BPT
This month, we’ll focus on the important role mental health plays in our general health and well-being. It affects how we feel, think and act.
Many Americans of all ages experience mental distress. More than one in five adults in the United States have a mental health condition, according to data from the National Institute of Mental Health.[1] Mental health conditions are illnesses and disorders that can range from mild to severe and affect thoughts, emotions, behavior, and mood.[2] Additionally, approximately 1 in 25 U.S. adults lives with a severe or serious mental health condition.[3] People with serious mental health conditions can live fulfilling lives with effective treatment.[4] However, some people do not seek treatment because they lack access to care or want to avoid the stigma associated with mental health conditions.
Mental Health Awareness Month is an opportunity to focus not only on mental health, but also on the relationship between mental health conditions and substance use. Some people with mental health conditions struggle with substance use.[5] They may turn to illegal drugs or other substances to cope with stress, trauma, or emotional distress.[6] Changes in the brain of people with mental health conditions can make them more likely to continue using drugs and develop drug use disorders and addictions.[7] People with substance use disorders may be at increased risk of developing other mental health conditions.[8]
Additionally, using these drugs can have dangerous consequences, including overdose and death. Substance use disorders affect an estimated 1 in 7 Americans, and nearly 300 Americans die every day from drug overdose.[9],[10]
Mixing drugs is never safe
Some people think that because nothing happened when they mixed drugs before, it’s safe to do it again. However, a person’s body reacts differently to drugs each time. The truth is, there’s no way to know what the consequences of mixing drugs will be, even if you’ve been okay in the past.
Why is it dangerous to mix drugs?
No matter how it happens, mixing opioids with other drugs is extremely dangerous. It is never safe to use more than one drug because the effects of a mixture of drugs can be stronger or more unpredictable than either drug alone. For example, mixing opioids with stimulants (“uppers”) can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. Mixing opioids with depressants (“downers”) can slow breathing and cause brain damage. The mixture can even be fatal. More than 50% of overdose deaths involve multiple drugs.
“May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and we want to remind everyone that mental health is good health,” said Allison Arwady, M.D., MPH, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. said. “Each of us can take small actions today to build connections in our communities, promote mental health, and prevent mental distress. Sustained connections help people cope with life’s stressors. They are less likely to rely on the substance and reduce their risk of overdosing.”
Learn the signs of overdose and how to use naloxone to help it
If you think someone may be experiencing a drug overdose, it is safest to treat it as an overdose, even if you are not sure. Naloxone is a life-saving, non-addictive over-the-counter drug that can be administered to reverse opioid overdoses and can be stored and used by anyone to save lives. Naloxone is available as a nasal spray or injection and can be used without a doctor’s training or permission. Also, overdosing on drugs other than opioids is not harmful to people.
Here are seven signs of overdose to look out for.
- Small, constricted pinpoint pupils
- slow, weak, or absent breathing
- fall asleep or lose consciousness
- choking or gurgling
- My skin is cold and sticky
- Discolored skin, especially lips and/or nails
- limp body
Important steps to take if you think someone around you has overdosed:
- Administer naloxone if possible
- please call 911
- keep people awake and breathing
- Lay the person on their side to prevent suffocation
- Stay with the person until emergency help arrives
What the CDC is doing to stop overdoses in America
At CDC, we educate people about the dangers of illegally manufactured fentanyl, the risks and effects of drug mixing, the life-saving power of naloxone, and the importance of reducing stigma around recovery and treatment options. We use the state’s Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System (SUDORS) to better understand the circumstances surrounding overdose deaths, improve the timeliness and accuracy of fatal overdose data, and We identify specific substances that cause or contribute to overdose deaths, as well as emerging multi-substance overdose trends. Helps inform overdose prevention and response efforts. CDC invests in neighborhoods, communities, cities, counties, states, and countries to prevent overdoses and ensure the health and well-being of all Americans.
If you know someone who is struggling with addiction, learning how to prevent an overdose can help save a life. For more information and resources, visit CDC.gov/StopOverdose.
If you are in the United States and are considering suicide, are concerned about a friend or loved one, or need emotional support, call or text 988 now or chat at 988lifeline.org please.
If you need help with drug use, know that recovery is possible. You can find evidence-based treatment and service options near you by visiting findtreatment.gov or by calling our 24/7 national helpline at 800-662-HELP (4357).
[1] https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness
[2] https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/disorders
[3] https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/learn/index.htm
[4] https://www.samhsa.gov/serious-mental-illness
[5] https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/substance-use-and-mental-health
[6] https://www.cdc.gov/stopoverdose/stigma/index.html
[7] https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/substance-use-and-mental-health
[8] https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/learn/index.htm
[9] https://www.cdc.gov/stopoverdose/stigma/index.html
[10] https://www.cdc.gov/stopoverdose/index.html
