[Nevertheless] We Speak Out

I've been working with two of my children on projects they put together for An Arts Response -  CRAVE: Battling Opioid Addiction at Epoch Arts in East Hampton, CT. It's been a rough couple weeks.

It began with two "Speak Out" events, held on consecutive Friday evenings. They were filled with education surrounding opioid use and dependency, shared stories of opioid addiction, deep discussion, and Narcan training. Then the teens - and my nearly eleven year old - who attended these events, responded to what they learned through art, music, dance, spoken word, and video.

Almost eleven-year-old Alia spoke about her experience as someone who lives with chronic pain and has been offered opioids by healthcare professionals - and what she does to avoid taking opioids and other strong medications for her pain. She ended her talk with this:

My point is this: there are better ways to treat pain than taking opioids or other addictive drugs. Advocate for yourself or bring someone to advocate for you in an emergency. If you’re experiencing chronic pain, see pain management specialists who will work with you to fight pain with more than just medication...and find non-addictive medications that will lessen your pain.

And I think what everyone needs to know is to be realistic about pain. Doctors and nurses for years were pushed by insurance and pharmaceutical companies to get patients’ pain levels to zero, which led to more and stronger opioids being prescribed, which then led to an increase opioid addiction. My goal isn’t to not be in pain. That would take way too much medication. My goal is to manage my pain so that I can live life to the fullest.

Sixteen year old Haley put together a short film containing facts about opioid addiction in relation to depression and suicide, and highlighting faces and stories of addiction in order to help reduce the stigma surrounding addiction and the people's lives it changes forever. She and her girlfriend, Sophia, then told the stories of those featured in the video.

Other teens and adults spoke of personal experience with addiciton or family members with addiction. They sang, danced, and made works of art for the gallery wall. It was a beautiful, heartbreaking, inspiring,  emotional night.

Opioid addiction is a tough thing to think about, nevermind deal with. Nevertheless, we speak out, we educate ourselves and others. Through conversations, events, and research, my children and all those involved in Arts Response grew in their understanding of what addiction is and whom if affects and shared that message with others. 

“Addiction can happen to anyone. It does not discriminate. Addiction doesn’t care about your social status, your family, your education. It will take hold of you and steal everything good in your life including your soul. Years ago, you only heard of addiction in the inner cities... people in the small towns thought they were immune. “ Not my kid” they would say. No one can say that anymore. It can be anyone’s kid.” ~ Karen Sypher