RESILIENCY AFTER DRUG OVERDOSE 1

Resiliency After Drug Overdose

Vanessa Van

Chapman University

CSP 500: Introduction to Counseling and Mental Health Interventions

Professor Cynthia Olaya and Dr. Zack Maupin

November 16, 2022

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Resiliency After Drug Overdose

There are almost 21 million Americans who have at least one drug addiction, and only 10

percent have received treatment (Yerby, 2019). Treatment can involve healthcare professionals,

family and friends, and narcotics anonymous (NA), which is the most common method that most

people pursue. NA has shown to support their clients and has the opportunities to meet

connections that share the same issue. Based on the current study, drug addicts have a success

rate of 45.1 % in recovery due to mutual support from healthcare providers and friendships

(Dekkers et al., 2020). Healthcare professionals and peer support workers play an essential role

in drug addicts due to high-quality training and unique qualities. By providing their expertise,

drug addicts have a higher recovery rate with low relapse percentages (Lennox et al., 2021). This

paper explores the resilience of individuals who have overcome drug addiction and maintain

sobriety.

Drug abuse is becoming a significant concern in America because it is harmful to

people’s lives both physically and emotionally. An individual may turn to drugs due to the effects

of feeling an escape from reality. However, it becomes a more significant issue when there is

continuous use. When society thinks of drug addiction, individuals focus on the harms of drug

consumption; however, drug addiction is not always due to drug consumption (Jones, 2020). An

individual can be completely stable, such as having a family, a remarkable career, and a

homeowner. However, behind the scenes, they can be struggling with drug addiction. Most of us

believe drug users are destitute, broken, and imperfect. However, do they fit the stereotypes? No,

they are just ordinary people who went down the wrong path and needed guidance to overcome

drug abuse.
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Resilience

The definition of resilience has changed over the years; in this perceptive, the individual

has learned from their struggle and overcome it (Malhi et al., 2019). While drug abuse is hard to

overcome, certain protective factors in an individual’s life are a source of resiliency. The

protective factors may come from family and friends, relationships with healthcare professionals,

and support groups. Fortunately, not all individuals need to be in a stressful environment to form

resiliency. Research has shown that 65.7% of individuals overcome barriers due to their

resilience (Malhi et al., 2019). Resiliency comes from both environmental and personality

factors. Within the context of this paper discusses the resiliency of an individual who overcame

adversity to maintain long-term sobriety from drugs.

Protective factors are the primary purpose of what promotes resiliency and recovery.

Being resilient has to come within the person meaning the environment, timing, intensity, and

duration of adversity, and how they came to this realization (Malhi et al., 2019). Individuals are

exposed to multiple different environments in upbringing and current situations. However,

individuals are the ones who decide for themselves what they are willing to surpass and

overcome. Protective factors are what form their resilience. These protective factors can range

from supportive family and positive relationships with others to self-discipline, self-motivation

for success, and self-determination.

Social Support

One of the major protective factors in an individual’s ability for resilience to overcome

drug abuse is family and friends. Good coping strategies involve social relationships where they

seek support from families and friends to engage in healthy activities and support

(Matulič-Domadzič et al., 2020). Having supportive families and friends would help the
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individual mitigate their issues. Being alone without having a network of families and friends for

support can create an environment of isolation, where individuals may turn to substance abuse.

Due to the fact, of lack of a circle of support, not being able to share their difficulties can result

in detachment and isolation (Matulič-Domadzič et al., 2020). A supportive environment can

provide a sense of belongingness, self-worth, and security (Malhi et al., 2019).

Peer Workers/Narcotics Anonymous

Peer workers build the bridge of trust, ease the transition in care, and support individuals

who use drugs after hospitalization (Lennox et al., 2021). Peer workers were knowledgeable of

the field and willing to help individuals transition from care after hospitalization. Their

willingness to provide support to drug users are essential because they are the ones who provide

resources and build a relationship with their client to receive help and maintain long-term

sobriety. Research has demonstrated that peer workers have had tremendous outcomes with

people who use drugs (PWUD), where clients could reduce substance intake, have better

withholding in treatment, and have better relationships with healthcare professionals (Lennox et

al., 2021). Being peer workers, their job is to bridge a gap between the client and them. They are

the ones who help clients not be fearful of medical treatment and hospitals. They want the client

to feel supported and knowledgeable about what the journey of recovery would be like (Lennox

et al., 2021).

