[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hat was once a high-end bed and breakfast nestled near the Salt Lick in Driftwood has transformed into a treatment facility aimed at ending substance abuse for those with chronic pain.
While strides have been made in the last few years toward the decline of pain medication addiction, Rey Ximenes, medical director at Driftwood Recovery, said the issue is still a prevalent problem.
The facility, which opened in October 2016, is located on 85-acres of what used to be the Oohla Bean Bed and Breakfast.
Ximenes said the owners of the property were interested in selling the property to the rehabilitation center, thinking it was a “good thing too.”
The facility targets those who suffer from pain problems that sometimes can contribute to addition. While some clients hail from Central Texas, Ximenes said patients come from as far as California or the east coast.
Ultimately, Ximenes said the facility works to fight the stigma that addictions to prescription pain medications is a “gutter problem.” The issue affects all socioeconomic statuses and all walks of life, Ximenes said.
“There is no respect these chemicals have for socioeconomic status,” Ximenes said. “It’s throughout. It’s so huge and mischaracterized, it’s out of control.”
According to statistics provided in a release, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and prevention report more than 52,000 people die annually from opioid overdoses. Ximenes said the number is higher than those who die in homicides involving guns.
Ximenes said many who suffer from such addictions have chronic pain. He said patients get “wrapped up into dependency because they have chronic pain” and try to self-treat.
The want to self-treat can begin with prescription pain medication, but then could lead to illegal drugs such as heroin, Ximenes said. An estimated 20 to 30 percent of the public are dependent, or are addicted, to drugs in order to treat chronic pain, he said.
“It’s hard for them to differentiate whether they’re treating the pain of life or the pain that’s in their back ... It’s a mix.” Rey Ximenes, medical director at Driftwood Recovery
For Ximenes, attempting to educate patients about their overall health is how Driftwood Recovery attempts to help patients recovery.
He said they emphasize exercise, diet and also focus on “self-esteem and promoting behaviors.”
One aspect is the construction of a ropes course on the property, which helps develop self-esteem and respect.
The facility also works to emphasize teamwork, which is important in the world of addiction, Ximenes said.
“We tell a lot of patients that your healthcare is a participation sport,” Ximenes said. “We try to get them involved in their own care and especially in their own diet and exercise and mental health, and try to complete the picture of a holistic approach.”
Along with using western medicine, helping patients with behavioral modification therapy is an important part of the treatment in order to educate patients about the root of their pain problems. According to the release, relapse rates among pain killer addicts can reach as high as 85 percent.
“Recovery starts with a courageous mindset,” James Flowers, Driftwood Recovery founder, said in a statement. “We encourage clients to look inside themselves and discover the roots of their pain and problems.”
But Ximenez believes a higher awareness for mental health is needed in the country.
He said it extends to the stigma that people “need to be schitzophrenic before you need mental health.”
Ximenes said it’s imperative they pay attention to such problems, as it’s an important part of the treatment process.
But he still believes the U.S. is a “pill society” and that people think their problems can only be solved with medication.
“Medications can make you better,” Ximenes said. “What we try to do is to get people to make themselves better. You don’t need to turn to chemicals in pill form.”
Just how prevalent is the opioid drug problem in America?
- Drug overdose deaths nearly tripled during 1999–2014. In 2014, among 47,055 drug overdose deaths, 61% involved an opioid.
- During 2013–2014, deaths associated with the most commonly prescribed opioids (natural/semisynthetic opioids) continued to increase slightly; however, the rapid increase in deaths appears to be driven by heroin and synthetic opioids other than methadone.
- From 2014 to 2015, the death rate from synthetic opioids other than methadone, which includes fentanyl, increased by 72.2%, and heroin death rates increased by 20.6%
Statistics gathered from a Dec. 2016 CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
Correction: An earlier version of the story spelled medical director Rey Ximenes' name incorrectly and said the center opened in 2017. Driftwood Recovery opened in October 2016. We regret the errors.
