Overdose Lifeline Learning

"Learning about the cycle of addiction and stages was eye opening. With an understanding that setbacks are an expected part of the process toward recovery, therefore working with the client on their recovery plan is as important as the treatment plan."

"In the past when I thought about stigma and addiction, I typically thought about how another person (family member, neighbor) stigmatize someone with this disease. I now have a better understanding of how stigma from other areas of one's life (medical communities, law enforcement, etc.) affects someone with this disease and creates a barrier for recovery."

"This was a very eye opening course as to how childhood trauma not only affects our behavior but our health outcomes and chronic conditions directly. This is a true public health threat that needs to be addressed with education and concern placed on early intervention."

"Prior to taking this course, I was not aware of the physiologic changes in the brain leading to addiction. I had no idea that using substances during the teenage yielded a higher chance of developing a substance use disorder. Additionally, the fact that the brain is basically rewired to place drugs at the top of the survival hierarchy within the brain."

"Prior to taking the course, I did not realize the stigma and preconceived notions I personally associated with addition. I really tried to empathize with the personal stories within the course and I now better understand why this particular chronic illness has so many hurdles to overcome. The stigma affects all aspects of this chronic disease management, everything from early detection and getting help, to finding health care workers to assist in the management of this disease. It is something that is not well broadcasted among the community and even the healthcare setting and there is an obvious knowledge deficit as a whole."

"Stigma seems to be one of the largest barriers to recovery from SUD. This could be the stigma that a person with SUD and/or their loved ones may have internalized that makes them hesitant to seek help. Or this could be the stigma that influences societal structures (funding for SUD treatment, legal factors that impact PWUD, etc.). I appreciated the section on the steps individuals can take to change this and will apply this into my work."

"The training was helpful in outlining the difference between the three MOUD medications, when to use each medication in MAT, how to choose the options of medication for SUD, for example a patient being a "candidate for MAT" does not qualify them for only buprenorphine."

"I think one of the most important takeaways from this course is that as health care providers we need to increase our awareness of ACE's and then be able to respond to that when we identify them in our patients. This changed my perspective and will impact my clinical practice."