Individuals pursue many different treatments; fortunately, Narcotics Anonymous (NA) is

the most common treatment people pursue due to relationships with others to support one

another. NA is designed to be a 12-step program, similar to Alcoholics Anonymous; it focuses on

personal growth, supporting others on their recovery journey, and self-motivation (Dekkers et al.,

2020). Leamy and colleagues created a CHIME framework representing connectedness, hope
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and optimism, identity, meaning, and empowerment. Connectedness represents a sense of

belongingness and peers support. Hope and optimism represent warrants dreams, aspirations, and

motivation. Identity provides a positive sense of oneself. Meaning provides the individual with

the meaning of life and spirituality. Lastly, empowerment supports the individual with control

and strengths. Later, it evolved through further development by adding difficulties to CHIME,

becoming CHIME-D. Difficulties translate to overcoming obstacles and challenges that

individuals face during recovery. NA adopted this method into their program to provide clients

insight into recovery. This framework allows individuals to gain self-motivation and support

each other within the group (Dekkers et al., 2020; Leamy et al., 2011).

Self-Determination

Self-determination, also known as grit, plays an essential role as a protective factor in

resiliency. Grit is defined as perseverance, passion for one’s long-term goals, and overcoming

one’s adversity despite failure (Duckworth et al., 2007). Resilience can come from the genetic

makeup of the individual. Their responsibility and a positive environment influence it. In

addition, their grit is what makes their willingness to overcome adversity (Malhi et al., 2019).

High-achieving individuals’ personalities include creativity, strength, emotional intelligence,

optimism, self-confidence, emotional stability, and motivation. These fundamental qualities help

the individual with perseverance in their difficulties. Their drive to succeed makes these

individuals willing to overcome obstacles (Duckworth et al., 2007). Therefore, their grit reveals

their resiliency towards their adversity. The energy an individual invests into their goal produces

consistency in the long-term and the likelihood of continuing to work on their objectives

(Duckworth et al., 2007).

Methods
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Procedure

Journal articles for this research were retrieved from Chapman University’s

ERIC-EBSCO online library database. Keywords being used were “resiliency”, “drug abuse”,

“opioids”, “overdose”, “self-determination”, “family and friends support”, “Narcotics

Anonymous”, “peer workers”, and “protective factors”. My participant was from a mutual friend

and happily agreed to participate in this research. This interview was conducted over the phone

due to his location and busy schedule. The semi-structured interview lasted between 45-50

minutes, and notes were recorded by hand. The questions included his background, life before,

during, and after substance abuse, and his recovery journey. His pseudonym name will be used to

keep anonymity.

Interviewee

Robert is a fourth-year undergraduate at the University of California, Irvine (UCI),

majoring in Business Economics. Robert is 21 years old, from Sacramento, and lives in Irvine.

His ethnicity is Caucasian, and he comes from a middle-class family. Robert has two siblings: an

older sister and a younger brother. I met Robert two years ago at a social event. Robert is

extremely friendly and welcoming to everyone. Robert enjoys skateboarding and watching

anime. Robert is a part fraternity called Phi Gamma Delta. His main reason for joining is to gain

connections and meet new people. Robert is a motivated individual with big dreams. Robert’s

responsibility was finishing his degree at UCI and finding a full-time job. He wanted to work in

Public Relations for a big company in Silicon Valley and travel in his spare time. Robert was

introduced to narcotics in high school. This led him to use other drugs, such as psychedelics and

hallucinogens. Roberts says that where he is from, there is easy access to all types of drugs since

there is not much to do in his hometown. Robert was not pressured into participating in drugs,
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but it was because he was curious and loved the effects of it. Most of his friends were part of the

drug dealing business; therefore, he always had access to it.

Robert’s siblings knew about Robert’s drug abuse before his parents knew it. Growing

Robert has always been close to his siblings due to their closeness in age. Robert was willing to

share his experiences with his siblings; however, they did not know his regular usage. Back in

the spring of 2021, Robert had an overdose of Percocet. Robert took Percoets early in the

morning in the comfort of his own home while the rest of his roommates were still asleep. He did

not want his roommates to know what he was doing because he felt that his roommates already

had an idea of his regular drug usage; however, at 9 am, when his girlfriend woke everyone up to

alert the police. All his roommates were worried about what was happening. The EMT and

police responded to his 911 call. The EMT gave him Narcan, which immediately woke him up.

When he woke up due to the Narcan, he saw everyone hovering around him with worried

expressions. He realized that everyone cared about him and that he should be receiving

professional help. After two years of treatment, Robert currently excels in his classes and

interning for a company in Irvine. His plans after college are still the same; he wants to move to

Silicon Valley and work in Public Relations. Overall, Robert is doing well and has not relapsed.

Findings

Robert had a unique experience that led him to his resilience; despite his difficulties, he

rose above and became the exceptional individual he is today. Throughout his journey, there

were three key themes: supportive family and friends, helpful peer workers and Narcotics

Anonymous, and self-motivation to succeed. These three key themes led to his three main

protective factors for resiliency and perseverance against his adversity of substance abuse.

