to call the hospital. He had to make sure that Gordon got the care he needed, had to make sure that this never happened again. Alan would need to call Scott too and explain that Alan had messed up by not checking in on Gordon sooner. He would have to admit that Gordon could have died because of him, admit that Alan wasn’t anything else but a scared little kid who nearly lost his brother today.

When Alan blinked he was sitting on the couch, a plastic cup of water loosely in his hand. He blinked again, trying to remember how he had gotten there but with a jolt of panic, Alan realised that Gordon was still in danger and here Alan was just sitting on the couch.

“Whoah there, Alan,” A familiar voice said. “You’re okay.”

Alan snapped towards the voice, his heart racing.

“You’ve been unresponsive for a while now,” Virgil said. “How are you feeling?”

“Gordon, he-“

“He’s okay.” Virgil said. “Scott took him to the hospital just as a precaution but they say he’s doing great. He’s going to stay the night but he’ll be back home tomorrow.”

“Gordon doesn’t like the hospital.” Alan said numbly. 

“No,” Virgil smiled. “No he doesn’t but he likes Scott’s lectures a hell of a lot less. Try to drink a little bit, but take it slow.”

Alan needed to know more, he needed to see Gordon himself to make sure that he was actually okay. But then he realised that his mouth was dry and so he downed the whole glass in one go or at least he tried to before Virgil snatched the cup right off him.

“I said slow, you’re still coming down from the shock.”

“Shock?” Alan said dumbly. 

“Yeah, when Scott and I came back from our rescues, we found Gordon sitting here on the couch with you. He was trying to talk to you but you weren’t responding and Gordon had to explain what happened.”

“Gordon overdosed.” Alan said.

“Yeah…” Virgil frowned. “Yeah, he did. But he’s okay now and soon enough you’ll be feeling better too. Now, I’m going to give you back the cup but only on the condition that you drink slowly alright? I really don’t need you making yourself sick.”

“I’m not a child.” Alan said. 

“I didn’t say you were,” Virgil said. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t still worry about you, little brother.”

Once Alan had finished the glass, slowly as Virgil kept reminding him, he was feeling a lot more like himself and the world even stopped spinning around him. He tried to stand, wanting to go straight to the hospital but Virgil stopped him with a gentle hand on the shoulder. 

“It’s already late,” Virgil said. “You can see him when he comes home tomorrow.”

“I don’t want him to be alone.”

“Scott is with him.” Virgil promised. “And I’m with you. No one is alone.”

“John’s alone.” Alan whispered.

“Actually,” A new voice said. “I’m here too and Grandma is on her way.”

As Alan watched, John came fully into the living room carrying a large bowl. It was strange seeing him down on Earth and not floating up on Five but Alan could not deny that he was glad to see him and even more glad to smell the popcorn that was in the bowl.

Alan perked up, Virgil setting a hand on his shoulder again as if expecting him to try to stand.

“John,” Virgil rolled his eyes. “Alan probably shouldn’t have popcorn just yet.”

“Who said it was for him?” John teased.

John passed the bowl to Alan all the same before settling into his own armchair, Virgil still sitting right beside Alan.

“So,” Virgil said, stealing a kernel. “What movie first?”

“What?” Alan blinked. 

“It’s Bad Movie Marathon night, isn’t it?” Virgil said. “I know I’m not Gordon but I still appreciate bad movies.”

Alan blinked again, still not quite understanding.

“‘Bad’ Is such a subjective term for movies,” John said. “Unless of course you’re talking about the Transformers movies. Then the word ‘bad’ is an apt description.”

“You want to watch something with me?” Alan asked.

“Of course,” Virgil said. “Your pick.”

Alan didn’t care what they watched. He just let himself settle into Virgil’s side, reassuring himself that Gordon was okay and reassuring himself that he was going to be okay too because he wasn’t alone anymore and in fact he never had been.

@mediwhumpmay

#mediwhumpmay2023 #mediwhumpmayday5 #overdose #opioid overdose #whump #whump fic #unconsciousness #Gordon Tracy Whump #thunderbirds are go #accidental overdose

[nunalastor]

This blog made it very clear Alastor can't have opioids because they have poppies and he's a deer, meaning he also can't have most drugs including painkillers, fentanyl, and heroin.

