MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Multiple West Virginia health organizations were in Morgantown last week taking part in a conference on drug addiction, recovery and counseling.
The Appalachian Addiction and Prescription Drug Abuse Conference featured a program discussion, which was made possible by the work of the West Virginia Board of Medicine and West Virginia Board of Osteopathic Medicine among other health organizations.
Dr. Brad Hall, the president and executive director of the West Virginia Society of Addiction Medicine, says things are improving.
“Everybody knows we have an epidemic going on, but I believe West Virginia is also an epidemic of the solution,” he said. “We’ve done a lot of things right over the years — some of the numbers don’t quite reflect that — but it’s definitely going in the right direction.”
Highlights of the conference include an update on 12-step programs, anti-stigma efforts and responses to addiction.
“Part of addiction — whether it’s sex, drugs, rock-n-roll, TV, gaming, iPhone and other behaviors — is somewhat of an attempt to fix an internal hole with an external solution,” Hall noted.
The conference also focused on the importance of spirituality, which Hall said gives people an understanding to enable them to handle difficult situations.