A message from D. Paula RegesProfessor, Psychiatry.
You may have heard a lot about the mental health crisis of youth and the opium epidemic. But what is often missing from the conversation is the relationship between these two issues.
When I started working with adolescents for the first time in the early 1990s, I noticed a disturbing pattern: many young people in the treatment of drug use were also suffering from depression, anxiety or other mental health challenges. Some faced these problems before they started using drugs or alcohol, while for others, drug use increased mental health struggles.
At that time, we had no clear therapeutic instructions for young people who face both materials and mental health disorders – I wanted to try to change this. Over the past thirty years, my research has helped develop new methods, including treatment called Encaples, which treats mental health and drug use together, instead separately. Many others also contributed to the research progress that led to a new understanding of these issues.
Science has come a long way, and here we understand now:
- Drug use disorders are medical conditions, just like depression or anxiety.
- It is very common for people with drug use problems to also face mental health challenges.
- Effective treatments are present and work as well as treatments for other types of medical conditions.
- The best way is integrated care, which means that mental health should be handled and materials are used together, perfectly by the same provider or in the same program.
The healthcare system still makes it difficult for individuals and families to obtain appropriate care. Mental health and drug use treatment are often separate, so people are left to know two systems instead of one system. Also, insurance coverage does not always match the necessary care level. Often, families are left without clear instructions about the required treatment and where it can be found. Individuals and their loved ones need real answers based on research. Many still believe that drug use is just a “stage” or that mental health struggles will pass alone. Others get wrong advice – such as focusing only on stopping the use of materials without facing other mental health challenges.
Drew Carey thinks about his battle with depression and two suicide attempts
To address the mental health crisis more effectively and the oath of opioid substances, we must raise awareness about the relationship between drug use and mental health issues. In addition, we need to defend our leaders and policy makers to address regular barriers, ensuring that young people and their families can reach effective and integrated treatment.
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If you or anyone you know are fighting with mental health and/or drug use, then you are not alone. Immediate intervention request – Call the number 911 for medical attention; 988 for suicide and life artery crises; or 1-800-662-Help for SAMHSA (Department of Narcotics and Mental Health Services) National Assistant Line. Narcan can help in contrast to an overdose of opiates.
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