Commentary: Fentanyl overdose deaths are symptoms of a larger mental health problem

Local drug overdose deaths Fun It has increased significantly over the past several years. In San Diego County, There were 151 fentanyl-related deaths in 2019, jumping to 462 in 2020, and hitting nearly 800 in 2021, with more cases still pending.

Officials estimated 33,000 doz naloxone To control the crisis, it is necessary to distribute it to each area every year. And they are considering distributing test strips that allow addicts to test their drugs for fentanyl before using them.

While these are potential solutions to addiction, we must be prepared to address the root cause, addiction, which includes readily available treatment for substance use disorders.

People with addictions continue to be blamed for their illness. Although the medical community has long agreed that addiction is a complex brain disorder with behavioral components, many people believe that it is associated with moral weakness and defective behavior.

The result can be sad. For example, people with addictions often avoid seeking treatment because they have been treated badly in those places in the past. But the growing urgency of the fentanyl crisis calls for our help.

Until a few years ago, heroin-related overdoses were reversed by paramedics with a single dose of naloxone. The arrival of fentanyl has changed the landscape. Victims now require larger doses of naloxone, transports have increased, and death rates have increased.

If there could be any bright side to any of this, it would be California Bridge Program. Emergency room patients experiencing severe opioid withdrawal for the first time may find compassion at bridge hospitals poised to start lifesaving buprenorphine, which can quickly relieve the pain of recovery and pave the way for compassionate care in the future.

When it comes to mental health disorders, there are countless stereotypes about mental illness, often perpetuated by the media, that portray people with mental illness as dangerous. In fact, the number of people with mental illness who are dangerous to others is small. Too many people suffer from the fear of revealing their condition and fail to seek help because of such misconceptions.

You could argue that everyone in this world should expect to experience a mental health problem considering the horrors that are on the news every day in their lives. Humans were not long ago hunter-gatherers, not members of global society.

Perhaps it’s no surprise that many people with mental health disorders try to self-medicate with drugs. After all, much of an individual’s health is tied to adequate food, clothing, and shelter. No one should be surprised if an underfunded mental health system sets the stage for today’s drug abuse, mental health crisis, and homelessness epidemic.

Governments at the federal, state, and local levels should invest in improved access to mental health resources and housing. When mental health units were closed years ago, the expansion of community support did not follow. We must address the consequences of government inaction.

I am very fortunate to serve as the medical director McAlister Institute, a 400-employee organization dedicated to helping individuals with substance abuse problems. Our founder, Jean McAllister, fundamentally changed the way we help individuals suffering from addiction and the stigma that often comes with it.

Substance abuse and mental health disorders routinely orbit like twin stars, and a holistic approach to both is critical to solving our otherwise intractable fentanyl challenge.

Dr. James Dunford served as the first Emergency Medical Services Director of San Diego and is the Medical Director. McAlister InstituteProvides low-cost substance abuse, drug intervention and recovery support.