Mel-Med, LLC
Taking on the opiate epidemic, one life at a time.
Overdose is now the leading cause of accidental death in this country. In Spartanburg, 82 lives were lost to overdose in 2019. Dr. Melissa Fritsche needed to act. She began working in addiction three years ago, and quickly learned that she loved it. She is fascinated by the intersection of medicine, culture, economics and the social structures that created this epidemic and loves working with the individuals affected. She is now one of the very few board-certified addiction medicine specialists in town.
Mel-Med opened in June 2018 as a solo private practice office specializing in addiction. Dr. Fritsche offers medication-assisted recovery, which uses various medications to help with the real physical symptoms of dependence and withdrawal. These medicines can help patients stop using drugs or alcohol. “Medications are a piece of the complex healing process for patients,” state Dr. Fritsche, “you can not work to change behaviors and relearn social interaction if you are chasing the next high. Medication helps give their lives back.”
The gift that Dr. Fritsche brings to her work is her love for her patients. “Addiction is an incredibly stigmatized and isolating disease. If someone has been using for a while, they may have lost relationships, jobs, home and their own self-respect.” Aside from the medication, Dr. Fritsche spends time with her patients, customizing their recovery plans to meet their needs. “This means meeting people where they are. Everyone’s story is different, their goals are different, their readiness and ability to make changes varies. This work requires patience to be able to sit with someone who is considering change, but isn’t quite ready to take the leap.”
Dr. Fritsche is delighted to be partnering with Dr. Trey Kuhne of Pathways Pastoral Counseling. They met to discuss a mutual client and found they had similar views about caring for folks struggling with addiction. Impressed with the work being done, Dr. Kuhne came on board with a scholarship program to see clients who would otherwise be unable to afford counseling. Dr. Kuhne says, “Dr. Fritsche brings a unique approach to patient care by respecting each patient as a whole person, with whole needs. She doesn’t ask the patient, ‘Do you want to be sober?’ but rather, ‘How may we help you discover life more fully?”
Aside from medication, therapy and self-help meetings, Dr. Fritsche encourages re-engaging with life through things that bring joy and promote community. Because of her own love of drumming, she offers a recovery drumming class on Friday mornings. “We train our brain to think in new ways, listen to one another – which is a radical act these days, and generally just have a lot of fun – you should come!”
Dr. Fritsche supports harm reduction. If someone is not ready to stop using drugs, they still deserve to b e safe. If you or someone you know is at risk for an opiate overdose, please stop by the office for a free naloxone kit to reverse an opiate overdose.
