When it comes to addiction, it’s harder to get clean and stay sober than people without addiction may think. Many addicts face depression, anxiety and a lot of other issues when getting sober and staying clean. Often the first step in any treatment is to take action to get clean, and that step is always the hardest. You don’t have to be your own worst enemy. There are innovative, cutting-edge programs that can help you take that first step with someone so you know you aren’t a lone.

People with prescription pain pill or heroin additions often can’t get into treatment programs for months due to the rise in addiction. With the decline in pharmaceutical production of life saving drugs like naloxone, opioid addicts are even more at risk than ever before. “The United States is in the grip of an ‘epidemic’ of opioid addiction,” according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Opioid deaths in America have quadrupled since 1999. Everyday 91 Americans die from opioid overdose.

While pharmaceutical companies have reduced production of opiates like oxycodone and phased drugs out like roxicodone, and replaced it with pills that cannot be crushed for the purpose of freebasing or injection - the epidemic has become even worse with the rise in heroin due to the inability for addicts to get high. Police in Gloucester, Mass. in an attempt to eradicate this epidemic in a clever, creative and realistic approach, have brought the "Angel Program"; to life. This unique program encourages opioid addicts to walk right into the police department, with no threat of arrest, so officers can place each one in a local treatment program immediately.

According to the New England Journal of Medicine, “Gloucester police got about 95 percent of people who came to the department with a substance abuse disorder into a detoxification or treatment program during the first year of the initiative.” The police are persistent." said senior researcher David Rosenbloom, a professor of health law, management and policy at the Boston University School of Public Health."They are going to do everything they can to avoid having that person walk out the door and use and perhaps fatally overdose."

Once sober, these people need help as well. If you know someone in need, don’t hesitate to reach out with a kind hand. Sometimes addicts simply need love. Encourage the person to get clean and to go into their new life with positive affirmations. Once sober, addicts will be faced with triggers and one of the best things you can do for an addict is to help them get over the stress hurdles. Check out Mitadone. This technologically advanced supplement can help ease withdrawal symptoms associated with use of Oxycontin, Morphine, Oxycodone, Opium, Vicodin, Demerol, Hydrocodone, Lorcet, Methadone, Suboxone, Heroin, Tramadol & other such painkillers and opioids. This groundbreaking supplement helps eliminate cravings, symptoms and helps you quit - and stay sober.

When it comes to fighting addiction, people often just need a little love or a helping hand. The cutting-edge ways of the Gloucester Police are very inspiring. If you are an addict, know you are not alone. You can do this. One day at a time.