What if the "love potion" the Vees makes also stems from poppies?

After Alastor rejected Vox's proposal, Vox pretended to take it well and slipped a love potion into Alastor's drink to "loosen him up" and prove what he would be missing if he rejected this offer.

A few minutes after consuming the spiked drink, Alastor collapses and goes into respiratory arrest, but manages to disappear and get to Rosie. Vox thinks he messed up the dosage and Alastor overdosed, but this is Hell so he knows Alastor will eventually be fine, so he tries to think of some kind of explanation to brush this under the rug once he finds Alastor. Vox doesn't think he did anything wrong with the original plan, but he does know the outcome that happened would sour Alastor to anything resembling the truth.

Alastor has no interest in talking to him ever again, and didn't believe Vox's excuses when he tried during their fight after Vox tried to find him. But Alastor doesn't know what Vox really tried to do to him that night, he just thinks Vox was so pissy about the rejected partnership that he tried to kill him. A betrayal, and reason to never open up to anyone again, but he is none the wiser about Vox's true intentions.

accidental poisoning 😭

#hazbin hotel #nunalastor asks #alastor #vox #radiostatic #accidental poisoning

[mindblowingscience]

Buying counterfeit painkillers in the United States has never been more dangerous. In Rhode Island, the ongoing opioid epidemic has become a "tremendous public health crisis". It ranks among the top ten states in the nation for drug overdoses. Now, epidemiologists at Brown University have found initial evidence that many of the state's accidental overdoses may be caused by contaminated pills. The results are not yet peer-reviewed, but they indicate a deeply concerning continuation of America's opioid emergency.

Continue Reading.

#Science #Medicine #Epidemiology #Drugs #Painkillers #Fake Painkillers #Fentanyl #Overdose #Rhode Island #USA #United States of America

[allthecanadianpolitics]

Opioid-related deaths increased nearly fivefold in Manitoba between 2019 and 2021, according to a new study that is calling for enhanced harm reduction policies throughout the country.

University of Toronto researchers investigated accidental opioid-related deaths in nine Canadian provinces and territories — including all three on the Prairies — with Manitoba seeing the most severe rise in overdose deaths among those aged 30 to 39.

Nearly 500 deaths per million population were recorded in Manitoba at the end of 2021, more than five times the 89 deaths per million population from the start of the three-year study period.

The province had 54 opioid-related deaths in 2019, but that figure jumped nearly fivefold to 263 by the end of 2021, according to Monday's report from the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Across the country, opioid-related deaths more than doubled during the study period — from 3,007 to 6,222 — with one-quarter of the deaths among younger adults. [...]

Continue Reading.

Tagging: @newsfromstolenland, @vague-humanoid

Notes from the poster @el-shab-hussein: This is not normal btw. It shouldn't be your new normal.

#cdnpoli #Manitoba #addiction #death #overdose #opioid crisis

[chronicallycouchbound]

hi I had a question about your cannabis post

i don’t know much about cannabis so sorry if I misunderstand smth

but I don’t understand what “safe” drug use implies,, how can drugs be safe? what’s safe drug use??

i probably have a very narrow view on this topic, so id like to know more

on a different note id like to thank you for your content, I feel that ive learned a lot from this account :)) thanks!!!

(feel free to ignore this)

It’s important to first recognize that more things are drugs than we normally consider: alcohol, tobacco, nicotine, caffeine, cannabis, are all drugs just as much as opiates, benzos, etc. Any medication is a drug.

Any drugs have the ability to be used properly and safely as well as the potential to be used negatively or harmfully. Drugs are morally neutral. Even addiction is morally neutral.

Alcohol can be used to cut loose with friends on the weekend, but it can also be used to cause poisoning. Tobacco can be used to calm down after an argument, but it can also cause cancer. Opiates can be used to manage severe pain, and can also cause overdose.

People have always used drugs historically, and in order to survive, people often need them. Using substances can also not just be medically or recreational, there are spiritual and cultural reasons as well. Some people need substances to manage their emotional or mental needs (especially without supports otherwise).

Any drug can be safe. It’s all in how it’s used, as well as within context.

Safe use looks different for everyone, but personally, I try to encourage methods that are harm reduction focused.

Harm reduction can look like:

• Safe supply of substances to ensure that people are getting unlaced stuff.

