1) The United States is facing an unprecedented opioid epidemic and public health crisis, with drug overdose deaths nearly tripling between 1999-2014 and an estimated 75,000 Americans dying of drug overdoses in 2016 alone. 2) The current numbers do not fully capture the severity of the problem, and the author predicts over 100,000 people will die of drug overdoses in 2017. Those in recovery and the recovery community must make recovery their top priority and voice to inspire others seeking help. 3) To significantly reduce the number of people affected by this crisis, society must come together with a united voice and shared goals through the recovery community to accomplish solutions and create a nation that does not destroy itself from

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From the rear view to a clear view
thesoberworld.com/2017/05/01/rear-view-clear-view
“We live our lives forward, but only understand our lives backward”
~ Epictetus
The #1 reason why people don’t become who they want to be is that they’ve grown too
attached to who they have been. Change is a mountain sometimes. Change from addiction
is a mountain without a map. But change is necessary if one is to rise above the state of
substance use disorder. In the midst of the worst public social health crisis America has
ever seen, and with more people being affected by addiction than ever before, one has to
wonder where we go from here. How do we overcome this pandemic? How will we avoid
losing an entire generation of people? Things must change and they must change now.
The U.S. opioid epidemic is continuing, and drug overdose deaths nearly tripled during
1999–2014. Among the 47,055 drug overdose deaths that occurred in 2014 in the United
States, 28,647 (60.9%) involved an opioid. Illicit opioids are contributing to the increase
in opioid overdose deaths.
During 2015, drug overdoses accounted for 52,404 U.S. deaths, including 33,091 (63.1%)
that involved an opioid. It has been estimated that when 2016 numbers are finally tallied,
we will have lost 75,000 Americans – a 43% increase in just one year!

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I estimate that we will lose more than 100,000 people in 2017. Some might look at this
prediction and call me Chicken Little, while others might not understand how such a
dramatic increase will take place in such a short period of time. I personally believe that
the current numbers defining this “epidemic” are incorrect. I believe it’s much worse than
even the present numbers reveal. Therefore, those in recovery must take their recovery
more seriously than ever before. On top of that, we must voice our recovery louder than
ever before. Recovery needs to become the focus of our mission, not only to strengthen
those of us who have found it, but to inspire those in our midst who seek it. This social
issue needs more attention and collaboration than it ever has and everyone needs to get
on the same page. This is most important especially for the Recovery community who has
more hope and inspiration than any
sector of society.
We must encourage America to treat this issue with the attention it deserves and help
families and communities understand that much of the answer is in connection and self-
fulfillment. This is possible, and can be best achieved by the Recovery community. We can
no longer allow the language of the victim to be dominant. The victor must have the stage.
Victimstance is the most damaging and devastating self-defeating mindset in our country.
For those caught up in addiction, and often, as a result- the criminal justice system, it’s
more commonplace to simply blame the world. “My parents got divorced when I was very
young” “I was abused”; “I grew up poor” My drug-dealing sibling turned me on to it”… I’ve
heard them all. I’ve used them many times myself. It was when someone told me that I
was inviting more problems into my life that I started to change. He told me to “Cancel
My Membership to the Woe Is Me Club.” It was some of the best advice I had ever
received. I don’t know if this mindset actually changes anything, but so many people I see
caught up in their addiction can’t see their way out of it using their own powers.
What you don’t want to hear is more than likely what you need to face. The truth is
already in you. The validation just forces you to no longer deny it. I learned this recently
both from self-reflection and by giving the advice to someone I mentor in early recovery.
The lesson came from both sides, and learning it both ways doubled its impact on me. I
want to solve this addiction pandemic more than ever, and I ask myself how it can be
done.
We might not become a society that is completely free from addiction, but, I do believe we
can drastically reduce the number of people affected. We’re at a point in our history where
the life expectancy is actually decreasing faster than at any time on record. And it’s
preventable. “Despair deaths” – alcoholism, drugs and suicide – are a big part of the
problem and so is obesity, poverty and social isolation. It’s absolutely NOT just about
opiates and heroin. They are merely the flavor of the day. To just focus on the death and
destruction is missing the forest for the trees. If we are to greatly reduce those affected by
this horrific pandemic, if we are to cease this preventable decline in the decrease of
mortality, if we are to become a nation that doesn’t destroy itself from within, we must
face not only the problems, but face ourselves. We must come together with one voice,

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shared goals and try to accomplish this together. In unison, in recovery, we can get to that
place where we live our lives to the fullest and live free from addiction and the devastation
of drugs.
The ongoing epidemic of opioid deaths requires intense attention and action. In a
November 2016 report, the Drug Enforcement Administration referred to prescription
drugs, heroin, and fentanyl as the most significant drug-related threats to the United
States. It’s comforting that some Government agencies are waking up. It is also
comforting that the Administration is discussing it, but it’s a national crisis and a state of
emergency is warranted across the board. We need to come together as ONE VOICE.
Everyone in recovery and every family affected by addiction must come together. It’s
going to take more than a village here – It’s going to take an Army. A Recovery Army.
Please go to www.recoveryarmy.com and learn about the solutions we have proposed.
Join us in this fight and help us change not only the conversation but the country’s
response.
Michael DeLeon is the Director and Producer of the films” Kids
Are Dying” , “An American Epidemic” and “MarijuanaX” His
fourth documentary will be released in June, 2017 called, “Higher
Power”. His memoir, “Chasing Detours will be released in June,
2017. Michael is the founder of Steered Straight Inc. a nationallyrecognized
educational program and he has just founded a national
advocacy organization called, “Recovery Army” with RJ Vied
of “Written Recovery. They are touring the country advocating
changes in State and Federal Policy.