Breaking News:

SHOWS + PODCASTS

Utah dentist opens up about his struggles with opioid abuse

Aug 28, 2020, 3:08 PM

opioid abuse...

Dr. Rod Gardner, DDS, joined the Project Recovery podcast to talk about his years of opioid abuse and his journey of recovery.

SALT LAKE CITY — More than 10 Utahns die every week from an opioid-related overdose according to Use Only as Directed. For one Utah dentist, those dangers hit very close to home after he struggled with opioid abuse for years.

Dr. Rod Gardner, DDS joined the Project Recovery podcast to talk about his journey from addiction to sobriety.

Anxiety at a young age

Dr. Gardner always knew from a young age that he was different. He never truly felt comfortable in social situations and constantly wondered why he was different.

“I just always was a little bit shy when it came to meeting new people,” Dr. Gardner said. 

His social anxiety became so bad that it would even affect his grades throughout his first years of college.

“I can remember times at Utah State [University] … we had to give a presentation in front of the class as part of our grade and I just bagged it. Just took a zero on that part of the grade,” Dr. Gardner explained.

Unfortunately, Dr. Gardner never thought to talk to someone about it though. In his mind, he was completely alone and began to bottle his thoughts and emotions inside himself.

A sense of calm

Dr. Gardner’s anxiety would weigh on him on a daily basis until he experimented with alcohol and prescription pills for the first time in high school.

He still remembers the feeling of euphoria he experienced when he tried them.

“It felt like all of the noise just went away and I could just be me and in the moment,” he described. “I felt like this is how everybody else feels all the time so now I’ve found what I need to just feel like everybody else.” 

In the back of his mind, Dr. Gardner found that alcohol could help fight off his inner demons. 

Just like his anxiety, he bottled those thoughts inside and continued to live his life instead of talking about his thoughts and feelings.

Struggling to cope with stress

Dr. Gardner eventually graduated from USU and committed to dental school in Richmond, Virginia. While there, he met his wife and they even had a child. He also never drank during this time.

“It never crossed my mind to drink or take a pill. I was just focused on getting my dental degree and getting back [to Utah] and getting to work and raising a family,” he described.

On the outside looking in, his life was perfect. He was building a family and was setting them up for success by pursuing his passion of becoming a dentist. But he was also still stressed. He even had his first panic attack a few years into dental school.

“I was down at the school one day and I had a panic attack. I couldn’t figure out where it was coming from,” Dr. Gardner explained. “I freaked out and didn’t know how to handle it.”

His stress began to be too much so he went to see a doctor. They both decided that Xanax, a prescription medicine used to treat anxiety and panic disorders, would prove to be beneficial to fight off his anxiety.

And even though he had been prescribed Xanax by his doctor, Dr. Gardner quickly began to abuse it for other reasons.

“I continued to use that Xanax for the anxiety but more so, it was in the evenings to kind of wind down,” Dr. Gardner described. “I might have been starting my whole process [of addiction] right then by using a substance to wind down instead of healthy things.”

The beginnings of opioid abuse 

Dr. Gardner was able to manage his anxiety with the help of Xanax and ultimately graduated from dental school. His family even decided to move back to Utah to begin a dental practice and to raise their family.

But one day while working in the garden, Dr. Gardner hurt his wrist. Not enough to require a pain killer according to Dr. Gardner, but in his mind, he needed it to calm his mind again.

So he did the one thing a doctor should never do — he began to prescribe his own personal medication.

“I called the pharmacist and got myself some Lortab,” he said. “That feeling that I experienced 10 years prior in high school just came right back and I knew I just stepped across the line I shouldn’t have stepped across.”

His original goal was to just take them on the weekends or in the evenings with friends and families. In his eyes, opioid abuse was a way to ease the mental struggles he was dealing with. It was a way to make life a little easier to deal with in certain situations.

“It wasn’t very long [until] I was needing them to get up in the morning. I’d have to have a bottle right there in my nightstand. Before I even rolled out of the bed I had to put a few in my mouth just to get rid of that physical withdrawal,” he said.

Opioid abuse overcoming Dr. Gardner

His opioid abuse no longer became just about being fun and easing his anxiety for Dr. Gardner — they became his addiction.

“I remember one weekend where I had 180 pills because I had hit up three of these people that were getting them for me. I had 180 pills of this Vicoprofin and I took all of those in one weekend,” he said. 

His opioid abuse began to plague him as soon as he woke up and started his day.

“I had to prep my day. I had to get up, get the kids to school, and then get to work and start figuring out how I’m going to refill today,” he admitted. “No longer was it fun.”

Dr. Gardner began to chase that feeling but it never came without consequences. Not only was he illegally writing prescriptions for himself but his insides were starting to suffer from all of the drug use.

