Episode 67 - Expanding the dashboard: Covid-19, mental health and substance use

Join me for a one-take, unedited discussion about the importance of expanding our dashboards of wellness to include mental health and substance use information.  According to the Public Health Agency of Canada "24 626 apparent opioid toxicity deaths between January 2016 and June 2021" were reported.  Did you also know according to an article, "Loneliness and Social Isolation Linked to Serious Health Conditions," "Social isolation significantly increased a person's risk of premature death from all causes, a risk that may rival those of smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity."  If we are hit with another covid-19 wave of infections from a new variant, should this information inform future policies?  Should we also be tracking daily deaths due to loneliness and drug fatality poisonings?  These facts bring up important discussions about privilege and inequity.  We need to make sure we don't overlook the voiceless!

Quote for the episode: " Asking for help doesn't make you weak - it reveals strength, even when you don't feel strong" - alifeleadsimple.com

Take away thoughts: 

• We all need a "friendly voice" in our lives so someone can "love us through the hard stuff."  
• Resilience can only take us so far. At some point we might find ourselves "tapped out."  
• After the past two years, maybe we all need therapists, even the therapist.

Tag line: "Can we blither?"

Episode Resources:

1) "Loneliness and Social Isolation Linked to Serious Health Conditions" by CDC. Interested in finding out what you can do if you are experiencing loneliness, click here: Loneliness and Social Isolation Linked to Serious Health Conditions (cdc.gov)

2) What does the data say about fentanyl and fentanyl analogues as a major driver of the opioid crisis? 87% of accidental apparent opioid toxicity deaths involved fentanyl in 201 (Jan to Jun). For more information about opioid related harms, click here: Opioid- and Stimulant-related Harms in Canada - Public Health Infobase | Public Health Agency of Canada

3) "Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Substance Use Treatment Capacity in Canada" by Canadian Centre of Substance Use and Addiction. Curious about the benefits and cost of increasing use of virtual care, click here: Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Substance Use Treatment Capacity in Canada (ccsa.ca)

4) "The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Opioid-Related Harm in Ontario," by Science Table/Covid-19 Advisory for Ontario.  What are the pre-existing barriers to adequate care among people who you drugs? "Barriers include stigma surrounding drug use and system inequities associated with social determinants of heath (SDOH) such as housing instability, gender, race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, disability status, sexual orientation." To read further, click here: The-Impact-of-the-COVID-19-Pandemic-on-Opioid-Related-Harm-in-Ontario_published_20210908.pdf (covid19-sciencetable.ca)

5) Centre for Mental Health and Addiction: Visit the CAMH website for health information about Mental Health and the COVID-19 Pandemic by clicking here: Mental Health and the COVID-19 Pandemic | CAMH

 

Related Episode(s):

1) Episode 58 - Self-Care Self-Assessments & Inter-Being Scaffolding (hopefulhumanistcafe.com)

 

A Parting Salutations:

Thank-you for joining me for a blithering tip-of-the-iceberg conversation about life.  As always, the conversation is ongoing and continuous.

If you think you might benefit from working with a Self-Care Life Coach, please visit my website at Soundcarelifecoaching - Self-Care - Kitchener, Ontario to learn more.  You can start the process by emailing me at soundcarelifecoaching@gmail.com. 

Peace, take care, be well, and share