• Education so people know how to avoid accidental consequences of their use.

• Access to unused syringes or works to prevent blood borne infections.

• Having a designated driver or trip sitter.

• Sitting with someone while they use in case they have negative effects.

• Access to naloxone/Narcan to reverse opioid overdoses.

• Starting with a lower dose and going slow with use to ensure you’re getting the intended effects.

And harm reduction is so much more than just about substances, it’s things like seatbelts in cars and condoms and STI testing. It’s the lesser of two evils and a primary focus of harm reduction is that it keeps people alive above all else.

Some people like to say “harm reduction keeps people alive long enough to get sober” but I personally feel like sobriety isn’t always the solution for everyone, nor is it accessible to everyone.

But yeah, safe use exists, and most drugs ARE used safely every day. That’s what a pharmacist’s whole job is for.

•

I appreciate this ask, I’m always happy to talk about harm reduction. I co-founded a local harm reduction organization and have done a lot of advocacy around this— everything from reversing ODs, speaking on panels, testifying for bills with the ACLU, training communities on how to administer Naloxone, distributing safe use supplies, etc. I have a lot of personal experience with addiction and feel very passionately about this. I was tired of my friends dying and I just want to make the world a safer place.

#chronically couchbound #asks #asks answered #answered asks #harm reduction is mutual aid #harm reduction saves lives #harm redux #harm reduction #safe use #safer use supplies #safer use #naloxone enables breathing #naloxone saves lives #narcan

[37q]

FDA just approved OTC narcan

[psychoticallytrans]

So, I just saw a post that explicitly stated that Tylenol,also known as acetaminophen, can't harm you. Tylenol is actually a drug that can easily harm you if you don't monitor your dosage carefully. Specifically, it can fuck up your liver really badly, and potentially fatally, if you consume too much too quickly.

It's also very easy to do. The maximum safe dose of Tylenol for an adult or teenager over 110 pounds is 4000 mg per day, or 1000 mg in one dose. The amount of Tylenol in some Tylenol pills is 500 mg. It's very, very easy to consume ten pills instead of eight when your head is messed up from being in pain, or to decide that three pills at once can't be that much of a risk. Dosing guidelines for children based on age and weight can be found here.

People that should be especially careful with how they use Tylenol include people with damaged livers and people who breastfeed. Since Tylenol overdose affects the liver, people who already have a damaged liver are at risk. In addition, it passes into breast milk, so if you're breastfeeding, the child will consume some. Please consult your doctor before using Tylenol while breastfeeding.

Regardless of if you're at risk or not, I strongly recommend keeping a record of how much Tylenol you consume, especially if you're in enough pain to be disoriented and/or have memory issues. Post it somewhere you go to take the Tylenol, like on your medicine cabinet's mirror. Include the time you took it, the dose you took, and the max safe dose for yourself. You may also find it useful to add your cumulative dose for the day each time you take some.

If you're close to the dosage maximum, please take a very close look at any other medications you are taking to make sure none of them contain Tylenol or acetaminophen. It's often included in cold medicines in particular, and anything intended to reduce fever.

If you are in significant pain and close to the dosage maximum, add a different kind of pain medication to the mix. This applies to ibuprofen, of course, but it is also significantly safer for most people to add opioids to their pain management than it is to go over the dosage limits for Tylenol. This is because, I cannot overstress this enough, overdosing on Tylenol can lead to death. This is a significantly worse outcome than most people have from taking opioid painkillers.

This is not an anti Tylenol post. Tylenol, when used in proper doses, can be hugely helpful for pain management, and is accessible and affordable. This is an anti accidentally giving yourself liver disease post.

Be careful. Read warnings. Monitor your dosage.

[audreycritter]

time for my pet PSA again:

if you or a loved one or friend are on an SSRI, please be aware that SSRIs inhibit activity of a liver enzyme that metabolizes some opioids. if you have surgery or an injury/emergency and your pain meds are not working, let your doctor know you might need a different class of pain meds. this info is from a major nine-year study and many doctors STILL don't know to flag contraindications for SSRIs in patient charts.

if you or a loved one are an addict, please be aware that SSRIs increase the risk of opioid overdose because of the uptick in dosage to achieve a high. (if nothing else, make sure you carry narcan in some form for emergencies. goodrx has information on where to get it for free or reduced cost in the united states, or you can search "free narcan" and your state or county in your favorite search engine. this is also useful for anyone who may have an opioid rx for pain management, in case of accidental overdose in the home.)

the study mentioned in the NPR article is here.

