National Public Health Week is April 5 – 11, 2021. During this week, a theme of “Building Bridges to Better Health” will be the focus as much of the country remains under some level of lockdown due to the pandemic. Yet, there are other threats to health as well, including mental health and addiction. At TruHealing Gaithersburg, we encourage you to take action to get the help you need now.
Celebrate Public Health Week
National Public Health Week this year will focus on creating safer communities and making public health a top priority. Bridging the gap in conversations about health topics is an important way to educate people about what they can do to remain healthy but also to embrace change. This year, the topics for each day focus on things like strengthening the community, supporting climate justice, and building COVID-19 resilience. Advancing racial equality and providing support for mental health is a priority as well.
Take Public Health Week Further
Though this year’s topics may not include specific mention of drug and alcohol addiction, it is a clear component of improving mental health. Many people are battling drug and alcohol addiction. Heroin addiction is especially dangerous, but many in the community don’t recognize this very real risk and threat. For those using heroin, a highly addictive opioid, help is necessary.
Do you know someone who is using this drug and cannot stop? Here are a few things you may notice:
- They want to stop using and may even say they will, but they continue to do so. That’s because dependence is so strong, they cannot just stop.
- A person may have a different personality or be so engrossed in their drug use that they push away friends and family.
- Intense mood swings occur when they are not using. It’s hard to be around them in these times.
- Overdose is a constant threat. You fear they may not get through one.
In each one of these situations, there is a real problem present. Each of those with this addiction needs help, yet they often are looked down upon as weak or unable to stop on their own. As a true disease, addiction requires professional help.
How You Can Use Public Health Week to Support Your Loved Ones and Others
Do you have someone in your life who is addicted to drugs or alcohol? Learn about their addiction, a disease they cannot overcome alone. Then, reach out and encourage them to get help. Treatment can be very effective if given the opportunity.
Addiction recovery requires working through withdrawal and cravings. It also requires a significant amount of psychotherapy to help develop strategies to prevent relapse. For many people, this takes weeks or months of working with a therapist on a consistent basis. Yet, addiction recovery can change a person’s future and limit their risks for overdose.
Whether you need help with addiction or a loved one does, TruHealing Gaithersburg offers that help through a range of treatment programs. It’s hard to ask for help. It is even more difficult to help those in the midst of a heroin addiction to see that recovery is an option. To learn more, reach out to our team and learn about our programs:
- Women’s rehab center
- Men’s rehab center
- Partial hospitalization program
- Intensive outpatient program
- Outpatient treatment program
Ready to Get Help for Yourself?
TruHealing Gaithersburg encourages the efforts of Public Health Week. At this time of the year, it’s important to see what’s happening around us – not just COVID-19, but also the heroin epidemic – and then do something. If you need help with addiction, call our compassionate counselors at (833) 625-0398 or connect with us online.