July 27, 2018 at 4:39 p.m.
It takes a community
Ryser discusses opiate use, treatment
It takes a community
Opiates are not inherently bad.
But they need to be used and monitored responsibly.
And when misuse leads to addiction, it takes a community to overcome the problem.
That was part of the message Jim Ryser shared Thursday with hospital staff, law enforcement and other local officials during a presentation at IU Health Jay.
“I’m not here to say those (drugs) aren’t useful,” said Ryser, a former rocker and addict turned director of chronic pain and chemical dependence at IU Health Methodist Hospital, explaining that opiates can be useful in treating pain but are not a be-all and end-all as they have sometimes been treated. “I’m saying we need to be cautious on how we use them.”
Ryser, who was a singer and guitarist for John Mellencamp and also had a solo career, advocated for eliminating the stigma of addiction that can often keep addicts from seeking treatment.
He explained the effects of addiction by noting that typically our levels of dopamine, a chemical related to the feeling of pleasure, sit at about 100. Eating our favorite food sends levels between 200 and 250, and sex pushes them up to about 300. Drugs of abuse send them much higher — 800 for opioids, 1,200 for methamphetamine.
“The brain is now saying, ‘I need this more than I need food,’” said Ryser, who has been clean for 19 years after being an addict for 18.
“If you clean up a person with addictive disease, their moral compass is just as good as everybody’s in this room,” he added. “The sad part of addiction is, the sicker a person becomes … the more moral code they have to twist in order to justify the use. That’s why treatment is such an important part of recovery.”
In discussing opiates as they relate to pain treatment, he said in most cases they really aren’t useful for long-term treatment of chronic non-cancer pain. On the flip side, he noted that 80 percent of heroin addictions start with a prescription.
To help solve those problems, he suggested much shorter prescriptions — seven days as opposed to 30 — to help reduce the possibility for addiction and to keep drugs out of the community.
He also advocated for comprehensive treatment and compliance management for drug addicts. He pointed out that many patients who deal with other medical problems are guilty of not following the instructions involved with their treatment.
Support, he said, is key to helping those dealing with addiction be able to overcome the problem.
“To me, without community, we are not gonna get through this crisis,” he said. “We’re not going to arrest our way out. We’re not going to be able to use medicine to get out of this. It’s gonna take community to get through this.
“It did, unfortunately, take a community to get people sick. And it takes a community to get people well.”
But they need to be used and monitored responsibly.
And when misuse leads to addiction, it takes a community to overcome the problem.
That was part of the message Jim Ryser shared Thursday with hospital staff, law enforcement and other local officials during a presentation at IU Health Jay.
“I’m not here to say those (drugs) aren’t useful,” said Ryser, a former rocker and addict turned director of chronic pain and chemical dependence at IU Health Methodist Hospital, explaining that opiates can be useful in treating pain but are not a be-all and end-all as they have sometimes been treated. “I’m saying we need to be cautious on how we use them.”
Ryser, who was a singer and guitarist for John Mellencamp and also had a solo career, advocated for eliminating the stigma of addiction that can often keep addicts from seeking treatment.
He explained the effects of addiction by noting that typically our levels of dopamine, a chemical related to the feeling of pleasure, sit at about 100. Eating our favorite food sends levels between 200 and 250, and sex pushes them up to about 300. Drugs of abuse send them much higher — 800 for opioids, 1,200 for methamphetamine.
“The brain is now saying, ‘I need this more than I need food,’” said Ryser, who has been clean for 19 years after being an addict for 18.
“If you clean up a person with addictive disease, their moral compass is just as good as everybody’s in this room,” he added. “The sad part of addiction is, the sicker a person becomes … the more moral code they have to twist in order to justify the use. That’s why treatment is such an important part of recovery.”
In discussing opiates as they relate to pain treatment, he said in most cases they really aren’t useful for long-term treatment of chronic non-cancer pain. On the flip side, he noted that 80 percent of heroin addictions start with a prescription.
To help solve those problems, he suggested much shorter prescriptions — seven days as opposed to 30 — to help reduce the possibility for addiction and to keep drugs out of the community.
He also advocated for comprehensive treatment and compliance management for drug addicts. He pointed out that many patients who deal with other medical problems are guilty of not following the instructions involved with their treatment.
Support, he said, is key to helping those dealing with addiction be able to overcome the problem.
“To me, without community, we are not gonna get through this crisis,” he said. “We’re not going to arrest our way out. We’re not going to be able to use medicine to get out of this. It’s gonna take community to get through this.
“It did, unfortunately, take a community to get people sick. And it takes a community to get people well.”
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