An exhibit at the Indiana State Museum aiming to reduce stigma by using a multidisciplinary approach to educate the general public about the opioid crisis
The Indiana State Museum wanted to do something innovative to address the opioid crisis that has devastated communities across the state. Using expertise, insights, and stories from over fifty community partnerships around Indiana, the museum created an exhibit called FIX: Heartbreak and Hope Inside Our Opioid Crisis, which opened in February 2020.
The ultimate goal of the exhibit is to reduce stigma among the general public towards individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD). The approach used is multidisciplinary and non-judgement, utilizing the historical context, science, and art to educate people that OUD is a brain disease, and the prevalence of this disease was increased by the overprescribing of opioid pain medications. The exhibit is designed to instill hope and educate people on how to be part of the solution.
Some of the features of this exhibit include:
- Stories presented through multimedia about how several community-based organizations are addressing the opioid crisis, including personal testimonies
- Myths and misconceptions about OUD
- The physiology of pain
- The neurobiology of OUD
- Shifting language on how to talk about OUD and the opioid crisis
- Recovery from OUD and the many pathways of recovery
More information on this program can be found in the videos here and here, the news article here, and the educator's guide here.
Exploring the opioid crisis through different lenses based on a person's preferred learning style - history, science, and art.