Ep32 Addiction Treatment How to Live While Dying

Ep32 Addiction Treatment | How to Live While Dying

[00:00:00] Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.

Chris Langley: Hi, welcome to Addiction Recovery Place Podcast, the podcast championing addiction treatment professionals around the world. I'm your host, Chris Langley, and I'm very pleased to introduce today's guest, Jessica Berry, who is located in the state of Pennsylvania.

Jessica has a bachelor's in psychology and addiction and is currently pursuing her master's in clinical mental health counseling, specializing in trauma and crisis intervention. Welcome to Addiction Recovery Plays podcast, Jessica. It's great to have you with us today.

Jessica Berry: Hi, Chris. Thank you for having me.

Chris Langley: No, much appreciated. Obviously you're very, busy.

Really appreciate you being here today. So I'd just like to ask the first question like I do all my guests. Can you tell us about yourself and how you started to work with people experiencing addictions and mental health trauma?

Jessica Berry: Yes, I'm obviously still very new to the field, but what kind of got me into it was just my personal experience. Like many of us in the field, I've experienced it in all different angles. Being able [00:01:00] to be in the field and actually help people that, it might've been a more challenging time of my life.

We can use that to help other people. So that's great for me because it helps me really be able to use what I've learned and change other peoples' lives.

Chris Langley: Definitely, most definitely. So you've got a really cool looking website. It's really nice. I love the name of it, How to Live While Dying. I think that's a really appropriate title. Can you tell us about how you started the website, and why you started it, and what's involved with it, please?

Jessica Berry: Of course. So I started the website pretty much because I want to get into blogging. So it's still in the early stages of development. A lot of changes are still going to be made, but I wanted to be able to take what I know and, share it with different people going through similar things.

I live with chronic health issues. So that's a big part of my website as well between the addiction [00:02:00] aspect and chronic health issues, that calls for some help with mental health. so I just like to touch on some of those topics that not many people are talking about.

Chris Langley: So what sort of subjects do you cover on your blog?

Jessica Berry: Chronic health issues, addiction, and just basic mental health topics. Like I said, it's still in the early stages of development, so I'm really trying to find my niche and where I want to be with it.

Okay. Covering those three areas.

Chris Langley: So Yep. when did you start the website? When did you, what made you decide to do it? And when did you actually start the website?

I got really motivated to do it about a year and a half ago when I started doing a lot of research into it. Then I started it about a year ago, but I didn't start posting heavily until the last like few months, between school and being a mom, it's hard to find that extra time to put into it.

So I'm hoping when [00:03:00] school slows down a little bit, I'll have more time to put into my website.

Jessica Berry: Yeah. No, it's, amazing. You, cover it. So I've read some of your blogs, and you cover a wide range of health issues as well from hydration to addiction. It was really interesting reading that over the weekend. I really enjoyed some of your blog posts.

Who are you helping and who do you work and how do you work with your clients?

Jessica Berry: I work for a nonprofit organization, so we just do a lot of work for those that are struggling with addiction and basic mental health. We have a different department that takes care of mental health. We just pretty much work with a lot of people that have, probation, parole, stuff like that.

Chris Langley: So you work with, you work within the criminal justice system as well with, your clients?

Jessica Berry: Yeah.

Chris Langley: Okay. So with what you were mentioning your state, so within Pennsylvania, there's obviously an [00:04:00] opioid crisis going across the country and around the world now, it seems. So how's Pennsylvania dealing with the opioid crisis?

Is there, much going on within your state to, to deal with this crisis?

Jessica Berry: I definitely think there's a lot going on. I definitely think that there could be more going on. We a lot of different ways that people can get fentanyl testing strips. xylosine testing strips. That type of harm reduction you can find pretty much anywhere. When it comes to more of the needle exchange programs, there's only four out here in Pennsylvania.

Two of them are in Philadelphia, which is, a lot of people know of Kensington, and the crisis that's going on out there. Then there's one in Pittsburgh and one in [00:05:00] Jonestown.

Chris Langley: So fentanyl strips, and they're actually available within your state quite easily. So someone can actually go and get tests with the fentanyl. Yeah?

Jessica Berry: You can find them at a lot of different drug and alcohol facilities. Some doctor's offices have them.