Social Support within Friends and Family

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After his overdose, Robert knew his parents needed to know about his drug abuse. His

parents were understanding and wanted to help. His parents' upset was why Robert did not tell

them about his regular use of drugs. His parents could have helped sooner. Drug abuse is

commonly linked to childhood trauma or a history of family drug abuse. Trauma included sexual

abuse, bad parental relationships, and physical abuse (Johnson, 1994). Robert came from a

well-loved home; his parents were working professionals in Silicon Valley and the medical field.

Robert’s journey was difficult; he had multiple occasions where he felt he could not do it. He

went to rehabilitation at least twice. Robert’s father came down to Southern California after his

overdose to help Robert to enter rehabilitation for the first time. Afterward, he felt he could do it

himself, leaving rehabilitation after a week. He was sitting in his room debating if he wanted to

start recovery or take his last Percocet pill. He was going through withdrawal, such as shivers,

sweats, fever, and irritability.

Many PWUDs face this path by themselves; therefore, not having a supportive

networking system it becomes difficult for them to receive the help they need. They fear being

alone and doubt they can overcome their obstacle of substance abuse, whereas Robert had

friends and family who supported him despite not agreeing with his lifestyle (Matulic-Domadizic

et al., 2020). His family and friends pushed him to get his sobriety help. After Robert left

rehabilitation and received withdrawal, he sat in his room debating if this was all worth it. His

roommate came into the room and convinced him to go back to rehabilitation because his

roommate was fearful of witnessing other overdoses and Robert not being lucky the next time.

Robert realized that his friends cared about him and wanted to provide him with moral support.

He went back to rehabilitation, and this time he did not check out until he was fully ready and the

healthcare providers cleared him to be independent.

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Peer workers/Narcotics Anonymous

After completing rehabilitation, Robert was determined to maintain long-term sobriety.

Peer workers are often the bridge between the healthcare team and the patient because they are

the ones who help patients overcome the fear of not being able to overcome their drug abuse.

Peer workers help patients transition within the healthcare system and teach them to trust their

healthcare providers (Lennox et al., 2021). Therefore, he attended weekly NA meetings and went

to see his peer workers when he required resources or support. Robert was initially hesitant when

receiving help from peer workers because he believed the workers would be biased and

unwilling to help him. During his time working with peer workers and narcotics anonymous, he

was able to build a bridge with the workers and peers. He could trust him with peer workers

because they made him as comfortable as possible and what Robert was comfortable sharing.

The workers never gave him judgment; instead, they showed him that they were willing to help

and provide him with all the necessary resources he may need. For the first time in his life, he

felt he could share his true thoughts and not fear being misjudged.

Clients who follow up with NA meetings are more likely to be abstinent from opiates due

to the support from one another within the group (Gossop et al., 2008). Robert continued to

attend NA meetings at the beginning of his recovery in fear of relapse. Robert felt that in his

group, he could share what he wanted to say without any judgment because everyone was going

through the same thing. NA is about empowerment, a sense of belongingness, and personal

growth. Attending NA meetings allowed Robert to gain friendships and self-determination for

his long-term goals in his career.

Self-determination
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When Robert had his overdose, he realized that if he continued his heavy drug use, he

might not be able to achieve his dreams. Drugs were an obstacle to his vision of being

successful; therefore, he switched his thoughts and saw drugs are what made him strong once

overcome. Resilience makes an individual more vital and resilient after hardships (Malhi et al.,

2019). After he recovered, Robert became more driven toward his goals. He worked for

internships during his summers and currently working for a small start-up. In society, we are

taught to perceive ourselves to look suitable for the public; therefore, some individuals may be

more motivated than others to desire to look well (Duckworth et al., 2007). Robert was one of

those individuals who wanted to look successful for others and himself. Robert was determined

to have a successful career after university; his perseverance and passion for overcoming

substance abuse led to the person he is today. All these qualities became a part of his resiliency,

and it is a story that is inspirational.

Conclusion

This study aimed to explore the key themes in resilience among PWUD. Robert's journey

towards resilience led to three key themes: supportive social group, peer workers and NA, and

grit. Data retrieved through our participant’s interview reflected current substance abuse

research. Research and our interviewee show how our generation can build resiliency through the

challenges they have faced.

How can we use it in practice as school counselors; we should have the background to

teach students about the dangers of drug use and how it can affect them. Having MTSS Tier 1

support would be helpful to students. In this tier, school counselors would have a school-wide

assembly about the usage of drugs and why they can be dangerous to students. In addition,

within the presentation, we should educate students about the resources we can provide within
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the presentation. Let students know that school counselors are willing to help students in

counseling individually (Tier 3). Screening would be beneficial during the process to measure if

students are struggling with underlying issues. If students are willing to tell their parents or

friends, we can organize group counseling (Tier 2), where the individual can speak their

thoughts. This could give them the confidence that someone is there to support them. Support is

essential for students who struggle with drug abuse.

