Harry Nelson Interviewed by Voice of America

Harry Nelson, Managing Partner and Founding Board Chair of the Behavioral Health Association of Providers, was interviewed by Lori Lundin on Voice of America: International Edition on July 25th, 2018.

Harry gave his insight in regards to the recent development of pop star Demi Lovato’s hospitalization after a drug overdose and how it brings light to the ever growing addiction epidemic.

From the Broadcast:

“The way that we are built as human beings is when we feel better–when we feel less pain–when we feel calmer and happier our breathing slows. And so what these medications do is that they slow our breathing–they regulate our breathing and essentially depress our respiratory system.

…When you naturally get those high feelings from exercise it’s limited. But these drugs whether it’s heroine or some other drug, it goes too far and the real problem is that if you are somebody who has used in the past… you typically build up a tolerance because you are using the drug repeatedly. The effect dulls over time, so you need to raise the dose…When you have overcome the addiction and stop taking, your body kind of “restarts” and if you go back and use a dose that you would have been able to survive when you had built up a tolerance it can put you in the hospital or worse– kill you.”

Listen to the entire broadcast