By Cara Vitadamo, MSN, PMHNP
Imagine a record-breaking hot, sweltering day in North Carolina where a person can swim in the extreme humidity. However, despite the heat, the homeowner’s association still requires an immaculate lawn. Many hours of laborious yard work are complete, and now it is time to put away the tools. As the pruning shears, mower, and other tools are put away, a picture of a tall glass of ice-cold water pops into the mind. The thought quickly becomes a craving and a need. After all, water is necessary for life. This scenario describes addiction, also known as substance use disorder.
Substance use disorder is not a moral weakness or a manner of willpower. Substance use disorder is a chronic brain disease that also impacts individuals from all walks of life. If people could use their willpower to stop using substances, the country would not be facing an opioid epidemic. Current overdose death rates demonstrate the fact that substance use disorder is not something a person chooses.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 107,543 overdose deaths occurred in 2023. From 2000 to 2022, over 36,000 overdose deaths occurred in North Carolina. Rural North Carolina experiences a higher overdose death rate than Urban areas of North Carolina due to health disparities.
North Carolina's rural communities lack resources, and many individuals face barriers to treatment. These obstacles to treatment include a lack of transportation, fewer employment opportunities, little to no access to the Internet for telehealth appointments, and healthcare deserts due to the shortage of providers in these areas. These issues seem overwhelming, but there is a possible solution to improving poor outcomes for individuals who live in rural communities. The solution is simply addressing these disparities.
Health disparities are preventable, and North Carolinians must resolve these issues creatively. Creativity means recruiting and retaining health care providers in rural communities, updating outdated licensure laws so nurse practitioners and physician assistants can provide care, improving and getting innovative with transportation services, and increasing access to the internet in rural locations. But what can North Carolinians do to help?
Constituents can contact legislators, inform them of the issue, and ask for solutions. North Carolina citizens can also volunteer and donate to organizations on the front lines of this epidemic. These compassionate actions can help decrease preventable overdose deaths and show kindness. Now, imagine a scenario where preventable overdose deaths become an issue of the past because North Carolinians answered the call to action.
Cara Vitadamo, MSN, PMHNP-BC, has lived in the Wilmington area since 2021. She has been a practicing nurse since 2011 and earned her Master of Science in Nursing in May 2023. She currently provides psychiatric, and substance use disorder treatment to underserved populations at Coastal Horizons.
