The rise in opioid-related deaths in recent years has prompted Gov. Rick Scott and President Donald Trump to declare state and national emergencies.
According to Lee Health, opioid overdoses have increased by 800 percent in Lee County over the past four years. In the most recent data available, more than 5,700 people died from overdoses in the state of Florida in 2016.
Gulf Coast Live is going to explore an aspect of the crisis that might go overlooked: how addiction affects the families of addicts.
Dan Simmons is a licensed clinical social worker with Hazelden Betty Ford in Naples. He currently leads the Caring Families Group, which takes place at Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida. It’s a free program open to anyone who has questions about the disease of chemical dependency, whether they have someone in treatment or not. Simmons joins Gulf Coast Live with his more than 30 years of experience in the field of chemical dependency treatment.
Mr. and Mrs. B also join the show. They have been participating in the Caring Families Group because of their grown son’s addiction and are going to remain anonymous sharing their story.
