Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, as many of us may know, is a small island on the east coast of Canada, well-known for its gorgeous and breathtaking Cabot Trail. However, what you may not know about Cape Breton is that it "has the lowest average age when people start drinking in the country. Over fifty percent of young adult males are problem drinkers. The amount of needles being exchanged (Safe Programs) has been increasing at least 25% every year." And on top of all of that, while addiction services do exist on the island, the programs are having immense difficulty in keeping up with the rising demand. Recently, the Lighthouse of Cape Breton and Undercurrent Youth Centre released a video called "Faces of Addiction" (check it out below) which shares stories of how addiction and substance use has impacted and changed the lives of many in the community. More than raising awareness of the issue, the video pushes for change, but in a unique way ... by putting the attention on future generations and addiction prevention. As David Sawler, director of the Lighthouse/Undercurrent Centre stated "We’re so swamped with dealing with addiction that we don’t have any time left to keep people out of addiction ... We’re fighting a losing battle if we’re only dealing with addicts. There has to be some kind of focus on lowering the amount kids and youth getting into addiction.” Find out more here: http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1304376-mother-offers-hope-to-others-facing-scourge-of-addiction Written during a time of immense struggle and despair, this poet reflects on feeling lost and hopeless amidst the overwhelming waves of addiction, in her poignant poem "Heroin and Heaven". "Look into the mirror and I hate to see this face Surrounded by the silence , please darkness take it's place. It's the needle that I'm craving and the heaven held within Even dull the twist and turns i welcome in my skin Now the "scars" on my hands "track" the passing of time the darker the struggle the longer the lie Just one more time and that it's i'd swear it I promise it's the honest truth But somewhere deep down Inside you know you're only fooling you ..." You can read the complete poem here: http://allpoetry.com/poem/12188964-Heroin-and-Heaven--by-Mick-luck A resident of Bangor, Maine, Coleen Singer passed away from a heroin overdose at the young age of 32. Though she died in December, her obituary was only more recently published in July, and it is one that has raised quite a bit of online stir and attention... Written by her ex-husband, Coleen's obituary is unusual, moving, and controversial as it not only highlights this young woman's battle with addiction and borderline personality disorder, but it also is extremely politically charged and puts a spotlight on the underlying gaps and failures of the current mental healthcare system. “Her ex-husband wrote the obituary, noting, she was a victim of herself, of LePage’s politics, of our society’s continuing ignorance and indifference to mental illness, and of our society’s asinine approach to drug addiction.” He said that Singer likely would have qualified for MaineCare, subsidized health insurance, if the state had expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act." You can read the complete obituary here: http://bangordailynews.com/…/obituari…/coleen-sheran-singer/ http://www.pressherald.com/2015/07/30/maine-womans-obituary-highlights-loved-ones-efforts-to-raise-awareness-of-heroin-addiction/ In the poem "Withdrawn", the poet skillfully illustrates the power of addiction, as well as the havoc substance use can wreak on one's relationships with their loved ones. "My shaking hand reaches out, For the orange bottle. Expensive candy. Measure my worth in milligrams. One for the worry, Two for the panic, Three for the spasms, And four for the pleasure..." For the full poem check out: http://allpoetry.com/poem/12110102-Withdrawn-by-Ryan-W Canada is a major user of opiates in the world, coming only second to the U.S. What's more is that both the US and Canada are seeing a rise in the number of opiate overdoses, and especially in deaths due to overdoses, in the last number of years. In Ontario, opioid overdoses are now the third leading cause of accidental death. As a result of these statistics, many regions are now focusing on ways to prevent overdose-related deaths, including enhanced prescribing guidelines, as well as the increased use of and training in how to administer an opioid receptor antagonist called Naloxone. In the video below, you can learn about the programs cities in Massachusetts have been putting in place to combat opioid overdoses, as well as hear about Narcan's positive effects on the lives of many in the US state, and see why some other regions may be slow to adopt similar programs... "New England has been hit especially hard by fatal overdoses. In Massachusetts, deaths caused by heroin and other opioids have increased by more than 90 per cent since 2002. In response, the state started a pilot program in 2007 aimed at decreasing the number of fatal overdoses. The centerpiece of the program is a drug called Naloxone, known by its brand name Narcan. It's a nasal spray that can instantly stop an opioid overdose." Though substance use is beginning to receive increased attention in politics and the media, in research, and in advocacy efforts, addiction still seems to be largely misunderstood. Similar to other aspects of mental health, the language we use to describe the use of alcohol and other drugs may be to blame for the persistent perpetuation of stigma and negative perspectives that promote shame among those affected by these disorders rather than help-seeking behaviours. In the article "To Address Addiction, Start With Words", the author (an addictions medicine physician) delves into this subject and encourages us to reconsider the use of terms like "clean" vs "dirty" and "addicts", as how we portray substance use and those affected can have a powerful impact. "Elsewhere in medicine, people with chronic conditions also are not defined by their disease, especially when being seen for care. For example, patients admitted to a hospital for depression are not called "depressives" even if they are involuntarily committed after a suicide attempt. Yet individuals with substance use disorders are called "addicts" far more than "patients." "Addict" conjures up a bad person who belongs in a jail cell, not someone worthy of receiving high quality medical care. " Put your knowledge and skills to the test with a case of a 26 year old man who presents to the ED with intermittent confusion, weakness, lethargy, abdominal pain and jaundice. With regards to his past medical and psychiatric history, the patient has an alcohol use disorder, and drinks up to 1L of vodka a day. He was recently hospitalized 6 months ago for alcoholic hepatitis and severe hyponatremia. Blood alcohol and urine drug screens are negative, and a head CT is done to rule out an acute intracranial pathology. What is causing this patient's symptoms? How would you manage this patient? "Sober Today, But Lethargic and Confused" by Kathryn Faloba, Viwek S. Bisen, Anthony M. Tobia, Adam J. Trenton, and Aphrodite M. Zimmerman (Current Psychiatry) |
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Supporting and enhancing students' and health professionals' knowledge and understanding of mental health and psychiatry
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