TULSA, Okla. — Wednesday marks National Opioid Awareness Day.
Opioid addiction is a devastating problem in Oklahoma and across the country. The Tulsa Health Department says between 2019 and 2020, drug overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids jumped 90% in Oklahoma.
Bryan Berry told FOX23 that he has struggled with addiction for more than a decade. He’s currently in recovery for the second time at the H.O.W. Foundation near 51st and Garnett in south Tulsa. It’s a live-in, traditionally 6-month-long, work-focused program for men.
“I’ve kind of been battling with addiction since I was young,” said Berry. He said addiction runs in his family and he lost his dad to drugs. An opioid addict, he said fentanyl wreaked havoc on his life.
Berry said, “this fentanyl epidemic happened and that’s when it really, really took over, I just wanted my life back, I wanted to be me again.”
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Dr. Don Kyle is the CEO of OSU’s National Center for Wellness & Recovery and an opioid researcher. He is currently researching a more powerful overdose reversal drug for fentanyl specifically, and an opioid-strength pain medication without the addictive side effects.
Like FOX23 has reported many times before, he said fentanyl is a huge problem right now. “The face of the opioid problem is changing to be more insidious because of these tampered materials laced with fentanyl that have become available, that’s also true in Oklahoma and across the nation,” said Dr. Kyle.
Going on 8 months at the H.O.W Foundation this time around, Berry recently moved from working intake to his new role as foundation driver. Dedicated to his recovery and thriving on the rigid, disciplinary style of his current program, he had this advice for people struggling with addiction.
“You can’t do it alone, you need help, I needed help, doing it alone, it’s not going to do anything for you, you need to ask for help.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with a substance use disorder, you can call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357.