As Overdose Deaths Continue to Rise DayBreak Treatment Solutions Says the Nation’s Focus on Recovery Must Be More Than Just One Month a Year

Bristol Township, Pennsylvania -

Levittown, PA - September is National Recovery Month when greater attention is paid to addiction and its recovery. Yet the drug crisis only seems to worsen; drug overdoses are approaching 1 million deaths. DayBreak Treatment Solutions, a substance-abuse program near Philadelphia, believes these alarming numbers show it’s time for year-round attention to recovery, not just one month.

Recovery Month was founded in 1989 by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that aims to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on local communities. This year, Recovery Month focuses on “the nation’s growing crisis of substance misuse and overdose deaths,” SAMHSA has announced.

The crisis has grown to a catastrophic level: More than 932,000 people have died from drug overdoses since 1999, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In 2020 alone, 91,799 people died – a startling 31 percent increase. Opioids are the most significant driver of overdose deaths the CDC says they were responsible for almost 75 percent of all drug overdose deaths in 2020. In addition, synthetic opioids are tied to more than 82 percent of opioid-related deaths.

Stung by such numbers, the White House is pushing for real action to end the crisis. President Biden issued an official proclamation endorsing Recovery Month, which calls for more law enforcement funding to fight the illegal drug trafficking that fuels so much of the opioid emergency. He also urged “a historic investment to transform behavioral health services across America and help Americans receive the (recovery) support they need and deserve.”

Biden’s proclamation declares, “We owe it to the loved ones we have lost to overdose and addiction to ensure that fewer harmful substances — and particularly illegally manufactured synthetic drugs — reach our communities and that people have greater access to mental health and substance use disorder services.”

Without dismissing SAMHSA’s critical work to raise awareness of the drug problem, DayBreak Treatment Solutions believes it’s clear that year-round vigilance is needed, not just a single month. Awareness must translate into action with specific, practical treatment strategies. DayBreak Treatment Solutions is committed to offering those solutions to people struggling with addiction.

DayBreak offers residential and outpatient therapy for drug or alcohol addiction in a thoughtfully structured program that treats each person holistically – addressing the whole person and the underlying factors that may contribute to their addiction. From detox to post-rehab follow-up, programs address many substance use disorders. Along with alcohol, substances in treatment include benzodiazepine, cocaine, heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine, club drugs, and prescription drugs such as Adderall and Xanax.

Treatment is always more successful when the client has a good support network beyond the treatment center. DayBreak also offers family treatment that helps loved ones understand the addiction and recovery process to better offer their loved ones the support they need.

DayBreak also understands the importance of finding the right program for each person's needs. During Recovery Month and throughout the year, SAMHSA offers many sources of help for anyone who suffers from addiction or knows someone who needs help. Its 2022 Recovery Month Toolkit provides resources to help increase awareness, including articles and online resources to aid in discussing recovery. Even those whose lives have not been directly touched by addiction can help eliminate the destructive effects that addiction creates in the community.

For more information on addiction recovery programs, visit DayBreak Treatment Solutions or call (561) 264-5881.