By Lauren Wanko
Correspondent
“No one grows up wishing they’re going to become an addict,” said Brick Township resident Dave Greenwald.
But that’s what happened to Greenwald. It began with prescription opiate painkillers after back surgery. Then this family man turned to heroin.
When asked if it was easy to get, Greenwald said, “Oh yeah, easier to get than alcohol sometimes.”
Eventually Greenwald lost everything — his family, home, cars. He overdosed twice and made three suicide attempts. He’s since recovered but says at the time he didn’t know who to call for help. The Mental Health Association in New Jersey recently launched a free, confidential call line — New Jersey Connect for Recovery — which provides counseling to those coping with addiction to heroin and prescription painkillers.
“If you are misusing these substances, what you’ll do is you’ll get the individual to a licensed counselor and you can call back as many times as you want. We’re not saying once you call all your problems are going to go away overnight. What we’re looking to do is establish a relationship in a very safe emphatic environment,” said NJ Connect for Recovery Volunteer Coordinator Don Haebert.
The Mental Health Association in New Jersey says the call line was established to help address the severe opiate misuse problem in the state. In 2013, there were 1,316 drug related deaths in the state; 557 of those tested positive for heroin.
The call line, funded by the pharmaceutical company Actavis plc, is open seven days a week from noon to 8 p.m. to residents statewide.
“It’s different than talking to a family member. You get to talk to someone who’s walked in your shoes, who has recovered. That’s valuable,” Greenwald said.
The call line’s also open to family members and friends. Haebert says addiction is a family disease, one that effects every relationship. When those folks call, they’re connected with a peer specialist — a trained couselor who has a shared experience with the caller.
“People are typically calling for their son or daughter, husband. A peer counselor is trained to ask them, ‘How are you doing? What’s going on? I hear it in your voice,'” Haebert said.
“This call center is another tool in the toolbox so to speak,” said Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph Coronato.
Last year in Ocean County, 92 people died from drug overdoses. But officials say that number could rise as the medical examiner reports are filed. Coronato calls it an epidemic, one he says should be tackled with a three-pronged approach.
“You have prevention, you have law enforcement, then you also want to have the helping for education and recovery,” Coronato said.
“It’s an incredible issue. Our juveniles have access to it. They know it’s out there,” said the Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor.
Which is why the Prosecutor’s Office continues to educate students in schools throughout Ocean County.
“I would tell you that there’s still a misconception as to what these drugs do to you and what they do to your body,” the Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor said.
As for Greenwald, he’s reunited with his family and now works for the Mental Health Association in New Jersey. His message to those battling addiction and their families — pick up the phone and call.
“It can change your life forever. My life has been changed forever. I’ll never go back to using again, never,” he said.