We Need To Talk About Substance Abuse

OKMULGEE, Okla. – Local substance abuse advocate, business owner, and owner of The Treatment Connection, Ryan Headrick’s story is a story of redemption, of a man attempting to better not just himself, but others as well. He uses his experience to help those who suffer from substance and alcohol addiction. 

Headrick himself is a recovering drug addict and alcoholic, having suffered for more than two decades, and he is far from the only one. According to the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Oklahoma has some of the highest rates of mental health problems and substance abuse disorders in the United States. Based on data from 2020, almost 650,000 Oklahoma residents suffer from some sort of substance abuse addiction. 

Even the Muscogee (Creek) Nation is not exempt from this as according to the Oklahoma State Department of Health, four of the counties in Oklahoma that make up the Muscogee Nation reservation (Creek, Tulsa, Muskogee, and Hughes), were among the top five counties for Non-fatal Drug Overdose hospitalizations from 2020 to 2022, with McIntosh County not far behind. Meanwhile, Okmulgee County would be among the top five counties for fatal drug overdoses from 2020 to 2022, with Muskogee County not being far behind.

Headrick elaborated on his own struggles with addiction, showing just how much it can spiral out of control and begin to control peoples’ lives.

“I’ve struggled with addictions and substance abuse for about 25 years, until about 8 months ago, when I finally got sick of it,” Headrick said. “To be honest, I didn’t even wanna be here anymore, and I have never had that mindset. … And I’m just gonna tell you what is pretty much my testimony, man, because, God willing, this is the reason why I’m here.”

“I’d decided, you know, I’m fed up with what’s going on in my life, I was about to lose my family. I’ve had everything and lost everything over the last 25 years of battling this disease, so I left… I heard from everybody, and all my friends and my inner circle ‘Oh, California has some really tough facilities that you could really try and find yourself with, so I- I decided to do that.” 

Headrick would emphasize the importance of a change of environment as an important asset to recovery.

“Basically, it takes somebody 5 to 7 times before they actually get into treatment, and this was my sixth time to go into treatment, and this was the furthest away from home that I’d actually been,” Headrick said. “I’d always gone to in-state facilities, state-funded facilities, things of that nature… They never stuck. It would last for maybe six months to a year unless I got into trouble or anything of that nature, of course.”

“Then your court order mandated places, and things of that nature, so I just stuck with it. With that being said, I finally found myself, and what my true meaning in life is, and what I needed to do to continue for a long-term recovery.”

In short, as long as an addict stays in the area where they originally became addicted and continues to interact with the same people they’d meet while addicted, the chances of them relapsing were far higher than if they moved away and left that area.

Headrick would also stress the importance of addicts having someone who knows their struggle assist them in their recovery.

“Whenever I go to speak at community centers and outreaches and things of that nature, I just give my life experience of what I’ve went through in my life, because I can relate with pretty much anybody and everybody that has been in the struggle or is actively in the struggle, and they tend to be really receptive towards that,” Headrick said. “Say you had never been in a struggle before, and you go to talk to somebody who is in active addiction or is actively an alcoholic, it falls on deaf ears.”

Headrick would go on to explain how addiction, especially in Oklahoma, has almost become normalized, when it really should not be. 

He would also thank the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and other Oklahoma tribes for their support in his mission.

“This is the season of life that I’m gonna be in for the rest of my life. … It really champions my walk in sobriety whenever I champion somebody else and help them find their lives,” Headrick said. “The Muscogee (Creek) Nation has really been open, especially at the community centers, about me speaking on this and bringing awareness of what people think is normal.”

“And it’s sad, because the generations that are coming up now that grow up in addicted households, whether it be alcohol or substance abuse… it’s not- It’s not normal,” Headrick said. “That’s what has oppressed us as a nation for centuries. I really dig deep into my heritage and dig deep into family, and that’s what it’s all about, man.”

Breaking through generations of struggle keeps Headrick motivated. 

“I hate to see it, and I want to champion anybody that is in the struggle,” Headrick said. “I want to help them, guide them, give them the resources that I was given, and what I have searched far and wide for.”

According to Headrick, Indigenous people can find a healthier path. 

“I’ve got an opportunity to send several different nation citizens – not only Muscogee (Creek) Nation, but Choctaw, Seminole, Pottawatomie, different nations across the board from Oklahoma to treatment, and I’ve had great, great success on it,” Headrick said. “They come back and start changing their lives, start changing their families’ lives, start changing their communities, start changing their neighborhoods, and that’s the really cool part about it because, y’know, I stay in contact with these people that have gone under me into these different treatment facilities, and come they back on fire about life, ready to change the world.”

Because of the close knit Native community it only takes a few people to spark a big change. 

“That’s what we need. Even if I go out and speak in front of thousands of people, and it only falls on two sets of ears, I’ve done my job. … Because those seeds that I’ve sown in those ears are gonna go and grow like a wildfire,” Headrick said. “And I know that, just because of the doors that continue to open, and the opportunities that continue to open up on what I’m doing.” 

For those interested in reaching out to Ryan or discovering resources for those suffering from substance or alcohol addiction, more information can be found here.