#narcan #opioids #ssri #medication #health #tw overdose #patient advocacy #signal boost #please #emergency #surgery

[judgementdaysunshine]

Rehab

Pairing: Cathy Kelley x Fem reader

Description: Cathy helps you get through recovery after getting out of rehab

Warning: Mention of Opioid addiction, rehab, and withdrawal from opioid use

You felt free as you walked out of rehab after your two and a half month stay, your heart flutters when you see Cathy waiting for you as you run to her. The two of you ate and went home where you truly shower after so long instead of just half your body with a washcloth, "Mind if I join you?" you smile as cathy joins you before kisses are shared in the comfortable silence under the warm water for the next few minutes until the water starts getting cold leading to the two of you cuddling in bed under the covers after falling asleep which was the first time you truly slept in a long while since you had checked in to rehab due to your growing addiction to opioids that started four months back after getting into a car pileup accident that injured your back leading to you being prescribed strong pain killers that would be the start of a never ending battle. The final straw came when you accidentally overdosed on Methadone leading to the wake up call for you to realize the rabbit hole you had been stuck in, you were straight to rehab as soon as you had healed from back surgery which was emotional for you and cathy not only because you knew that you needed help but you couldn't handle knowing that she could hate you and was disappointed in you for your budding addiction only further sinking you into a deep depression until the last week of your stay where you felt human again rather than a zombie or as you say "Just being here" as you went through the painful detox of your body cleansing the tolerance and remaining drugs in your system out for the first six weeks of your stay before doing group and individual sessions of therapy with a therapist and psychiatrist, you wake up after a few hours of sleeping before finding cathy making stir fry which made your mouth water and your heart flutter. You pull her into a hug as tears flow down your face as her hands run through your hair and caress your back knowing how it helped with the small amount of pain, "I love you, I'm so proud of you for getting help even though it was hard" you quietly sob in her shoulder as you realize that she didn't hate you for what happened and loved you no matter what which made your bottled up emotions pour out like a waterfall as she holds you in her arms and whisper reassurance to you, "I'm not disappointed in you and I never was, I was just so worried about you" the next thing you knew was sharing emotional soft kisses before eating and spending the rest of the night making up to each other for the lost time you were away until you held her in your arms as she sleeps and press a kiss to her temple "I love you".

#wwe x reader #wwe #cathy kelley x reader #cathy kelley

[enbycrip]

Been listening to a podcast with an episode on how the NHS establishment responded with opioid prescriptions controls following the discovery of the Shipman murders. Then a really interesting bit on how the US hadn’t had that in the late 1990s-early 2000s and thus kept prescribing strong opioids.

The original statisticians who noticed the “opioid crisis” in the US noticed it as accidental overdoses alongside alongside suicides and liver failure as skyrocketing causes of death amongst white USians aged 45-60. They referred to the trio as “Deaths of Despair”.

And I thought about just *how much* I’ve heard about the “Opioid Crisis” in two ways; to shame “addictive behaviour” and “junkie tendencies” amongst the poor in the US (with some particularly horrendous bits of racism in there) in the general news and culture, and from within the disabled community as it’s become basically impossible for chronically ill and disabled people to get the pain control they need to do anything, or just to live not in agony. And I’ve seen that attitude making it to the UK too - the idea that people using opioid medication for pain control and to enable us to do *some* things are clearly “addicts” or “drug seekers”.

I’ve never heard the term “Deaths of Despair” before now. And it’s *really* good copy. I’ve been a copywriter enough to know that when I hear it. It should have been all over the media.

So why isn’t it?

Is it just perhaps because it’s much easier to just make it impossible for disabled people to access medication that gives some quality of life and demonise poor people as “addicts” and “junkies” than to address the fact that the US healthcare system in particular is not fit for purpose, people living in poverty generally don’t have health insurance, and thus if they don’t work, they can’t afford to live? Let alone access healthcare? So so many people have zero choice but to find a way to work through any injury or illness, and strong opioids are one way to do so? And that because real wages have been falling in relation to housing and food prices, unstable temp work has become the only work available to millions of people, the need to work ridiculous hours in low paid jobs that destroy even formerly abled bodies, the number of people this applies to has only been growing since 2008?