Chris Langley: So somebody can just walk in and get them free of charge. Is that right? Is that a state funded program?

Jessica Berry: Yes. Yep.

Chris Langley: Oh, wow. Okay. Because doing these podcasts, I'm, getting different ways of how different states are dealing with it. And I think it's one of the Pennsylvania seems to be one of the first ones that has a free walk in service.

That's, really, good to hear. So, they're the harm reduction services available in Pennsylvania. So no needle exchanges. Do you have needle exchange at all?

Jessica Berry: We have four in Pennsylvania.

Chris Langley: so they're the full ones.

Jessica Berry: Philly. Yep. And

Chris Langley: Okay.

Jessica Berry: Johnstown and one's in Pittsburgh.

Chris Langley: Wow. Okay. that's really good to hear. we, [00:06:00] met on the NAADAC website, Jessica. So you've been a long term member of NAADAC, which is obviously the country's biggest organization for addiction treatment specialists.

So how long have you been a member and what support and training have you received from them?

Jessica Berry: So I have been a member since I started my, undergrad degree. so that it's probably been about four or five years now that I've been a member of NAADAC. I have participated in some of the self-paced trainings that they have available, which I think are really great. They've been very helpful to find ones that are close to what I need to learn about. I also have really enjoyed, I'm more of a silent, NAADAC member. I don't get too involved in some of the forums, but I do read them. It's very beneficial for me to see what everyone else is talking about and what problems are going on, all over the United States.

Chris Langley: So what, what was some of the trainings that you really got to grips [00:07:00] with, NAADAC that they offered you? What did you find most beneficial?

Jessica Berry: I don't want to give any wrong info because I do a lot of trainings. I don't remember which ones came from NAADAC and elsewhere.

Chris Langley: Okay.

Jessica Berry: I do know, I think I took one about the ASAM or something like that which was pretty helpful.

Chris Langley: Okay. Excellent. What other organizations have you joined to help with your career and your progression?

Jessica Berry: One of the other ones that I really enjoy is the ACA, the American Counseling Association. They also offer, trainings. A lot of them, you get one free one every month, so that's nice. They also allow you to have a certain amount for a financial liability which is kind of cool. Other than that, I don't have too many that I use except for the DDAP one through Pennsylvania.

Chris Langley: So [00:08:00] you find it beneficial to be a member of these organisations? Yeah, you get some good, experience from this?

Jessica Berry: I really do. Depending on the training and who's doing it. It's really awesome to see the different opinions and how it all comes together. It's awesome to see how we all do different parts of it, but when we bring it all together, what does that look like?

Chris Langley: Absolutely. Definitely. I ask all my guests this question, Jessica. Because I get some really interested in varied, answers, but can you tell me what your opinion of harm reduction is and how it plays such a pivotal role within recovery?

Jessica Berry: Yeah. So to me, harm reduction, it's anything to get us a few more days, a few more hours, a few more anything. Sometimes that's all someone needs is someone to take a chance on them and just give them a few more days to get into treatment, a few more hours to get into treatment. So I think harm reduction really opens up an avenue for that to become real life for [00:09:00] some people that might be really struggling with the total abstinence method. I definitely think harm reduction has a long way to go, but it's definitely come a long way and it's helped thousands of people, millions of people.

Chris Langley: Most definitely. Jess, do you have a message to anyone who's listening to this podcast, who is going through addiction or a mental health trauma at the moment?

Jessica Berry: Just to remember that there is a way out, no matter how dark and gloomy the tunnel may look. There is a way out. If you want a way out, there are so many resources available, so many different organizations willing to reach out and help. There's, always someone there to help you. You just got to look for it.

Chris Langley: And last question, Jess, can you tell our listeners how to best contact you and to find your service online, please?

Jessica Berry: So the best way to reach me is on my website, most likely, which is [00:10:00] howtolivewhiledying.com. On there, I have my link to my social media and all that stuff. So my website is the best bet.

Chris Langley: Jessica, it's been really nice talking to you today. Thank you so much for your time and obviously wish you all the very best for the future for your career and, keep doing the great work that you're doing. That's wonderful.

Jessica Berry: Thank you, Chris. It was great coming on here.

Chris Langley: Thanks very much, Jessica.

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