TAMPA, Fla. — Provisional data by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that the U.S. is on pace to reach another record level of overdose deaths this year. 

What You Need To Know

  • Nearly 110,000 Americans died of overdoses as of May 2023, per the CDC
  • Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18 to 45 years old
  • Recovering addict Monica Gonzalez says she started using opioids at 15 years old when she found her deceased grandfather's OxyContin
  • Gonzalez now works as a peer support counselor assisting others who struggle with addiction

Nearly 110,000 Americans died of overdoses as of May 2023. 

Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18 to 45 years old.

HCA Florida Brandon Hospital Emergency Department Medical Director Dr. Andres Sasson says the ER has felt the impact of the epidemic and increased demand for opioid overdose medications.  

“We can tell when a new shipment of fentanyl hits town, because some of these narcotics, some of these opiates are so powerful that they require high, high doses of the antidote when they come in overdosed and not breathing,” said Sasson. “There are nights when we go through the entire hospital stock of the reversal agents of the antidotes.”

Recovering addict Monica Gonzalez is a mother of two boys — ages six and two years old. 

At 27 years old herself, she says she’s had a lot of life lessons her children can learn from when they get older.  

“I think it’s nice when you have some wisdom and insight. Repeating traditions and making new ones,” she said.

She also plans to teach them how to recover from mistakes. 

“The first time that I used opiates, I was about 15 years old,” she said. “I was visiting my grandmother’s house, and I was kind of just like rummaging through the medicine cabinet and, you know, I found what was my deceased grandfather’s OxyContin and I tried it and I had no idea what I was doing when I took it.”

Within two years, Gonzalez says she developed an addiction to opioids. She was in and out of treatment, and overdosed several times. 

While in recovery, Gonzalez says she learned a lot about coping skills.

“So I mean, for me, like, I would say painting is a big thing. So, you know, a part of recovery, of course, is a lot of the spiritual piece. And so for me, I’m not much of a meditation type of person, but I found my ability to meditate just through art,“ said Gonzalez.

She’s been in recovery for nine years.   

“I got clean in 2014 before my 19th birthday,” she recalled.

Gonzalez now works as a peer support counselor, assisting others who struggle with addiction.

She’s also involved in public awareness campaigns to share her story of recovery with others.

“There’s a lot of stigma in our society that prevents people from getting help,” said Gonzalez.

Gonzalez says she wants to reduce that stigma by talking about the barriers to recovery.

“My hope for sharing my experience today is that one person or one family can be spared the devastation that addiction and overdose causes,” said Gonzalez. “People are dying every day in our community.” 

She says she hopes her recovery will inspire others to seek help and be better informed.

“That is the most important thing for someone in recovery, is to find a purpose,” she said.

She says the purpose of life is indeed a life of purpose.