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CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The Charleston Recovery Center has been helping people battling addiction for more than a decade, but staff called the past 2 years a nightmare.
They say it’s because of the deadly fentanyl overdoses affecting people across the nation and in the Lowcountry.
“They get that one bag of fentanyl, and it could literally kill them,” said Charleston Recovery Center director Annie Blaton.
Blanton is a former addict and said the people she’s seeing walk through the doors for help now are coming in younger and quicker.
“it’s not poor kids. It’s wealthy families, people with education, and they try it for the first time and they die,” Blaton said.
A wall inside the center is covered with pictures of about 60 people who’ve died from an overdose. Staff said the drug causing most of those deaths is fentanyl.
“I had to get to a point where I was desperate enough to ask for help,” said Bruce Titterman. Titterman is 30 years old and completed the recovery program. He’s now helping others do the same. He said the fentanyl crisis has directly affected him.
“I know there are a lot of people that just like keeping it in the dark and think that they can do it, and those are the people you end up going to their funerals for,” Titterman said.
The program at Charleston Recovery Center takes the more spiritual route and incorporates fun activities like volleyball, seeing shows and taking group trips.
“We want to give them a platform where they can learn how to live on a spiritual basis. This is a chemical solution to a spiritual problem. We focus on the spiritual problem,” said Blanton.
Titterman said that there are some things people who’ve never dealt with addiction should know.
“We would do anything not to be doing what we’re doing. It doesn’t really matter how hard you try, how much stuff you had to lose, how many people you had to hurt or disappoint, it’s just not enough to quit. We’re not bad people trying to be good, we’re sick people trying to get well,” Titterman said.
Directors said communicating with loved ones about concerns of addiction is critically important.
“Please talk to each other. Don’t be afraid to say, ‘Do you have a problem? We can look at some resources. I have a place for you to go. Let’s see what we can do to help you,” said Blanton.
If you or someone you know is battling addiction, the Charleston Recovery Center has five locations across the Lowcountry and are here to help.
You can give them a call at 843-793-4200 or click here for more information.
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