The first thing you see when you walk into detox are the names of the dead. A wooden plaque on the wall displays them on brass plates, a tribute to former patients of Alcohol and Drug Care Services in Eureka who did not survive the disease of addiction. Twenty percent of all deaths in Humboldt County over the last three years were related to alcohol and other drugs. Less tangible, and less measurable, are the numbers of those who have broken free from addiction's grasp. What does it take to beat addiction? And what help does Humboldt County have to offer?
"We have many resources," says Dr. Ruby Bayan, Medical Consultant for Alcohol Drug Care Services. "The problem is coordination of care."
ADCS is one of the few programs in Humboldt County that tries to address the multi-faceted challenges of addiction, from health issues to social support to housing insecurity. Although we have six residential and seven outpatient treatment programs, a handful of self-help groups and clean and sober housing options, navigating the requirements of each can be a challenge for both addicts and those trying to help them.
[For more of this story, written by Linda Stansberry, go to http://www.northcoastjournal.c.../Content?oid=3299177]
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