Understanding Addiction and Drugs
Like diabetes, cancer and heart disease, addiction is a disease caused by a combination of behavioral, environmental and biological factors.
Physiology of Addiction
The Partnership for Drug Free kids and the Addiction Policy Forum have developed extensive materials to explain the physiology of addiction, the special vulnerability of the adolescent brain, and the effect of opioids on brain chemistry.
Drug Facts
If you are concerned someone may be experimenting with, becoming dependent on, or is addicted to prescription opioids or heroin:
- Learn about the types of drugs
- Look for these signs and symptoms
- Look for potential hiding places for drugs and drug paraphernalia: Hidden in Plain Sight on Inside Edition (February 13, 2018)
Your Treatment Options
When overdose from an opioid is even a small possibility, here are some invaluable resources to which to turn:
Anyone in immediate overdose crisis SHOULD CALL 911 or go to the closest emergency room.
Here’s your quick reference guide to help you find immediate and reliable support when and how you most need it.
- Community in Crisis Director of Recovery Support: kmusgrove@communityincrisis.org. Ken will offer support, guidance and lived experience to anyone in crisis themselves or a family member to help them navigate their path of recovery
- Partnership for Drug Free Kids: 1 855 378 4373. Get confidential one-on-one support for your family. This service is free; a trained and caring parent counselor will talk with you and help you develop a personalized action plan. This helpline and chat is available 9A-10P M-F and 12P-5P on weekends.
- IME ADDICTION ACCESS CENTER HOTLINE OF NJ: 1 844 276 2777. This is a 24/7 hotline to help individuals find treatment, including those who have Medicaid or need financial assistance.
- 2ND Floor: Call or text 1 888 222 2228. This is a confidential and anonymous helpline for New Jersey’s youth and young adults aged 10-24. They help youth find solutions to the problems that they face at home, at school or at play, including substance use or mental health
- Mental Health Association of NJ: 1 855-652-3737. MHANJ offers a live helpline 10A-8P M-F and weekends 5-10PM offering supportive counseling and peer support
- Reach NJ: 1-844-732-2465. 24X7 helpline serves as a one-stop shop to simplify the process for those seeking substance use services and their families
- Community in Crisis Family Support Group: offered at 7PM the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month at the Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church providing support, education and resources for families.
Did you know about the Good Samaritan Law?
The New Jersey Good Samaritan statute encourages and protects bystanders, including doctors and paramedics, at an accident scene to render assistance to someone in need without fear of being sued if things go wrong. More specifically, it states in part:
“A person who, in good faith, seeks medical assistance for someone experiencing a drug overdose shall not be: arrested, charged, prosecuted, or convicted for obtaining, possessing, using, or being under the influence of a controlled dangerous substance.”
And, if you have the slightest or real concern that someone you love might be or is abusing or misusing an opioid, it is imperative to KEEP NARCAN IN YOUR POSSESSION AND/OR IN YOUR HOME. Narcan can reverse an opioid overdose and save a life. It is available in pharmacies without a prescription and is easily administered. Training and supplies of Narcan can periodically be made available through Community in Crisis. Email info@communityincrisis.org.