Is it perhaps *not* coincidence that the only one that has a reasonably “quick fix” - make it nightmarishly difficult to prescribe opioid medication and up the War On Drugs - is focused on while the others are buried?

Drug (including alcohol) addiction is a symptom - sometimes of illness or disability where other treatments aren’t accessible to that person, or don’t even exist, sometimes of a life that isn’t bearable without them. Which usually means exploitation, inequality, marginalisation, isolation, lack of access to education, lack of access to a supportive community, and trauma. That can lead to ODs, suicide and liver disease.

Isn’t it interesting how those facts aren’t being focused on?

#disabled #disability #disableism #chronic illness #chronic pain #chronic fatigue #unfit us healthcare system #deaths of despair #societal disableism #addiction is a disease and you can fuck off if you don’t agree

[intriguingpeoplebyangelafloyd]

PRINCE

PRINCE 7 June 1958 - 21 April 2016 Prince Rogers Nelson was a successful singer and musician who became one of the highest-paid musical artists in the world. He was able to play 27 instruments and wrote and produced all his music. He also wrote and produced for other music artists including Sinead O’Connor. He starred in the move, Purple Rain, which had a successful soundtrack. Prince was famous for his distinct appearance which was often sexy, with fingerless lace gloves, and high-heeled boots, and was best known for wearing the colour purple. Prince was born in Minneapolis and was the son of musically gifted parents. During a teacher's strike in 1970, Prince aged 11 was interviewed by a news reporter. He was married twice and had one child who died not long after his birth. In 1992 he signed a $million dollar contract with Warner Bros, he had been with Warner Bros since 1978. After he signed the deal he stated he was being restricted by the company and had been treated unfairly. In an attempt to get out of the contract, he changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol, known as love symbol. People started referring to him as the Artist Formerly Known as Prince. He would write ‘Slave’ on his face whenever he went out in public. When his contract expired he returned to the name Prince. Prince, 57, suffered from influenza days before his death; he performed his last concert on 14 April, even though he still wasn’t feeling well. While on a flight the next morning he became unresponsive and the plane had to make an emergency landing and was hospitalized. He suffered from influenza and dehydration for several weeks. Days before he died he was seen riding his bike, shopping, attending a party, and attended a jazz performance. On the 20th a specialist was called after Prince was seeking medical help, he was scheduled to see Prince on the 22nd. On 21 April, at 9:43 am, a 911 call requested an ambulance to Prince’s home. Emergency found Prince dead in an elevator and it was said he had been dead for at least 6 hours. Prince had been given an accidental overdose of fentanyl and it was revealed that Prince had been addicted to opioids. Prince’s ashes were made into a 3D-printed urn shaped like Paisley Park estate.

prince #princenelson #princerogersnelson #lovesymbol

#prince #prince nelson #prince rogers nelson #love symbol

[naturalrights-retard]

America has lost the war on drugs as overdose-related deaths have quadrupled in the past decade. Overdoses from fentanyl are now the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 45. There was even a 109% increase in childhood deaths (10-19) from 2019 to 2021. Around 106,699 Americans died from drug usage in 2021 – more deaths than the number of service members killed in Iraq and Afghanistan combined. About 80,411 of those deaths (75.4% of all overdoses) were due to opioids like fentanyl. There is an internal enemy within our borders that no one discusses. Where is the outrage?

Perdue and the Sackler family have blood on their hands. The Sackler family owns Perdue Pharmaceuticals and was responsible for creating a pushing the sale of lethal drugs such as oxycontin. The Sacklers hired consulting firm  McKinsey & Company and sales agents to “turbocharge” the sale of Oxycontin. McKinsey & Company initially wanted to payoff the insurance companies $14,000 per overdose or patient turned addict. The drug was initially marketed as SAFE AND EFFECTIVE. They claimed less than 1% of patients would become addicted.

