Just recently, two highly notable people have ended their own lives. Designer Kate Spade died by hanging on June 5. Anthony Bourdain died in exactly the same way later in the week on June 8. With these high profile deaths, it begs the question as to whether there is a link between addiction and suicide.
Unfortunately, these two deaths mark a trend that has been going on in America for quite some time. Experts with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC have stated that suicide rates have gone up by 30 percent since 1999, and it is a trend that has taken place in every one of America’s 50 states.
People feel as if their only recourse is to commit suicide for all kinds of reasons, but there is one factor that is accompanying these deaths in large numbers. The CDC has revealed the fact that mental illness plays a large role in the need that people feel to take their own lives.
Columbia University psychiatrist John Mann discovered that stress caused by the financial crisis of 2008 and the opioid epidemic are two main contributors to this problem, but there is more to the story than that. The fact is that people addicted to opioids and other substances are not getting the treatment they need for their addictions or for their mental illnesses. Many people are unable to seek help because they lack the resources, so their conditions tend to deteriorate.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or HHS has stated that opioid addiction and suicide often overlap, and since 2000, 300,000 Americans have died from overdosing on opioids, and no one knows if these are accidental deaths or intentional. According to John Mann, treatment of mental illness would be the best way in which to prevent suicide.
Rehabilitation and Dual Diagnosis Treatment OC
Fortunately, many rehabilitation centers can address addiction and suicide with dual diagnosis treatment OC. In order to receive a dual diagnosis, the patient must be able to be diagnosed with each condition on its own.
It is important that those who are addicted to drugs and also suffering from a mental illness receive dual diagnosis treatment OC because the addiction often cannot be separated from the mental illness. Most of the time, a healthcare professional cannot tell the patient which of the conditions presented itself first. They can’t even definitively state that one is causing the other. For example, someone suffering from an obsessive-compulsive disorder may be suffering from the same effects that drug addiction would cause, so it is imperative to treat both at the same time.
Origins of the Opioid Crisis
This crisis has been able to grow in large part because of the reduction in mental health spending since 2008. This year, the government decided to cut mental health spending even more. This will mean that the 70 million people who depend on Medicaid will lose funding for the treatment of their addictions.
The government has decided to address this problem recently. President Donald Trump created the “Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis.” The purpose of this commission is to provide President Trump with solutions to the present opioid crisis.
Psychiatrist John Mann has stated that we currently have the means to prevent suicide but that the leadership doesn’t currently exist in Washington that would implement strategies on the federal or state level. With the creation of the above-mentioned commission, we may begin to see a difference in the way mental health and the opioid crisis are treated.
The Problem with Healthcare
The problem appears to be our healthcare system in general. JAMA Psychiatry reported that psychiatrists were the ones who were the most likely to refuse to accept health insurance. As a matter of fact, only 55 percent of psychiatrists were taking health insurance plans as compared to podiatrists, cardiologists, and dermatologists in 2010.
When a patient doesn’t have the option of using insurance, he or she is required to pay hundreds of dollars per session with a psychiatrist. Those who live in the cities are charged even more, but this exacerbates the problem because more people suffer from depression in the cities than in rural areas. In addition, those addicted to cocaine often suffer from depression and use cocaine to medicate themselves.
As difficult as it may be to find treatment for mental health issues in some cities, the problem can be even worse in other areas of the country. A total of nine states adequately reimbursed providers of mental healthcare services. Because providers know that this is the case, they only accept cash payments. This has led to a lack of psychiatrists and therapists in some areas.
The psychiatrist John Mann has observed that nations that have near-universal or universal health care also have fewer suicides in their countries. Some examples are Estonia and the Netherlands.
The deaths of Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade have led to discussions on this issue on social media. Several people have shared stories about their bouts of depression and mental illness in general. They have also stated that they are concerned about those who are unable to afford mental health services.
If you or a loved one are suffering from addiction, please contact Ocean Hills Recovery facility today for help.
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