School counselors should be able to have access to outside resources to refer students,

such as healthcare workers, peer workers, and rehabilitation centers. Outside resources could

better help than a school counselor can offer. We can recommend them if they want to see the

school psychologist. While students are receiving help from healthcare professionals, school

counselors should be able to work with students and teachers to adjust their education. School

counselors should remember that resiliency may take up any form and offer support whichever

they can.
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Resources

Dekkers, A, Vos, S, & Vanderplasschen, W. (2020). “Personal recovery depends on NA unity”:

an exploratory study on recovery-supportive elements in Narcotics Anonymous Flanders.

Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, 15(1), 1–10.

https://doi-org.libproxy.chapman.edu/10.1186/s13011-020-00296-0

Duckworth, A. L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M. D., & Kelly, D. R. (2007). Grit: Perseverance and

Passion for Long-Term Goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. (6), 1087.

https://discovery-ebsco-com.libproxy.chapman.edu/c/wnnu3f/viewer/pdf/eervg6aexb

Gossop, M., Stewart, D., & Marsden, J. (2008).Attendance at Narcotics Anonymous and

Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, frequency of attendance and substance use outcomes

after residential treatment for drug dependence : a 5-year follow-up study. Addiction

(Abingdon. Print), 103(1), 119–125.

https://discovery-ebsco-com.libproxy.chapman.edu/c/wnnu3f/viewer/pdf/erv47zie7v

Jones, J. (2020). What Do We Mean When We Call Someone a Drug Addict? Health Care

Analysis, 28(4), 391–403.

https://doi-org.libproxy.chapman.edu/10.1007/s10728-020-00410-0

Johnson, L. (1994). Surviving Satanism: Overcoming self-destructive behaviour in rural

adolescents. Youth Studies Australia, 13(3), 46.

https://discovery-ebsco-com.libproxy.chapman.edu/c/wnnu3f/details/gufb3qq5hz?limiters

=FT%3AY&q=people%20overcoming%20drug%20abuse

Lennox, R. Lamarche, L. O’Shea, T. 2021. Peer Support Workers as Bridge: a qualitative study

exploring the role of peer support workers in the care of people who use drugs during and
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after hospitalization. Harm Reduction Journal. 18(1), 1–9.

https://harmreductionjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12954-021-00467-7

Leamy M, Bird V, Le Boutillier C, Williams J, Slade M. (2011). Conceptual framework for

personal recovery in mental health: systematic review and narrative synthesis. British

Journal Psychiatry.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/9B3B8D6EF

823A1064E9683C43D70F577/S0007125000256766a.pdf/conceptual-framework-for-pers

onal-recovery-in-mental-health-systematic-review-and-narrative-synthesis.pdf

Malhi, G.S. Das, P. Bell, E. Mattingly, G. Mannie, Z. 2019. Modelling resilience in adolescence

and adversity: a novel framework to inform research and practice. Translational

Psychiatry. 9(1) https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-019-0651-y.

Matulič-Domadzič, V., Munté-Pascual, A., De Vicente-Zueras, I., & León-Jiménez, S. (2020).

“Life starts for me again.” the social impact of psychology on programs for homeless

people: Solidarity networks for the effectiveness of interventions. Frontiers in

Psychology. 10. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.03069/fu

Yerby, N. (2019). Addiction Statistics. Addiction Center.

https://www.addictioncenter.com/addiction/addiction-statistics/#:~:text=Almost%2021%

20million%20Americans%20have,over%20%24600%20billion%20every%20year.
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Postscript

I. How did you feel listening to these stories?

How I felt while listening to Robert’s story was how empowering and inspiring. His drive

to overcome his substance abuse shows that difficulties can be overcome if we have

protective factors. Protective factors can be anything and effective if used in the right

way. Emotionally, his story made me heartbroken because he felt he did not have support

from his friends and family when in reality, he did. It made me question why he felt this

way since he had a loving family and friends.

II. What was inspiring?

What inspiring was the way that Robert spoke about his journey. As I said throughout the

essay, his journey was strenuous but needed because it was not the life he wanted for

himself. He wanted to have a career and finish his college experience. It made me feel

that my challenges can be overcome too. I have my own challenges, such as struggling

with graduate school, my mother’s passing, and being Asian American in an area

predominantly Caucasian. Hearing Robert’s story made me realize everyone has their

adversities and resilience.

III. What connections can you make to your own life?

Connections I made towards my own life are how I can put my experience into my career

in the future. When I become a school counselor, I hope to expand my knowledge of

substance abuse to help my future students. Every student’s adversity will be different;

therefore, I need to keep updated with new theories and strategies to help students with

difficulties. It is better to have the resources to help students rather than not. With this
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paper, I got to learn about different resources which can be helpful in the future and be

able to share his story with others to inspire them as he did with me.