AT
AT VACCINE KING5 DOT COM THE NUMBER OF US GRAPPLING WITH MENTAL HEALTH OR SUBSTANCE USE
DISORDERS HAS ACTUALLY DOUBLED
SINCE THE PANDEMIC BEGAN AND
SOME AGE GROUPS ARE BEING HIT
HARDER THAN OTHERS.
TWENTY FIVE PERCENT OF YOUNG
ADULTS 18 TO 20 FOR REPORT
HAVING REGULAR SUICIDE
THOUGHTS.
DR. STEVEN ANDERSON IS THE PAST
CHAIR OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE
OF EMERGENCY PHYSICIANS AND AN
E.R. PHYSICIAN AT AUBURN
MEDICAL CENTER AND HE'S HERE TO
TALK WITH US ABOUT PREVENTING
SUICIDES AND OVERDOSES.
GOOD MORNING, DR. ANDERSON.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING
HERE.
THIS IS SUCH A SERIOUS TOPIC.
VERY MUCH IS, MICHEL.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE
OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO THE
AUDIENCE OUT THERE IN THIS AREA
ABOUT THE PROBLEM.
YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
OF COURSE.
TELL WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IN THE
E.R..
WELL, IT'S STRESSFUL RIGHT NOW.
IT'S REWARDING DURING THE
PANDEMIC BECAUSE I WORK WITH
ALL THE HEROES ON THE FRONT
LINE.
BUT SINCE THE PANDEMIC BEGAN,
WE'RE SEEING AN INCREASE IN
SUICIDES AND OVERDOSES FROM
THESE TWO OF THEM GO TOGETHER.
IT'S LIKE A VENN DIAGRAM.
I'D ESTIMATE THAT A QUARTER
OF THE PATIENTS ARE THERE
BECAUSE OF THE MENTAL HEALTH
CRISIS OR AN OVERDOSE AND 50
PERCENT OF ALL 911 CALLS
INVOLVE A PRIMARY OR A
SECONDARY MENTAL HEALTH
DIAGNOSIS.
THAT'S THE POLICE AND THE
EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES.
AND MY EXPERIENCE IS IN LINE
WITH STATISTICS THE CDC CAME
OUT IN AUGUST LIKE YOU SAID AND
SAID TWENTY FIVE PERCENT OF ALL
YOUNG ADULTS THINK ABOUT
HARMING THEMSELVES AT LEAST
ONCE A MONTH AND OVER THE LAST
20 YEARS BEFORE THE PANDEMIC
BEGAN, SUICIDES IN YOUNG ADULTS
WAS ALREADY UP THIRTY SIX
PERCENT SINCE THE YEAR 2000.
BUT THE PANDEMIC IS JUST THROWN
GASOLINE ON THIS FIRE.
TODAY THE CDC REPORTS 75
PERCENT OF YOUNG ADULTS HAVE
ANXIETY, DEPRESSION OR BOTH.
LIKE I SAID, FIVE PERCENT.
SEVENTY FIVE PERCENT.
SEVENTY FIVE PERCENT AND
OVERDOSES YOU GOT TO TALK ABOUT
THOSE TWO BECAUSE THEY'RE UP
SOMETIMES THEY'RE ACCIDENTAL.
OTHER TIMES ARE INTENTIONAL AND
OVERDOSES PRIOR TO COVID AND
AFTER COVID IS GONE IT'S THE
NUMBER ONE KILLER IN AMERICA
BETWEEN THE AGES OF 14 AND 60
RIGHT NOW AND ARE YOUNG ADULTS
ARE REALLY HIGH RISK BECAUSE
OF THE ISOLATION THAT'S BEEN
IMPOSED ON THEM BY THE
PANDEMIC.
IT JUST FUELS THIS.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE WARNING
SIGNS THAT WE SHOULD ALL BE
AWARE OF ?
WELL, YOU KNOW, WE LEARNED HOW
TO RECOGNIZE THE WARNING SIGNS
FOR PHYSICAL DISTRESS.
SEATTLE LEADS THE WORLD IN
RECOGNIZING CARDIAC ARREST AND
DOING CPR BUT THE MENTAL HEALTH
CRISIS IS A FORM OF DISTRESS
AND YOU CAN LEARN TO RECOGNIZE
THOSE AS WELL AND YOU CAN MAKE
LIFE SAVING INTERVENTIONS A BIG
SIGN FOR SUICIDAL BEHAVIOR.