“My insides were starting to hurt and what I found out later was [that] my liver was starting to fail because of all of the Tylenol,” he said. “But the only way to get rid of the pain was to take more pills.”

Dr. Gardner’s actions catch up to him

Several years into his practice his opioid abuse reached an all-time high. Dr. Gardner was using up to fifty pills a day until things quickly caught up to him.

He was ultimately arrested for prescription fraud and was charged with seven felonies for prescription fraud. 

Dr. Gardner would spend the next thirteen months in prison. He was even in a 23-hour lockdown for two months. 

“You ate in your cell. You get to come out for one hour to take a shower. If somebody did something wrong in the tier, you didn’t get a break. You could be in your cell for three, four, five days at a time,” he described.

His anxiety was at an all-time high and it was the most horrible experience of his life. 

How prayer helped Dr. Gardner overcome his opioid abuse

The only thing that was able to get him through prison was prayer according to Dr. Gardner. 

“Prayer and meditation is what saved me and continues to guide me today,” he said.

Dr. Gardner was able to finish his time in prison and overcome his addiction with the help of the twelve-step program. He has now been sober for seventeen years and is currently runs his own dental practice in Tremonton, Utah.

“I think it’s when I started to realize [that] I could have a big influence on other people simply by sharing this peace that I was finding inside of me,” he explained.

Listen to the podcast to learn more about Dr. Gardner’s journey of overcoming opioid abuse

For more information on addiction or if you or someone you know is struggling, you can find more information on Facebook, KSL TV, or from Use Only as Directed. To hear more from Casey Scott and Dr. Matt Woolley, you can listen below or subscribe to the ‘Project Recovery’ podcast on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get major podcasts.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Send it to the KSL NewsRadio team here.

Shows + Podcasts

Tips for spending Valentine's Day alone...

Caitlyn Johnston

Johnston: 6 tips for being alone without feeling lonely this Valentine’s Day

Are you spending Valentine’s Day alone this year? Here are some ways you can embrace this day of love alone… without feeling lonely.

2 days ago

Container gardening...

Michelle Lee

Container gardening: A space-efficient way to grow

Container gardening is simply a method of growing plants and vegetables in pots instead of from the ground.

2 days ago

The Gorge movie poster...

Steve Salles

KSL Movie Show review: ‘The Gorge’ is filled with action thrills

"The Gorge" is one of those strange little movies that grabs you by the throat for the first half, then plunges you into the unknown, says KSL Movie Reviewer Steve Salles.

2 days ago

Huey Lewis receiving the People's Music Hall of Fame plaque on 02-07-2025. (Heather Kelly/KSL NewsR...

Heather Kelly

Surprise Utah guest helps induct Huey Lewis into the People’s Music Hall of Fame

Huey Lewis became the first person inducted into the newly created People's Music Hall of Fame in Salt Lake City.

2 days ago

Captain America: Brave New World...

Steve Salles

KSL Movie Show review: ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ is nothing new

As the newest film is the series franchise, Captain America" Brave new World doesn't bring a big punch.

2 days ago

Are you thinking of selling your home in the spring or summer? It's important to prepare it before ...

Michelle Lee

Selling your home? Here’s what you can do to prepare

Are you thinking of selling your home in the spring or summer? Here are some tips on how you can best prepare it for the market.

3 days ago

Sponsored Articles

Filing taxes online using a computer...

The Law Offices of Jordan F. Wilcox

Tax time is approaching. What to do if you have debilitating IRS debt

Is the IRS threatening you with wage garnishment, asset seizure or business closure? Here are some ideas to resolve your tax dilemma.

Full speed through the snow. A man on skis is pulled by his through the snow at full gallop Skijori...

Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau

Get ready for an unforgettable skijoring adventure in Bear Lake!

“Skijoring the Bear” takes place this year on February 21-22 in Garden City, Utah.

the bedroom in a geodesic dome shows the night sky...

Clear Sky Resorts Bryce Canyon

Your front row to an extraordinary cosmos show

As America's first glass dome stargazing resort, Clear Sky Resorts Bryce Canyon is one of the world’s most unique and spectacular places to stay.

2 people huddled up in a blanket and warm clothes sipping hot chocolate...

Bear Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau

The best ways to spend your Christmas vacation in Bear Lake

If you're dreaming of a white Christmas this year, Bear Lake should definitely be on your radar. Read this guide for more!

big crowd of people under holiday lights in an outdoor market...

Western Nut

Our favorite family Christmas activities in Utah

We gathered up a list of our favorite activities, movies, and treats to try this holiday season that the whole family can enjoy.

an IT tech looks at a laptop in front of a server network...

Comcast Business

Tips to protect yourself from phishing attacks

Check out this resource from Comcast Business to learn more about phishing attacks and how to protect yourself from becoming a victim of one.

Utah dentist opens up about his struggles with opioid abuse