Wake up! Heroin Use Is An Epidemic In Brevard County, Florida

Here are the statistics: Data from the State of Florida indicates Florida’s unintentional and undetermined drug overdose deaths more than doubled from 2014 to 2018, with 2,175 deaths in 2014, 2,805 in 2015, 4,672 in 2016, 5,088 in 2017 and 5,222 in 2018. Please don’t fool yourself in thinking that these high overdose numbers are South Florida problems. Yes the highest numbers come from 3 South Florida counties but Brevard County is # 4 out of 67 statewide counties and is #1 out of the 5 immediate surrounding counties even beating Orange County that includes the city of Orlando.

A reason for heroin’s popularity is cost. Due to Florida’s recent crackdown on pill mills and prescribing Doctors, pain pills are harder to come by therefore raising the street cost as high as $80.00 a pill so heroin has become a cheaper alternative. An addict could spend $150.00 on oxycodone / hydrocodone pain pills but spend $20.00 on heroin and get the same effect. Now what is seriously dangerous is the drug cartels are mixing the heroin with Fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid drug that is cheaper to make and more profitable for the cartels.

Now what can be done if you are addicted. When you stop withdrawals will include symptoms, such as: muscle aches, restlessness, anxiety, excessive sweating, sleeplessness, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, rapid heartbeat, and may exasperate any current medical condition. All these conditions can be helped with with our new “Holistic Addictions Therapy” program which is now on our website www.holistichealthcenter.us or call 321-549-0711 for more information.

It is after detoxing the first week is when the recovery work starts. Here are a number of options. You may wish to go a 30-90 day inpatient program. Due to extensive time and the cost required for inpatient treatment you may want outpatient treatment in order to meet your work, family or school obligations. Our program is an outpatient program.

After working in a Faith Based drug recovery program for over 15 years (with an 80% success rate) I have a problem with popular secular 12 step meeting programs. Their statistics show a less than 20% success rate.

At Holistic Health Center I recommend the outpatient Holistic (mind-body-spirit) approach to recovery. In short: specific supplements and diet for the individual, mild exercise, individual mental and/or spiritual counseling and group meetings.

Dr. Kevin Kilday, PhD, Director of Holistic Health Center and Developer of “Holistic Addictions Therapy” Program. www.holistichealthcenter.us or call 321-549-0711 for more information.