Companies such as Cardinal Health, Johnson & Johnson, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen were forced to pay $26 billion in their role in the opiod crisis. However, no company was as influential as Perdue. The family paid $225 million for civil claims but has not faced any criminal charges. Now, the opioid epidemic is in the hands of cartels and foreign actors who bring drugs over our border.

The situation in America has become so dire that the Biden Administration would like to train school teachers on using the overdose revival drug, naloxone. “Our schools are on the frontlines of this epidemic, but our teachers and students can be equipped with tools to save lives,” the letter notes. Unlike the original opioid epidemic, consumers of the substances do not know what is in their counterfeit drugs. Cartels add fentanyl because it is cheaper and makes the product stronger, resulting in countless accidental overdoses.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has said numerous times that the majority of fentanyl in America is produced in China and then shipped to Mexico where they smuggle it into the United States. India is also producing fentanyl and being closely monitored. “China remains the primary source of fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances trafficked through international mail and express consignment operations environment, as well as the main source for all fentanyl-related substances trafficked into the United States. Seizures of fentanyl sourced from China average less than one kilogram in weight, and often test above 90 percent concentration of pure fentanyl,” the DEA report notes.

“Fentanyl production and precursor chemical sourcing may also expand beyond the currently identified countries as fentanyl lacks the geographic source boundaries of heroin and cocaine as these must be produced from plant-based materials,” the report concluded. Smugglers can simply walk across the border and back, as we have absolutely zero national security. Where is the outrage? Over 1,500 Americans die each week because we have permitted out enemies to enter our border and destroy the nation from within.

#Youtube

[allthecanadianpolitics]

Toronto's top doctor is calling the opioid overdose crisis a drug toxicity epidemic and is pushing for an empathetic health response as officials release preliminary annual data on the city's overdose deaths.

Toronto Public Health says the data released Wednesday shows 523 opioid toxicity deaths were reported last year, up slightly over the year before but down from 2021's peak of 591.

In a statement, the city's chief medical officer of health Dr. Eileen de Villa called the continued loss of life "devastating," adding the issue is a "human tragedy that demands we respond with empathy, care and compassion."

Preliminary details for 426 of the deaths ruled accidental show about half of those people lived in a private dwelling and over a third were in their homes when they died. [...]

Continue Reading.

Tagging: @newsfromstolenland

#cdnpoli #Toronto #Ontario #public health #opioid crisis #addiction #death #overdose

[beardedmrbean]

Three New York professionals died of fentanyl overdoses after ordering cocaine from the same drug delivery service, leading to charges for the dealer behind the deliveries.

"Julia was a driven professional with everything to live for. Never in a billion years would she have touched anything with fentanyl," Sassan Ghahramani, whose daughter Julia Ghahramani died of a fentanyl overdose, told the Wall Street Journal in a report Sunday. "This is like putting bullets in people’s brains."

Julia Ghahramani, a 26-year-old lawyer who had just started her first job, died of a fentanyl overdose in March 2021. That same day, 40-year-old trading executive Ross Mtangi and 38-year-old social worker Amanda Scher also died of a fentanyl overdose. The three professionals all ordered cocaine from a GrubHub-like delivery service on the same day, but the drugs turned out to be laced with a deadly amount of fentanyl.

FENTANYL DRIVES SURGE IN US OVERDOSE DEATHS IN WAKE OF NATION'S OPIOID EPIDEMIC

The alleged drug dealer in the cases, Billy Ortega, is now facing charges of causing the three deaths and distributing drugs. He has pleaded not guilty in the case and is awaiting trial.

Prosecutors allege that Ortega was a stay-at-home dad selling drugs out of his house in rural New Jersey and used a courier, Kaylen Rainey, to deliver the drugs. Rainey was living in a Manhattan apartment registered to Ortega's family, receiving text message instructions for deliveries from Ortega.

Rainey has also pleaded not guilty to causing the three deaths and distributing drugs.

Cocaine is a popular drug among professionals in New York City, with health officials estimating usage rates in the city are well above the 2% rate seen across the rest of the country. Health officials have also begun alerting users to a deadly trend in the cocaine market, telling users to be wary that many dealers have now begun mixing fentanyl into their batches.

New York City recorded 980 cocaine-related deaths in 2020, with 81% of those deaths being linked to fentanyl. Meanwhile, the rate of people dying from cocaine use alone has remained in the low hundreds, according to New York City health department data.

