Addiction is a terrible thing. It has devastating effects on individuals – and on businesses, too.
And it appears that opioid addiction has once again come to the forefront and reached epidemic levels in Miami-Dade County, according to Vanessa Van Dyne, our most recent Fried On Business guest.
Van Dyne is the owner of Enhanced Healing Wellness Center in Miami. Together with her business partner Dr. Harry Henshaw, they treat all kinds of substance abuse problems, but there’s a special emphasis on opioid addiction.
Now, opioids are drugs that act on the nervous system to relieve pain. Very useful in a medical setting, but continued use and abuse can lead to physical dependence and withdrawal symptoms.
In the workplace, you’ll see certain symptoms in opioid users, according to Van Dyne:
– Runny noses.
– Frequent use of sick days.
– A diminishing work ethic and poor job performance.
– Lots of excuses for the above.
At home, you’ll see a growing number of inconsistencies or irregularities in behavior, she added.
This is a noticeable pattern of decline – not simply a bad day or a bad few weeks due to life situations. The user may graduate from prescription drugs like Vicodin, Oxycodone and Oxycontin to heroin, which these days may be laced with much more powerful substances like Fentanyl and Carfentanyl.
Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid analgesic that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent.
Carfentanyl is said to be 10,000 times more potent than morphine. They use it to sedate elephants, by the way.
Van Dyne knows whereof she speaks. She started using drugs at the tender age of 14, but she overcame it and has been clean for the last 25 years. Now she uses her experiences and insights to free others from the chains of addiction.
“I’m passionate about it because I know that there’s another way. And there’s a lot of people suffering right now,” she said.
Enhanced Healing Wellness Center provides holistic outpatient counseling and treatment programs. Dr. Henshaw runs the therapy groups, and Van Dyne supervises other techniques like yoga, breathing exercises, meditation, acupuncture, reiki and massage.
A highlight of the facility is the relaxation lounge, which features the use of binaural music for stress reduction and treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
If you suspect someone of opioid addition, the first step could be an intervention with the person and the people closest to him or her, Van Dyne said.
If the person is a danger to himself or others, involuntary commitment by means of the Baker Act or Marchman Act may be necessary, she added.
This was a fantastic interview about a very difficult subject, and I want to thank dermatologist and Fried On Business friend Dr. Marty Zaiac for introducing me to Vanessa Van Dyne and all of the good work at Enhanced Healing Wellness Center, 875 NE 79th St., Miami.
They’re just a phone call away at 305-456-6361.
Click here to listen to the full interview.
