About this item
Author Harry Nelson has been on the front lines of behavioral health and medical advocacy for 2 decades. He is the leading healthcare legal expert in the country addressing the worsening problems in how we treat pain and addiction. His insights have earned the attention of lead policymakers and regulators at every federal agency touching the opioid crisis. He has been one of the few voices in the room with direct experience of where we are going wrong. Read The United States of Opioids to join his campaign to stop talking about and start doing something about out-of-control overdose death rates, addiction, and chronic pain. The United States of Opioids explains:* why coverage of greedy drug companies and doctors has been reductive, missing the real story, shortchanging the American public and impeding progress;* the structural roots of the crisis in multiple points of health system failure* why healthcare industry and government efforts will never be enough to tackle the crisis;* how grassroots action can force a new conversation about the parallel crisis of rising suicide rates* why the opioid crisis, including spiraling overdose death rates, will continue to worsen until we take on root causes, including rising rates of anxiety, social isolation, chronic stress, and despair* practical steps we can take to address the opioid crisis.The United States of Opioids tells the real story of what went wrong. It offers a roadmap out of the crisis that empowers and offers practical resources for people, families, employers, and communities to connect, prevent, and intervene in addiction, chronic pain and the rising death toll. Harry's call to action has resonated and is leading to new conversations across America, including:* how religious communities can play a pivotal role in taking on the opioid crisis* how employers and employees can re-imagine workplace wellness in ways that detoxify the American workplace and lead to healthier workforce, with less stress and anxiety at work* how all of us can rethink what wellness means in our own lives and social circles to become more self-aware, more conscious of hidden shame and judgment that fuels substance abuse, and agents of prevention and intervention* how parents and schools can rethink our approach to early and elementary education to raise a generation of more resilient kids who are less prone to the plague of distress and substance use infecting middle schools and teens across America* how people can share their addiction and recovery journeys to inspire others and make a difference in the opioid crisis
About the Author
"The United States of Opioids confirms Harry Nelson's place as the leading expert on U.S. behavioral healthcare. Nelson adds a compelling legal perspective on the opioid crisis. We ignore his call to action at our own peril." - Dr. Reef Karim, television personality, international speaker, author, and neuroscientist"If I had to choose one person to help people understand what's really going on in American healthcare, it's Harry Nelson." -Daniel Abrahamson, Legal Director, Drug Policy Alliance"Harry Nelson brings so much knowledge and compassion to the difficult problem of opioid overdoses, addiction, and chronic pain. Nelson is a person who makes us all better." -Naresh Nenon, CEO, Chromologic"Nelson's book should be required reading for medical, nursing, law, public policy students, and anyone trying to understand this country's drug and mental health policies and how we, as a society, can do a better job at meeting future challenges." -Nicholas Merkin, CEO, CompliagentNEW INSIGHTS IN THE UNITED STATES OF OPIOIDS* 100 Years of Opioids: "The roots of the opioid crisis were evident a century ago in uniquely American attitudes about pain and addiction." * 40 Year Exponential Rising Linear Curve of Overdose Deaths: "For all the talk of a 20-year problem, America's spiraling overdose death rate across all drugs traces back to the 1970s-suggesting a "push down here, pop up there problem" of underlying social causes rather than an opioid-specific issue." * The Forgotten Victims: "50 million Americans are suffering with chronic pain unable to get opioids because their doctors are now afraid to prescribe. These are the forgotten victims of this crisis." * The Need to Hold Insurers Responsible: "A lot of blame is placed at the feet of doctors for blindly prescribing opioids. It's true that we can do a better job of training physicians on treating pain and addiction, but the bigger issue is structural. The economics of practice put physicians under enormous time pressure for fast solutions, meaning pills, as opposed to other options. It takes 30 seconds to say yes, 30 minutes to say no. No one talks about the way insurance company decisions about what they will pay for means we are a country that wants pills, not alternative solutions." * The Hidden Suicide Crisis: "One in five opioid overdoses is definitively a suicide. I expect that we'll ultimately see data confirming that 1 in 3 is a suicide (with the other 2 being accidental) . When are we going to have a real conversation about Americans killing themselves in unprecedented numbers? "* The Limits of Policy: "The real problem of the Opioid Crisis is that this isn't something the government can solve. The government can slow down deaths, but the real solution to the deeper social issues driving the Opioid Crisis is in all of our hands. In our families, communitie
