Naloxone prescriptions usually come with a clear set of instructions that will walk someone through how to use them during an overdose. It is also possible to talk to the pharmacist that fills the prescription to get a quick rundown of how to use naloxone. That being said, it may be wise to be as prepared as possible and get as much information or training as you can before the need arises.
These training resources combined with the information provided by pharmacists and the prescriptions themselves will help someone become educated about how to use this potentially life-saving medication. Being willing, able, and prepared to use naloxone may help save someone’s life.
Suicide by Overdose
Suicide by overdose is more common than one might think. One study of 11 U.S. states between January 2011 and December 2012 and national data from 2012 and 2016 found that there were just over 420,000 drug-involved suicide attempts that resulted in just over 21,000 deaths. While opioids were present in only 15-17% of drug-involved suicide attempts, they were over 5x more likely to result in death.
The higher likelihood to die from an intentional opioid overdose is concerning, due to the widespread availability of legitimate prescription opioids and illicit opioids. If someone is struggling with mental health issues such as depression, then they may have an increased risk of a successful suicide attempt if opioids are involved.
The Link Between Mental Illness and Opioid Abuse
“Although the relationship between mental health and pain management is complex, we find that as a population, adults with mental health disorders receive more than half of all opioid prescriptions distributed each year in the United States.”
Excerpt from The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine July–August 2017 Vol. 30 No. 4, Page 415
While opioid abuse does not cause mental illness, and mental illness does not cause opioid abuse, there does appear to be a strong connection between the two. Studies vary, but there is a clear trend for those suffering from mental illnesses, particularly mood and anxiety disorders, to have a much higher co-occurrence of substance abuse issues.
For example, one study found that 19.67% of people with a substance use disorder had at least one mood disorder during the same year. Additionally, 17.71% of people with a substance use disorder have an anxiety disorder during the same year. The reverse trend also holds true. Of those with a mood disorder, 19.97% had at least one substance use disorder, and of those with an anxiety disorder, 14.96% had a substance use disorder. These are averaged, and specific mood or anxiety disorders had a higher correlation to substance use disorders.
While the exact numbers can vary between specific substances, mental health issues, and individuals there is a much higher co-occurrence of drug dependence and mental health issues as opposed to drug abuse and mental health issues. As far as opioids are concerned, almost half of all people with an opioid dependence meet the diagnostic criteria for a mood or anxiety disorder.
Again, the exact relationship is unclear but there is some significant overlap between drug or alcohol addiction and mental health issues. What is clear, is that unless someone receives treatment for both conditions at the same time, their chances of achieving long-term sobriety are much lower.