DRUG DEALER ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH FLORIDA MAN'S FENTANYL OVERDOSE DEATH

Ghahramani, Mtangi and Scher all fell victim to the new trend, a possibility Ortega seemingly realized shortly after the three received their drug deliveries.

"Hey try not to do too much because it’s really strong," Ortega said to Scher in a text message shortly after she received the delivery.

AFTER FENTANYL KILLED HER SOULMATE, RECOVERING DRUG USER FIGHTS TO END STIGMA OF ADDICTION

"Hey boss lady you heard," another text read, which was followed by three unanswered FaceTime audio calls.

"Hey can you give me a call back I need to ask you something real fast," another text from Ortega read the next morning. Ortega also tried to reach Ghahramani, failing to reach her after calling seven times.

The three deaths have now left a void for their families, who have stressed the dangers associated with accidentally ingesting fentanyl.

"She made a mistake," Sassan Ghahramani said of his daughter. "She had a hit of coke and unbeknownst to her it was loaded with fentanyl and it killed her."

#nunyas news #need to start charging dealers #with manslaughter or something

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

A new bill in the capitol would legalize safe spaces to use drugs.

The bill would allow the Department of Human Services to license what the bill calls “Overdose Prevention Sites.” People could go to these locations and use illegal drugs under direct supervision, with no fear of criminal prosecution.

Right now, they are far from common in the United States. Rhode Island is the only state to legalize them, but New York City and several other cities have them. A pair of lawmakers are saying those spaces are the next logical step as the state tries to curb overdose deaths.

Opioid overdoses continue to be a leading cause of accidental deaths in the state for those between the ages of 18 and 49. In 2021, 3,013 people died from overdoses. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. La Shawn Ford (D-Chicago), said supervised injection sites are a logical step to help curb those numbers.

“Why would we turn our backs on people struggling with a substance use disorder saying, ‘no, we don’t want to allow space for you,'” Ford said. “‘We would rather see you die on the streets.'”

Taylorville Police Chief Dwayne Wheeler takes his own unique approach to helping people who are suffering from addiction. The Taylorville Safe Passage program has helped hundreds of people get clean before they get in trouble with the law. The increased supervision is a sensible idea for Wheeler, but he is skeptical of the ramifications that come with giving people a safe space to use.

“There’s a lot of work to be done,” Wheeler said. “But let’s treat the people.”

Ford said in an ideal situation, there would be treatment options available at these facilities.

“I think we should have the debate to make sure that when we have overdose prevention sites, that they’re not places where people just go use drugs,” Ford said. “It’s the place where people go and get the help that they need while struggling with a substance use disorder.”

But the bill does not require those services. At a minimum, the bill would require these facilities to have a clean space to use, have naloxone to help people survive an overdose, staff that can help people who are in the middle of an overdose and equipment like fentanyl testing strips. It also would give legal immunity to people who use in those facilities.

Wheeler’s Safe Passage program gives people the opportunity to come into the police department and say they need help. It’s gained state wide acclaim, and even earned his department a $250,000 grant from the state to expand.

The program prioritizes getting people to treatment centers. It relies on people to take that first step and admit they need help, and once they take that step, the department — and it’s long list of volunteers — will drive that person to whatever rehab center they can find a spot in, no matter where it is in the state.

He said if the state is going to allow supervised injection sites, they need to carefully design the program, and make sure it leaves no questions unanswered on how it would work.

There is data that shows supervised injection sites have positive impacts, but they also come with societal ramifications, including arguments over where the sites will be located.

“Illinois should answer the call, knowing that this is the best harm reduction tool that we have in our toolbox,” Ford said. “When you look at overdose prevention sites, and you look at other harm reduction tools, this is the number one harm reduction tool that has proven to save lives across the world.”

This is not the first time the proposal has made its way around the Capitol, but it hasn’t found any traction in past years. So far, the bill has not been voted on in any committees.

#us politics #news #wcia #2023 #Illinois #Overdose Prevention Sites #Illinois Department of Human Services #Opioid overdoses #opioid crisis #La Shawn Ford #supervised injection sites #Dwayne Wheeler #Taylorville Safe Passage program #substance use disorder #substance abuse #drug addiction #addiction #Illinois legislature

[nepascene]