Opioid Odyssey by Dr. Michael J. Murphy & Dr. Aafaque AkhterA "Happy Opioid Crisis Book" About What WorksIntroduction:In the United States, as well as around the world, a huge effort has been made to address and ameliorate the effects of the "opioid crisis." Unfortunately, however, few people, including the readers and writers of this book, are separated from someone, whose life has been devastated by opioid dependence and addiction. Each year, it seems that more and more people suffer and die. Why has so much concern and effort generated such inadequate results?More importantly, why is the reservoir of affection towards people identified as "criminals" or "drug addicts" so severely limited? Truthfully, with the exception of a small population of medical professionals in the field of substance abuse research and treatment, few people really care about "drug addicts." In fact, the media promulgates a one-dimensional stereotype of a substance-dependent person – one that identifies these individuals as "dark, malevolent creatures" afflicting our nation. But, in reality, rates of violence are at all-time lows. Many believe that drug addicts have created a problem for themselves, and as a result, should suffer the consequences of the "mess" they created. So be it.But, people care about people. In fact, most people care deeply about their families, neighbors, communities, and even strangers. More so, most people will give their time, attention, money, and love to a person, who enters their life and appears to genuinely need their help. We are wired that way. We are designed to care about and support one another, regardless of how many callous and heartless stories we hear in the media. Still, we have a deep reserve of compassion for those, who are suffering. We understand that, however different we may appear in color or shape or history or cultural orientation, in some profound and fundamental way, we are all the same.