This past Friday, I received a phone call from Arthur, from the Lancaster area, who said a colleague had my business card and told him to call me for help. Aurthur said he got addicted to pain pills after surgery and has been buying counterfeits on the street after suffering regular, painful withdrawal symptoms. He wanted to go to an in patient treatment center that would accept his Medicaid insurance but first had to arrange babysitting for his kids. A cousin drove in from NY Sunday to support him. Derek Hahn, who works for Dream Life Recovery, and is himself in recovery, volunteered to help me make calls to six different treatment centers. None had beds available. Derek advised Arthur to report to Lancaster General Hospital for admittance for detox. He waited there for a couple hours until he tested positive for COVID. They could not admit him. Arthur was heartbroken. However, they told him about a methadone clinic nearby where he could receive a liquid dose every morning to treat his withdrawal sickness symptoms and enable him to abstain from taking any more street pills. Arthur knows the counterfeit pills have fentanyl in them and that could be deadly. They also told him about an intensive outpatient program (IOP) he could attend three mornings or nights a week, before or after work, providing individual and group therapy sessions that will help him address his anxiety or any other mental health issues. Arthur told me today he went to the clinic, drank his first methadone dose and signed up for IOP starting Monday. Arthur plans to reduce his dosage of methadone with the goal of eventually not taking it, as soon as his doctor thinks that he is stable enough to do so. Arthur said he feels relieved and that his sickness symptoms feel more manageable already. Arthur is still open to reporting again for in- patient detox after his quarantine, if this current path does not work smoothly and he has babysitting support. Arthur has begun his recovery journey. Thank you Derek Hahn for your help! It would not have turned out this way without you! If Arthur's story sounds like your current situation, please do not hesitate to call me like he did at 610-290-3934.
To all my other friends, if you are able, please donate to OCAN-RF, a 501(c)(3).
Use PayPal:
opioidcrisisactionnetwork@gmail.com
or Venmo
@OCAN-1
or mail a check to:
OCAN-RF (Opioid Crisis Action Network Recovery Fund)
P.O. Box 523
Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
Thank you!