Displaying items by tag: getting help

Ask family and friends of the those who have a loved one struggling with addiction and you'll find that the issue impacts them too.

Tonda DeRae of Carrollton is the founder of Holly's Song of Hope, an organization, named after her daughter who passed away from a heroin overdose three years ago, aimed at helping families in need of support.

"When I lost Holly, there really wasn't anything out there for me," said DeRae. "That's that made me go after that first.

Click here to read Holly's story.

"They're like 'Look, my parents tried this and it didn't work at all' or 'they tried that and that really sunk in,'" said DeRae. "So it really helps. It's a real good balance of peer to peer support."DeRae launched an online support group where family and friends can reach out for help, ask questions and hear directly from those in recovery.

More than 1,400 people have joined the online support group on Facebook.

DeRae has worked with Senator Rob Portman to raise awareness on the need for help in Ohio and across the country when it comes to resources for those struggling with a heroin addiction. She's been an outspoken supporter of Portman's Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), designed to pay for education, treatment and recovery programs to prevent drug abuse.

While there are a number of treatment centers available in Summit County for those struggling with a heroin addiction, the problem that continues to arise is the lack of space available to house new patients. For many, getting help begins with their name being placed on a wait list -- which can sometimes lead to a more than a month long wait.

"My memory is a little foggy, but I do remember being on a a wait list for treatment centers and calling in everyday or every other day, sometimes waiting a month or two months," said Rick of Akron. " I hear it's worse now."

Rick has been sober for 11 years. While it's been years since Ricky has contacted a treatment, Rick says he understands the issues some are facing today in the area. 

"We're getting people in a hospital, and we're reviving them with Narcan, saving their life, and then we're going 'bye...goodbye,''"

Tonia Wright's daughter, Kylie, 21, is currently struggling with a heroin addiction and has been on a wait list for treatment for more than a month.

"She's on a waiting list to get into rehab or to get into detox and the waiting list seems to go on and on and on," said Wright. "It's not a problem with insurance because she has our personal insurance, so it's not an insurance problem, it's a facility problem because there's just not enough beds."

Wright calls it a "traumatizing " experience, especially to see her daughter's boyfriend overdose twice.

It's a bitter battle for Kylie who has struggled to stay clean while waiting for a spot to open at a local treatment facility.

"You just don't know how to get out and you can't no matter how hard you try," said Kylie.

While Kylie says she has gone through months without using heroin, she says slip-ups are bound to happen when the proper treatment is not available.

"You never completely recover from it, no matter how long. You know what I mean? You're always an addict."