Our Mental Health Care System Is Broken. The Time for Action Is Now.
Fentanyl poisoning continues to kill people at alarming rates, and not enough is being done to save the lives of those addicted to opioids. Every day, people arrive at emergency rooms for withdrawal assistance or overdose treatment, but ERs are overwhelmed with COVID patients and crime victims. Consequently, the opportunity to effectively treat patients and make a real difference is lost.
We need to use this opportunity not to just treat the immediate issue but to help prevent further addiction. Hospitals must be equipped to provide patients with effective medically assisted detoxification, followed by resources for mental health treatment and social rehabilitation.
While it may seem like treating the immediate threat is the best way to deal with a problem, in many cases it is actually just delaying the inevitable and depleting valuable resources. Our current protocol is not helping; instead, it is delaying the inevitable. Without proper resources, people will continue to suffer and die from fentanyl overdoses. It is time for us to come together and demand that more be done to help those suffering from addiction. Only by taking a comprehensive approach to this crisis will we be able to make a dent in the staggering number of lives lost each year to fentanyl poisoning.
Fentanyl an Indiscriminate Murderer
In recent months, the fentanyl epidemic has worsened, claiming more lives than ever before. Unfortunately, many people are unaware of the dangers of fentanyl being mixed with other substances and continue to use illicit drugs without knowing the real risks. If we want to make a real difference in this crisis, we need to start doing things differently. We cannot keep using the same approaches and expect different results.
The opioid addiction crisis is one of the most pressing issues facing our country today. In 2021, more than 100,000 Americans died from an opioid overdose, and the numbers have only increased since. This devastating epidemic has destroyed families and communities across the country, and we urgently need to find a way to address it.
The Lack of Preparation and Resources by Emergency Rooms and Health Care Workers is a Major Weakness in the Opioid Crisis
One lost opportunity that we need to explore is how emergency rooms can be better equipped to deal with patients struggling with mental health and addiction issues. Emergency rooms are often the first point of contact for people in crisis, but they are often ill-equipped to deal with the complexities of mental health and addiction. With proper education, adequate tools, and resources, ERs can be the first step toward effective care for this group of patients. By providing compassionate care and connecting patients to resources and treatment, ERs can make a real difference in the fight against the opioid crisis and fentanyl poisoning.
It is clear that we need to do more to address the opioid epidemic. By exploring lost opportunities and finding ways to better support those struggling with addiction, we can save lives and make a real difference in continuous tragedy.
Accessible Mental Health Care is the Answer
We need to face the facts: our mental health care system is broken. Every day, we see the consequences of this broken system in the form of tragedy and heartache. Too often, we hear about people who have been driven to despair by mental illness, only to end up taking their own lives, or worst, the lives of others. We see the effects of this in our communities, in our families, and in ourselves. We can no longer ignore the fact that mental health care is a vital part of any healthy society.
It is time to act. We need to use every possible communication tool to create awareness, education, and warnings about mental illness. We need to make sure that mental health care is available in all sectors of society. And most importantly, we need to start fighting the root of the problem instead of just the consequences.
It is time to prioritize the well-being of our citizens. It is time to stop ignoring the deaths of so many. We can do more, we can do better!
Reviewed by Clare Waismann
Clare is a Registered Addiction Specialist (RAS), Substance Use Disorder Certified Counselor (SUDCC), founder of WAISMANN METHOD® Opioid Treatment Specialists & Rapid Detox Center and Domus Retreat®. Mrs. Waismann is an authority and expert on opioid dependence, opioid use disorder, substance dependence, detoxification treatments, and detox recovery.
