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MI medical professionals: opioid addiction requires physical, psychological treatment

George Long and Dr. Narasimha Gundamraj photo
Scott Pohl
/
WKAR
George Long of Bloomfield Internal Medicine Associates in Bloomfield Hills and Dr. Narasimha Gundamraj of Sparrow Health Systems in Lansing

Michigan is in the midst of a growing opioid abuse crisis. We talk with two medical professionals who see the opioid crisis firsthand.

Earlier this year, a disturbing photograph from a small Ohio town captured the reality of America’s opioid abuse crisis. It showed a man and woman slumped over in the front seat of a car on the brink of death, with a young child in the back seat. The photo went viral after the local police force posted it online.

This week, a similar video also out of Ohio shows the moment a man tells his eight-year-old son that his mother had died the previous night from a heroin overdose.

What may be even harder to take than these images is this question: how often does an opioid-related tragedy happen in America when the cameras are off?

Michigan is also struggling with the opioid epidemic. Today, we talk about treatment strategies being used in our state with Dr. Narasimha Gundamraj, a pain management specialist with Sparrow Health Systems in Lansing, and George Long, office manager and patient liaison with Bloomfield Internal Medicine Associates in Bloomfield Hills.

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Kevin Lavery served as a general assignment reporter and occasional local host for Morning Edition and All Things Considered before retiring in 2023.
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