Dr. Reef Karim, a psychiatrist and addiction specialist at UCLA Medical Center, is in Richland County with the Hawks. He says their story is fairly common in the addiction community. "We are in a prescription pill epidemic right now," he says. "Because heroin is so accessible and so cheap, it's all over the place."
Dr. Karim shares 5 things you may not know about addiction. Many people who hear the Hawks' story may wonder why they don't just get help, but Dr. Karim says its not that simple. "The reality is that a lot of times it costs money to get help," he says. And, the drug has such a strong hold on the Hawks that there's little chance they'll recover without proper treatment, he says.
"The reality is we're seeing this wonderful family and their downward spiral into destruction," Dr. Karim says. "And there's a baby involved—a 13-month old baby, you know? This has got to stop now."