NUMBER ONE IS WITHDRAWAL
WITHDRAWAL FROM RELATIONSHIPS
WITH LOVED ONES, ACTIVITIES
THAT USED TO BRING YOU JOY LIKE
AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES, CLUBS,
SPORTING ACTIVITIES OFTEN
PEOPLE CONTEMPLATING SUICIDAL
TALK OR TEXT ABOUT THEY MAY SAY
THEY FEEL DEPRESSED OR ANXIOUS
AND YOU HAVE TO KNOW THAT
INTERVENING IS AN ACT OF LOVE.
IT'S NOT A BETRAYAL EVEN IF
THEY ASK YOU TO KEEP IT
CONFIDENTIAL.
YOU KNOW, WE ALL HAVE
ANXIETIES.
WE HAVE BAD DAYS BUT MENTAL
HEALTH IS A SPECTRUM AND WHEN
THE ANXIETY GETS HOMEWORK DONE,
GET YOUR BILLS PAID.
THAT'S NORMAL.
BUT WHEN IT STARTS TO PREVENT
YOU FROM FINDING MEANING IN
LIFE AND JOY OR CONDUCTING YOUR
DAILY ACTIVITIES, THAT'S A REAL
PROBLEM.
AND WHEN SOMEONE EXPRESSES A
PLAN TO HARM THEMSELVES,
SILENCE IS NOT AN ALTERNATIVE.
AND WITH PEOPLE THAT USE THAT
HAVE SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER YOU
NEED TO PREVENT IMMEDIATE HARM
BECAUSE THE RISK OF DEATH AND
INTENTIONAL INJURY IS FAR
HIGHER WHEN SOMEONE'S UNDER THE
INFLUENCE OR INTOXICATED.
BUT THEN YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT
IT'S NOT A BLACK HOLE WE'RE
EXPANDING EVERY DAY AND
RESOURCES MEDICAL ISSUES AND
OTHER THINGS THAT CAN HELP SAVE
THOSE PEOPLE.
I LIKE WHAT YOU SAID THERE
INTERVENTION IS AN ACT OF LOVE.
I LIKE WHAT YOU'RE DOING
BECAUSE YOU CREATED A PROGRAM
TO COMBAT SUICIDES AND
OVERDOSES AND IT'S REALLY
DESIGNED TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE
RIGHT UNTIL HELP ARRIVES.
KIND OF LIKE MAYBE CPR FOR
EXAMPLE.
CAN YOU TALK MORE ABOUT THAT
PROGRAM?
OH, I'D BE HONORED TO.
I'M ONE OF SEVERAL PARTNERS
ALONG WITH ARBOR'S MAYOR NANCY
BACCUS WHO DESIGNED THE READY
PROGRAM AND READY STANDS FOR
REAL EMERGENCY AID DEPENDS ON
YOU.
WE ALSO CREATED A PROGRAM
CALLED TEEN READY WHICH IS
DESIGNED FOR STUDENTS AND
DIRECTED AT JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
THROUGH COLLEGE AGE
DEMOGRAPHIC.
IT'S A GREAT RESOURCE FOR
TEACHERS TO START THIS
DISCUSSION BECAUSE THIS IS ALL
ABOUT REMOVING THE STIGMA
AROUND THIS.
SO JUST LIKE I CAN TEACH CPR IN
AN HOUR ON HOW TO SAVE A LIFE
WE DESIGNED THESE COURSES TO BE
AN HOUR LONG TO HELP PREVENT
THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF DEATH
IN 14 TO 16 YEAR OLDS.
IT'S ABOUT STARTING A
CONVERSATION, REMOVING THE
STIGMA AROUND THIS SUBJECT AND
THE PROGRAM IS AVAILABLE
ONLINE.
IT'S ALSO AVAILABLE A PROGRAM
THAT TEACHERS COULD TEACH IN
THE CLASSROOM.
WOW.
THAT IS SO INCREDIBLE.
DOCTOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
HELPING US THIS MORNING.
THIS IS SUCH GREAT INFORMATION.
WE'RE GOING TO POST A LINK BY
THE WAY ON KING5 DOTCOM.
THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US
THIS MORNING.
THANK YOU.
I JUST WANT TO SAY A COUPLE
OF BULLET POINTS.
YOU CAN'T USE THE WORD SAFE
ENOUGH WHEN SOMEONE'S IN A
MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS AND
ISOLATION IS TRULY THE ENEMY
OF MENTAL HEALTH.
YOU HAVE TO KEEP COMMUNICATE
EVEN IF YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE
BEING REJECTED BY THE PERSON
SOCIAL DISTANCING WHICH WE TALK
ABOUT IS NOT THE SAME AS SOCIAL