Health Sense Dr. Anne Zink on recovery and wellness

Let’s nurture the seeds

of recovery and wellness

By Dr. Anne Zink Ala ska Depa rtment of Hea lth a nd S ocia l Services A t the beginning of each new year, many of us make resolutions to live healthier, happier lives. Addressing substance misuse or mental illness may be one of yours, or something you wish with all your heart for a friend or loved one. Deciding you want change is a critical first step, but we should all keep in mind this is not a path most people walk alone. All of us have a role to play in supporting recovery.

Substance misuse and mental illness are far too common in Alaska, and every Alaskan who has been affected or touched by these diseases of despair has his or her own journey to recovery. For some, it may be recovery from alcohol or opioid addiction; for others, it may be depression or mental illness. Some stumble after the loss of a job, a home or a loved one. For each of us, recovery is a deeply personal journey, but it almost always involves con

nection to others or a higher power. As writer Johann Hari said, “The opposite of addiction isn’t sobriety. It’s connection.”

Many of us have experience with addiction, either personally or professionally. As an emergency physician, I am humbled whenever I witness the despair and destruction of addiction, the power of recovery, and the resiliency of family and caregivers as they struggle alongside those battling addiction. Among my most memorable work experiences are when I have sat beside patients in their darkest hours and then later learned they found a way to recovery.

Addiction is a disease, as real as a heart attack or a broken bone. Addiction is not a moral failing. Part of addiction treatment is compassion, respect, and the deep belief that recovery is possible, even if it does not come easily or quickly.

We each play a role in recovery. That means not pushing a friend to have a beer when they say no, recognizing that a coworker’s struggles may be a reflection of a deeper battle with addiction, or learning how to love with healthy boundaries a family member who cycles through addiction. It also means striving to always show kindness and empathy toward others, and for a clearer understanding of the role trauma plays and how that may have affected someone’s life and decisions they’ve made along the way.

The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services’ broad mandate is to promote and protect the health and well-being of all Alaskans. This includes supporting meaningful addiction and resiliency work by health care providers and within communities.

States play a unique role by serving as a conduit for funding sources like

Salmon for health =

Alaska has lots of salmon. Lots. Salmon contain lots of Omega-3 fatty acids. Lots. Omega-3s are great for your body, says the National Institutes of Health, noting that Omega-3s play important roles in the body as components of the phospholipids that form the structures of cell membranes. “In addition to their structural role in cell membranes, omega-3s (along with omega-6s) provide energy for the body and are used to form eicosanoids. Eicosanoids are signaling molecules that have similar chemical structures to the fatty acids from which they are derived; they have wide-ranging functions in the body’s cardiovascular, pulmonary, immune, and endocrine systems.”

the marijuana tax and federal grants that facilitate evidencebased prevention and early intervention programming to promote and protect Alaskans health.

Now with the implementation of Alaska’s 1115 Medicaid waiver, we have more tools to empower recovery than ever before. This waiver, made by Alaskans for Alaska, was recently approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and allows additional substance misuse and behavioral health services to bill for Medicaid reimbursement. The waiver supports recovery though a number of programs, including community-based and inpatient substance abuse services, ambulatory withdrawal management, peerbased crisis services and adult and youth residential treatment options, to name a few.

We’re committed to working alongside Alaskans in these struggles, but these are not easy problems to solve. It will take time, resolve, and all of us working together.

It is often easier to think of addiction and recovery as someone else’s problem. But the reality is addiction plays a huge role in all of our lives. According to a 2017 report by the McDowell Group, the economic impact of drug and alcohol abuse in Alaska exceeds $3 billion a year. These costs are borne by state and local governments, employers and residents and affect all of us.

We also know drug problems are common among Alaska’s prison population; 79% of offenders who were given an

Alaska Pulse is a monthly magazine focusing on health in the Far North and distributed around Fairbanks and Anchorage. We’ll share stories from around the state about how people stay healthy. Learn from experts in different medical fields on ways to improve, or maybe just maintain your health. We’ll hear personal stories about people’s triumphs over different health adversities. Alaska Pulse is a community publication, so every issue is sure to hold a variety of different perspectives.

Contact editor Rod Boyce at editor@AlaskaPulse.com or 907-459-7585 to talk about it.

Alaska Pulse is a publication of The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. 200 North Cushman Street • Fairbanks AK, 99701

Online resources

• Find a treatment facility near you: https://findtreatment.gov/

• Need to talk? Careline Alaska: https://carelinealaska.com/

• List of substance use disorder treatment providers in Alaska: https://bit.ly/36JuhKu

• Recover Alaska: https://recoveralaska.org/

assessment reported having a drug problem in the past, while 43% reported having a current drug problem. A patient once told me, “I would steal from my mother. Why would I not steal from you?”

His comment drives home how significantly addiction can fundamentally change a person’s brain and affect life choices. Directly or indirectly, addiction is a part of our lives, and so is the power and importance of recovery.

Like the knot in a tree, through growth we can grow around and live with our challenges and come out stronger and more whole. Dr. Gina Perez-Baron, a family practice physician and medical director at the Seattle Indian Health Board who has effectively treated addiction in rural and underserved communities for over a decade, once said, “The seeds of recovery are already inside you.”

Our role as Alaskans is to nurture those seeds, personally and in others.

Dr. Anne Zink is a board-certified emergency physician and Alaska’s chief medical officer.

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