In a tear-filled episode last night, Glee said goodbye to one of its beloved characters, Finn. It was a farewell episode and tribute to actor Cory Monteith, who died of a lethal heroin and alcohol combination in July 2013. It’s such a tragedy to watch someone, such as the talented and loving Cory Monteith, be committed to recovery, to go through recovery, and yet face repeated relapse or overdose. The question that many of us are left with is: what can be done to try and avoid this? What is missing in treatment regimes that leaves a person more at risk for this outcome?
Cory Monteith’s accidental overdose occurred months after he entered rehab, during a risky time for those new to recovery. An extremely dangerous period exists for those who have been in recovery but relapse. Without realizing that their tolerance levels have lowered, they often return to using the same amount they were before becoming sober. This can result in an overdose. Deadly mixes of drugs and alcohol can also lead to overdose.
