According to SAMSHA, the U.S Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, in 2018, there were an estimated 2 million people with an opioid use disorder. When people become dependent on opioids like prescription pain killers, recovery can be especially difficult. The withdrawal process includes sickness and intense cravings that can lead to people continuing their drug use even if they want to stop because withdrawal is so painful.
This year has been extremely difficult for families when it comes to natural disasters and pandemics. Isolation from friends, new school routines, limited outings to places that once seemed so natural. For many we find ourselves questioning when it will end, much like a child being curious on a family outing, “Are we there yet?”
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), opioid overdoses stand at the top of the list of injury-related deaths in the US. To date, New Hampshire, West Virginia, and New Mexico are identified as having the most severe opioid problem and the problem is growing in Northern California.
The negative impact of natural disasters and armed conflicts is well-documented and often manifests in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Recent studies demonstrate that protests and riots have a similar impact on mental health.As a psychiatrist working with people suffering from PTSD and other acuities, I offer the following strategies to help safeguard psychological and physical health in the current climate.
Mental health disorders are frustrating even in the best of times. In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, people with mental health issues may experience increased symptoms and, as a consequence, are at higher risk for adverse outcomes, even if they don’t get sick with COVID-19 themselves.
